LIBRARY  OF  THE 
UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 
AT  URBANA-CHAMPAIGN 


$977.37 
D14C 


111. Hist. Surv. 


1682. 


COMBINED  HISTORY 


EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  ®  WABASH 

/ 

COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 

WITH  ILLUSTRATIONS 
DESCRIPTIVE  OF   THEIR  SCENERY 


ir  llroramenl    l^n  anh 


PUBLISHED  BY 

J.  L.   McDONOTJGH   &   CO., 

PHILADELPHIA. 

CORRESPONDING  OFFICE,  EDWARDSVILLE,  ILL. 


1883. 


*< 


PREFACE. 


\HE  publishers  desire  to  return  their  sin- 
cere thanks  to  those  who  have  aided  in 
making  this  ^vork  thorough  and  com-  \ 
plete.  For  the  incidents  relative  to  the  early  settle- 
ment of  these  counties,  we  are  indebted  to  a  few 
early  pioneers,  who  have  seen  a  wild  frontier 
country  develop  into  a  wealthy  and  populous  com- 
munity; especially  are  we  under  obligations  to  the 
writings  of  George  Flower  and  Morris  Birkbeck, 
whose  graphic  articles  shed  much  light  on  the 
early  settlements  in  this  section  of  the  state.  For 
other  facts  we  are  under  obligations  to  a  class 
of  intelligent  men,  who,  amid  the  ordinary  pur- 
suits  of  life,  have  taken  pains  to  thoroughly  in- 
form themselves  in  regard  to  the  past  history 
and  resources  of  their  county.  Among  those  who 
have  specially  contributed  to  the  history  of  Ed- 
wards county  are: — Charles  Churchill,  Alexander 
Stewart,  Jesse  Emmersott,  John  Woods,  John  Tribe, 
Philander  Gould,  Ansel  A.  Gould,  George  Lapp, 
Enoch  Greathouse,  Benjamin  Ulm,  Francis  Great- 
house,  Thomas  Coad,  George  Michcls,  Elisha  Chism, 
and  Dr.  F.  B.  Thompson. 

The  gentlemen  who  have  assisted  us  in  Law- 
rence county  are  :—J  W.  Crews,  David  D.  Lantcr- 
man,  J.  M,  Miller,  Samuel  Sumner,  A.  I.  Judy, 
George  Me  Cleave,  Dr.  W.  M.  Garrard,  Richard 
King,  Francis  Tongas,  Renick  Heath  and  William 
Laws. 

In  the  preparation  of  the  history  of  Wabash  coun- 
ty we  have  been  materially  assisted  by  Judge  Robert 
Bell,  James  M.  Sharp,  Judge  E.  B.  Green,  Dr.  Jacob 
Schneck,  Joseph  Compton,  Dr.  James  Harvey,  John 
Dyar,  E  B.  Keen,  Thompson  Blackford,  Henry  Lov- 
ellette,  Dr.  A.  J.  Mclntosh,  J.  J.  Smith,  Win.  Ulm, 
Thomas  A'.  Armstrong,  Ira  Keen,  John  Kigg,  D.  L. 
Tillon,  A.  B.  Cory,  J.  Zimmerman,  Mrs.  Elizabeth 
Litherland,  John  }  \  'ood  and  John  Higgins. 


To  the  county  officials  of  the  respective  counties  we 
extend  our  thanks  for  the  many  courtesies  extended, 
during  the  compilation  of  this  work. 

Among  the  chapters  most  fruitful  in  interest  to 
a  great  number  of  our  readers,  will  be  found 
those  which  treat  of  the  early  history  of  the 
churches.  Many  persons  are  now  living  whose 
fathers  and  grandfathers,  in  the  humble  log  cabin, 
which  was  then  the  only  house  of  worship,  assisted 
in  founding  organizations  which  have  been  of  the 
greatest  good  to  subsequent  generations.  To  the 
clergymen  of  the  different  denominations,  and  to 
many  of  the  older  members  of  these  societies,  we 
are  indebted  for  much  valuable  information.  The 
editors  of  the  several  newspapers  have  also  rendered 
assistance  in  that  prompt  and  cheerfid  manner  so 
characteristic  of  the  journalistic  profession. 

We  have  endeavored,  with  all  diligence  and  care- 
fulness, to  make  the  best  of  the  material  at  our 
command.  We  have  confined  ourselves,  as  nearly 
as  possible,  to  the  original  data  furnished.  The  sub- 
ject matter  has  been  carefully  classified,  and  will  be 
a  great  help  to  the  public  as  a  book  of  reference  con- 
cerning the  past  history  of  the  county.  The  facts 
were  gathered  from  many  different  sources,  and  de- 
pend largely,  not  on  exact  written  records,  but  on  the 
uncertain  and  conflicting  recollections  of  different 
individuals!  We  have  tried  to  preserve  the  inci- 
dents of  pioneer  history,  to  accurately  present  the 
natural  features  and  material  resources  of  this  por- 
tion of  the  state,  and  to  gather  the  facts  likely 
to  be  of  most  interest  to  our  present  readers,  and 
of  greatest  importance  to  coming  generations.  If 
our  readers  will  take  into  consideration  the  diffi- 
culties of  the  task,  we  feel  assured  of  a  favorable 
verdict  on  our  undertaking. 

THE  PUBLISHERS. 


206789 


TABLE    OF    CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER   I. 

A  BRIEF  SKETCH    OF   THE   NORTH-WEST 
TERRITORY. 

PAGE 

Geographical  Position,  9 ;  Early  Explora- 
tions, 9 ;  Discovery  of  the  Ohio,  15 ; 
English  Explorations  and  Settle- 
ments, 16;  American  Settlements,  22; 
Division  of  the  North- West  Territory, 
23 ;  Present  Condition  of  the  North- 
West,  24 9-25 

CHAPTER  II. 

BRIEF  HISTORICAL  SKETCH  OF  ILLINOIS. 
French  Possessions,  25 ;  The  first  Settle- 
ments in  Illinois,  26;  Founding  of 
Kaskaskia,  27;  As  a  part  of  Louisi- 
ana, 27 ;  Fort  Chartres,  28  ;  Under 
French  rule,  29 ;  Character  of  the  Early 
French  Settlers,  30;  A  Possession  of 
Great  Britain,  30  ;  Conquest  by  Clark, 
32;  The  "Compact  of  1787,"  32;  Land 
Tenures,  34  ;  Physical  Features  of  the 
State,  35  ;  Progress  and  Development, 
35;  Material  Resources  of  the  State, 
36  ;  Annual  Products,  36 ;  The  War 
Record,  38;  Civil  Government,  39; 
Territorial  and  State  Officers,  40  ;  Mis- 
cellaneous Information 25-45 

CHAPTER  III. 

RAILROAD  FACILITIES. 
EDWARDS  COUNTY,  46 ;  LAWRENCE  COUNTY, 
46 ;  WABASH  COUNTY,  47.  Railroads, 
Wabash,  St.  Louis  and  Pacific,  48; 
Ohio  and  Mississippi,  49;  Louisville, 
Evansville  and  St.  Louis,  49 ;  Peoria, 
Decatur  and  Evansville,  49 ;.  .  .  46-50 

CHAPTER  IV. 

UEOLOQY. 
EDWARDS  COUNTY,  50;    WABASH  COUNTY, 

51 ;  LAWRENCE  COUNTY,  53.     .   .    .  50-54 


CHAPTER  V. 

FLORA. 
List  of    Native  Woody   Plants,   Grasses, 

etc.,  etc 56, 56 


CHAPTER  VI. 

FAUNA. 

Treating  of  the  Various  Families  of  Ani- 
mals and  Birds  that  have  existed  in 
these  counties 56-58 


CHAPTER  VII. 

PIONEERS  AND  EARLY  SETTLERS. 

HOWARDS  COUNTY,  First  Settlers,  58 ;  Early 

Marriages,  66  ;  The  Deep  Snow,  67  ; 

The  Sudden  Freeze,  67.     LAWRENCE 

COUNTY,  First  Settlers,  68 ;  WABASH 

COUNTY,  First  Settlers,  73 ;    Pioneer 

Mills,  77 ;  The  Cannon  Massacre,  78  ; 

Habits  and  Modes  of  living  in  Pioneer 

times,  78 58-80 

CHAPTER  VIII. 

CIVIL  HISTORY. 

CDWARDS  COUNTY,  Act  creating  the  Coun- 
ty, 80 ;  County  Government  at  Pal- 
myra, 81 ;  Second  Court,  Third  Court, 
Justice's  Court,  84  ;  First  and  Second 
Commissioner's  Court,  85 ;  County 
Government  at  Albion,  County  Com- 
missioner's Court  from  First  to  Four- 
teenth, 86-88  ;  County  Courts,  from 
First  to  Seventh,  89,  90 ;  Boards  of 
County  Commissioners,  90,  91 ;  Pub- 
lic Buildings,  91 ;  Taxable  Property, 
92 ;  Circuit  Courts,  First  Murder  Trial, 
93;  Second  Murder  Case,  94;  First 
Naturalization,  Judges  of  Circuit 
Court,  First  Probate  Business,  The 
First  Will,  Probate  Judges,  95  ;  First 
Deed  Recorded,  Delegates  to  Constitu- 
tional Convention,  The  County  in  the 
General  Assembly  96 ;  County  Officers  97. 


LAWRENCE  COUNTY,  97;  County  Gov- 
ernment, 100;  Militia  Districts,  101  ; 
Public  Buildings,  The  First  Court- 
house, 102;  Early  Ferries,  Early 
Revenue,  Fiscal  Statement  of  De- 
cember 6,  1827,  105;  Election  Pre- 
cincts,  104-106  ;  County  Finance  since 
1827,  106-108  ;  Circuit  Courts,  1821  to 
1848,  108-110;  United  States  Census 
1850,  County  Government  from  1849 
to  1883,  Swamp  Lands,  110  ;  Finan- 
cial Notes  1849  to  1883,  111 ;  Officers 
Representing  and  Serving  Lawrence 
County,  111-115. 

WABASH  COUNTY,  Organization,  etc.,  115- 
120  ;  Public  Buildings,  120-123 ;  Tax- 
es and  Debts,  1825  to  1850,  123,  124 ; 
Railroad  Debts,  124 ;  Officers  Repre- 
senting and  Serving  the  county,  125- 
127 80-127. 

CHAPTER  IX. 
THE  BENCH  ASD  BAR. 

Circuit  Judges  &  Non-resident  lawyers,  128. 
EDWARDS  COUNTY,  Former  Resident  Law- 
yers, 129;  Present  Bar,  129.  LAW- 
BENCE  COUNTY,  Former  Resident  Law- 
yers, 130;  Present  Bar,  130;  WA- 
BASH COUNTY,  Former  Resident  Law- 
yers, and  Present  Bar,  132.  ;  .  .  127-133 

CHAPTER  X. 

THE  PRESS. 

Giving  the  Names  of  all  the  News- 
papers that  have  been  printed  in  each 
of  the  Counties 133-137. 

CHAPTER  XI. 

PATEIOTISM. 

Black  Hawk  War,  137-141 ;  War  of 
the  Rebellion,  141 ;  A  List  of  Names 
of  the  volunteers  from  each  of  the 
Counties,  with  a  short  historical 
Sketch  of  the  Regiments  to  which 
they  belonged 137-156 


TABLE  OF  CONTEXTS. 


CHAPTER   XII. 
COMMON  SCHOOLS. 
The   School  Systems   of  the  State—  their 
Growth,  Resources  and   Management 
etc.,    150  ;    EDWARDS   COUNTY,    159  ; 
LAWKEXCK    CorxTY,     1G1  ;     WAIIASH 
CDI-VTY    It!0                                           lot)   lb'3 

Foster  Blashel 

PAGE 
315 

Rice  Cyrus 

PAGE 

.    .  220 
.    .  323 
.    .260 
.    .  309 
.    .  218 
.    .  257 
.    .  310 
.    .  256 
.    .245 
.    .  244 
.    .  310 
.    .  258 
.    .  222 
.    .  306 
.    .  297 
.    .218 
.    .  255 
.    .  309 

.    .307 
.    .324 

216 

Foster,  William  F  
Fox  Jeremiah 

....  224 

°99 

Rigg,  Henry  H  
Rigg   James  W 

Frazcr,  Dr.  Milton  D  
Freeman,  Samuel  
French,  Dr.  Zeba  D  
Friend,  Dr.  William  
Frost,  James  P  

....  330 
....  324 
....  21)!! 
....  310 
....  275 
....  274 
....  225 
....  262 
....  314 
....  314 
....  300 
....  249 
....  322 
....  224 
.    .    .    .217 
.   ...  261 
....  253 
.    ...  308 
.   ...  267 
253 

Rodgers,  Augustine  J  
Rude,  David  S  
Samoniel  Brothers  
Schaefer,  Dr.  H.  M  
Schneck,  Dr.  J  
Schrodt,  John  
Sears,  Dr.  Paul  
Seibert.  Charles  
Scitz,  Jr.,  William  
Sentance,  John    
Shearer,  Joseph  B  
Smith,  Dr.  James  E  
Smith,  John     
Smith,  Valentine     
Smith,  Rozander     
Stewart,  Alexander     
Stoltz,  George     
Strahan,  John  (deceased)  
Tribe   William  B 

CHAPTER  XIII. 
ECCLESIASTICAL. 
EDWARDS  COUSTT.—  Methodist  Church,  163  ; 
Protestai.t  Episcopal,  165;  Baptist,  167; 
ChurcU  of  Christ,  268;    Cumberland 
Presbyterian,  172;    United  Brethren, 
176;    Evangelical    Association,    179; 
LAWRENCE  C  o  u  N  T  Y  .-Presbyterian 
Church,  181  ;  Christian  Church,  182; 
United   Brethren,  200;    Disciples   of 
Christ,    183;      Methodist   Protestant, 
184  ;  Methodist  Episcopal,  185.     WA- 
BASH  COUNTY.—  Christian  Church,  186; 
M.  E.  Church,  189;  Presbyterian,  192; 
Evangelical,  195  ;  Catholic,  198  ;  Ger- 
man  Lutheran,  198  ;    Evangelical  As- 
sociation of  N.  A.,  199  ;  United  Breth- 
ren in  Christ,  200  163-202 

Glaubensklee,  Henry  
Gordon,  Robert  S  
Gould,  Ansel  A  
Gould,  Philander  
Gray,  Dr.  F.  S  
Green,  Hon.  Edward  B  
Groff,  Hon.  John  
Hallam,  John  
Harris,  Gibson  
Harrison,  John  M  
Havill,  Frank  W  
Higgins,  John  
Hoopes  Caleb 

Ulm,  Captain  William    
Utter,  Abraham  (deceased)  

.    .  246 

.    .288 
.    .  309 
.    .283 
.    .284 

Joy,  Thomas  L  
Kamp,  Louis  
Keen,  Hon.  E.  B  
Keen,  George  W  

.    .    .    .261 
.    ...  263 
....  335 
.    ...  306 
.    ...  258 
.    ...  299 

Vandermark,  Simon   
Vandermark,  Cyr,us    
Waller,  Dr  Fay  K  
Wilkinson,  Thomas     
Wilkinson,  Hon.  William  R  

BIOGRAPHIES. 
Adams,  David     300 

Keniepp,  Captain  G.  M  
King,  Henry  (deceased)  .... 
Landes  Hon  Silas  Z 

Armstrong,  Thomas  N  298 
Armstrong,  Berkley  (deceased)   297 
Bear,  James  220 
Bell,  Hon.  Robert                                              247 

Lescher,  Dr.  Jacob  
Lewis,  Harlie  V 

.    ...  259 
329 

Woods,  Thomas  T."  
Wood  Hon  William  (deceased) 

.   .227 
259 

Low,  Dr.  Lyman  W  
Manley,  Alfred  P  
Manley  Frank  C  k 

.    ...  219 
.    ...  257 
3''5 

Zimmerman,  Hon.  Jacob    

TOWNSHIPS. 
Allison      
H^ellmont  
Bond     

.    .  248 

.    .276 
.    .  319 
342 

Belles,  Philip  330 
Berninger,  Isaiah   307 
Blood,  John  M.  (deceased)   276 
Bockhouse,  William    325 
Bower,  George     .    ^    .    .•   228 
Brause,  August  302 
Briggs,  Jonathan     216 
Burkett,  JohnT  262 
Campbell,  Joseph  M.     ,   226 
Churchill,  Joel    215 
Colyer,  Walter     .    .    •    •                                   2°6 

Manley,  Dr.  Paul  G  
Mayo,  Walter  L  
Marx,  Samuel  
Marx,  Philip  H  
McClane,  Dr.  C.  T  
McClurkin,  Dr.  John  C  
McDowell,  Dr.  James  0  
Mclntosh,  Dr.  Andrew  J  
McJilton,  Dr.  Edward  L  
Medler,  William  H  
Michels,  George  
Miller,  Edward  

.    ...  336 
.    ...  221 
.    .    .    .  307 
.    ...  308 
....  324 
225 
....  268 
....  296 
....  308 
....  225 
....  214 
....  254 

Bridgeport   
City  and  Precinct  of  Albion  
City  and  Township  of  Lawrenceville   . 
b/City  and  Precinct  of  Mt  Carmel 

.    .327 
.    .  203 
.    .  228 
235 

Christy      

.    .  264 
331 

Dennison      

.    .  °>:. 
°89 

Compton,  Van  Bureu  298 
Curdling,  Robert  W    ........           227 
Dalby,  Samuel  Nelson   214-n 
Dickson,  Dr.  Henry  I,  224 
Edwards,  Eld.  Caleb  227 
Emmerson,  Morris  226 
Kw:iM,  George  C  323 
HIM,  Id-.  Chesterfield     22ti 
Flower,  George   212 
Kluwci-.   Mrs.  Eliza  Julia  -j]  |    v 
"owe-.'.  R.C    224-  A 

French  Creek  

.    .  337 

Morgan,  Maxwell  W  
Murphy,  Dr.  Hugh  A  
Parkinson,  Robert  (deceased)  .  . 
Parmenter,  Henry  
Petty,  G.  \V  
Pixley,  Asa  (deceased)  
Price,  Isaac  K  
Putnam,  Samuel  R  

....  218 
....  267 
....  260 
....  326 

.    ...  208 
.    ...  316 

.    .    .    .  2"iii 
.    .    .    .  °.V, 

^Lancaster      
/Lick  Prairie     
Lukin    
Petty     
Russell       
Salem    
Sh.'ll.y  
,/Walmsh      

.    .  303 
.    .  340 
.    .  301 

.  .  :;i7 
.  .  m 

.    .  311 

.    .  272 
.    .  2!»1 

TABLE  OF  CONTENTS. 


vii 


PORTRAITS. 

ILLUSTRATIONS 

I'AGK 

Landes   Mrs                                lietw 

en  IMS  -IMH 



PAGE 



Mauley,  Dr.  P.  G  

Facing  332 

Armstrong,  Berkley  

.  Facing  290 

Adams,  David  (deceased)  

Facing  808 

Map  ot  Counties     

Facing      ',» 

Blood,  John  M.  (dec'd)    .... 

Facing  270 

Armstrong,  Berkley 

Facing  2'JO 

Medler,  Win.  H  

Facing  272 

Churchill,  Joel    

...    .216 

Bear,  James  W  

Facing  342 

Miller,  Edward  

|-:u-i,,K  888 

Flower,  George   

....  212 

Blood,  Mrs.  A  

Facing  204 

Parmenter,  Henry     

Facing  336 

Flower,  Mrs.  Eliza  Julia  .    .    .    . 

.    .    .  214-A 

Bond,  L.  C  

Facing  226 

Pixley,  A.,  Jr  

Facing  310 

Flower,  K.C    

.    .    .  224-A 

Buxton,  Dr.  W.  E  

Facing  204 

Public  Buildings,  Edwards  County  . 

Facing    84 

Foster,  Blashel     

....  :!!,") 

Churchill  Bros.'  Business  Block  .    . 

Facing  208 

Public  Buildings,  Lawreuceville  .    . 

Facing  232 

Frost,  James  P   

.  .  .  .  276 

Churchill,  James,  Residence    .    .    . 

Facing  20« 

Rigg,  H.  H  

Facing  280 

Gill,  Thomas    

.    .    .    .274 

Churchill,  Mrs.  Joel,  Residence    .    . 

Facing  208 

Kigg,  J.  W  

Facing  256 

Gould,  Philander,      

.  Facing  314 

Couit-House,  Mt.  Carmel      .    .    .    . 

Facing  120 

Sears,  Dr.  Paul    Betw< 

en  248-249 

Gould,  Martha  L   

.  Facing  314 

Curtis,  John    

Facing  268 

Seibert,  Charles     

Facing  304 

liouM,  Mrs.  Sarah  (dec'd)  .    .    . 

.  Facing  314 

Dreibelbis,  F.  and  J.  Mill     .... 

Facing  232 

Seller,  Jacob  

Facing  236 

Gould,  Ansel  A  

Facing  314 

Ewald,  George  C  

Facing  284 

Sentance,  J.  and  Son     

Facing  226 

Gould,  Chloe  S  

.  Facing  314 

Foster,  Blashel   

Facing  326 

Smith,  Rozander    

Facing  308 

Groff,  John  and  Wife   

.  Facing  322 

Frost,  James  P  

Facing  272 

Smith,  James  N  

Facing  274 

Harris  Gibson 

....  217 

Th 

Facing  284 

Tribe,  R.  M  

Facing  2bO 

Lescher,  Dr.  Jacob     

....  269 

Gill,  Thomas  

Facing  274 

Tribe,  W.  B  

Facing  226 

Low,  Dr.  Lyman  W     

....  219 

Glaubensklee,  Henry  and  Sanih      . 

Facing  220 

Utter,  Abraham  (deceased)  .    .    .    . 

Facing  247 

Mayo,  Walter  L  

....  221 

Gould,  Deuel  

Facing  204 

Wood   Joseph 

Facing  216 

Pixley,  Asa  (dec'd,)  

.  Facing  316 

Gould,  Ansel,  Jr  

Facing  288 

Wood,  Oliver  II  

Facing  280 

Rice,  Cyrus    

.  Facing  220 

Gould,  Philander    Betwe 

en  312-313 

Wood,  Thomas    

Facing  342 

Rude,  David  S.  (dec'd)     .... 

.  Facing  218 

Gould,  Ansel  A  Betwe 

en  318-319 

Wright,  David  P  

Facing  256 

Sears,  Dr.  Paul   

....  244 

Groff,  John  Betwe 

en  320-321 



Stewart,  Alexander    
Utter,  Abraham  (deceased)  . 

.    .    .    .223 
....  240 

Kamp's  Mill    
Keen   E  B 

Facing  240 
Facing  298 

Partial  List  of  Patrons    

Constitution  of  Illinois 

.    .    .  345 
.  360 

Utter,  Mrs.  Elizabeth     

....  246 

Keen,  G.  W  

Facing  308 

Declaration  of  Independence     .   . 

.    .    .  872 

Wood,  Hon.  William  (dec'd)    .    . 

.  Facing  250 

Keen,  W.  E  

Facing  332        Constitution  of  the  United  States 

.    ...  373 

Wood,  Joseph  (dec'd)  

.  Facing  210 

King   Henry  (deceased)   

Facing  300 

Amendments  to  Constitution  of  U. 

5.  ...  376 

LIBRARY 

OF  THE 

UNIVERSITY  or  ILIINOIS 


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El  LVIL 


HISTORY 


EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WABASH  COUNTIES,  ILL 


CHAPTER    I. 


A  BRIEF  SKETCH  OF  THE  NORTH-WEST  TERRITORY. 

GEOGRAPHICAL   POSITION. 

,N  1784  the  North  Western  Territory  was 
ceded  to  the  United  States  by  Virginia. 
It  embraced  only  the  territory  lying  be- 
tween the  Ohio  and  Mississippi  rivers; 
and  north,  to  the  northern  limits  of  the 
United  States.  It  coincided  with  the  area 
now  embraced  in  the  states  of  Wisconsin, 
Illinois,  Michigan,  Indiana,  Ohio,  and 
that  portion  of  Minnesota  lying  on  the 
east  side  of  the  Mississippi  river.  On  the  first  day  of  March, 
1784,  Thomas  Jefferson,  Samuel  Hardy,  Arthur  Lee,  and 
James  Monroe,  delegates  in  Congress  on  the  part  of  Vir- 
ginia, executed  a  deed  of  cession,  by  which  they  transferred 
to  the  United  States,  on  certain  conditions,  all  right,  title 
and  claim  of  Virginia  to  the  country  known  as  the  North- 
western Territory.  But  by  the  purchase  of  Louisiana  in 
1803,  the  western  boundary  of  the  United  States  was  ex- 
tended to  the  Rocky  Mountains  and  the  Northern  Pacific 
Ocean.  It  includes  an  area  of  1,887,850  square  miles, 
beiug  greater  than  the  united  areas  of  the  Middle  and 
Southern  states,  including  Texas.  Out  of  this  magnificent 
territory  have  been  erected  eleven  sovereign  states  and  eight 
territories,  with  an  aggregate  population  at  the  present  time 
of  13,000,000  inhabitants,  or  nearly  one-third  of  the  entire 
population  of  the  United  States. 

Its  rivers  are  the  largest  on  the  continent,  flowing  thous- 
ands of  miles  through  its  rich  alluvial  valleys  and  broad, 
fertile  prairies. 

Its  lakes  arc  fresh-water  seas,  upon  whose  bosom  floats 
the  commerce  of  many  states.  Its  far-stretching  prairies 
have  more  acres  that  are  arable  and  productive  than  any 
other  area  of  like  extent  on  the  globe. 

For  the  last  quarter  of  a  century  the  increase  of  popula- 


tion and  wealth  in  the  north-west  has  been  about  as  three  to 
one  in  any  other  portion  of  the  United  States. 

EARLY    EXPLORATIONS. 

In  the  year  1512,  on  Easter  Sunday,  the  Spanish  name 
for  which  is  Pascua  Florida,*  Juan  Ponce  de  Leon,  an  old 
comrade  of  Columbus,  discovered  the  coast  of  the  American 
continent,  near  St.  Augustine,  and  in  honor  of  the  day  and 
of  the  blossoms  which  covered  the  trees  along  the  shore, 
named  the  new-found  country  Florida.  Juan  had  been  led 
to  undertake  the  discovery  of  strange  lands  partly  by  the 
hope  of  finding  endless  stores  of  gold,  and  partly  by  the 
wish  to  reach  a  fountain  that  was  said  to  exist  deep  within 
the  forests  of  North  America,  which  possessed  the  power  of 
renovating  the  life  of  those  who  drank  of  or  bathed  in  its 
waters.  He  was  made  governor  of  the  region  he  had  visited 
but  circumstances  prevented  his  return  thither  until  1521 ; 
and  then  he  went  only  to  meet  death  at  the  hands  of"  the 
Indians. 

In  the  meantime,  in  1516,  a  Spanish  sea-captain,  Diego 
Miruelo,  had  visited  the  coast  first  reached  by  Ponce  de 
Leon,  and  in  his  barters  with  the  natives  had  received  con- 
siderable quantities  of  gold,  with  which  he  returned  home 
and  spread  abroad  new  stories  ^f  the  wealth  hidden  in  the 
interior. 

Ten  years,  however,  passed  before  Pamphilo  de  Narvaei 
undertook  to  prosecute  the  examination  of  the  lands  north 
of  the  Gulf  of  Mexico.  Narvaez  was  excited  to  action  by 
the  late  astonishing  success  of  the  conqueror  of  Montezuma, 
but  he  found  the  gold  for  which  he  sought  constantly  flying 
before  him ;  each  tribe  of  Indians  referred  him  to .  those 
living  farther  in  the  interior.  And  from  tribe  to  tribe  he 
and  his  companions  wandered.  They  suffered  untold  priva- 
tions in  the  swamps  and  forests  ;  and  out  of  three  hundred 
followers  only  four  or  five  at  length  reached  Mexico.  And 
still  these  disappointed  wanderers  persisted  in  their  original 
fancy,  that  Florida  was  as  wealthy  as  Mexico  or  Peru. 

•Pascum,  the  old  English  "Pash"  or  Passover;  "  Pascua  Florida" 
is  the  "  Holyday  of  Flowers." 


10 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


Among  those  who  had  faith  in  that  report  was  Ferdinand 
de  Soto,  who  had  been  with  Pizarro  in  the  conquests  of  Peru. 
He  asked  and  obtained  leave  of  the  King  of  Spain  to  con- 
quer Florida  at  his  own  cost.  It  was  given  in  the  year  1538. 
With  a  brilliant  and  noble  band  of  followers  he  left  Europe 
and  in  May,  1538,  after  a  stay  in  Cuba,  anchored  his  vessels 
near  the  coast  of  the  Peninsula  of  Florida,  in  the  bay  of 
Spiritu  Santa,  or  Tampa  bay. 

De  Soto  entered  upon  his  march  into  the  interior  with  a 
determination  to  succeed.  From  June  till  November  of 

1539,  the  Spaniards    toiled   along   until   they  reached  the 
neighborhood  of  Appalachee  bay.     During  the  next  season, 

1540,  they  followed  the  course  suggested    by  the  Florida 
Indians,  who  wished  them  out  of  their  country,  and  going 
to  the  north-east,  crossed  the  rivers  and  climbed  the  moun- 
tains of  Georgia.     De  Soto  was  a  stern,  severe  man,  and 
none  dared  to  murmur.     De  Soto  passed  the  winter  with  his 
little  band  near  the  Yazoo.     In  April,  1541,  thfc  resolute 
Spaniard  set  forward,  and  upon  the  first  of  May  reached 
the  banks  of  the  great  river  of  the  West,  not  far  from  the 
35th  parallel  of  latitude.* 

A  month  was  spent  in  preparing  barges  to  convey  the 
horses,  many  of  which  still  lived,  across  the  rapid  stream. 
Having  successfully  passed  it,  the  explorers  pursued  their 
way  northward,  into  the  neighborhood  of  New  Madrid ; 
then  turning  westward  again,  marched  more  than  two  hun- 
dred miles  from  the  Mississippi  to  the  highlands  of  White 
river;  and  still  no  gold,  no  gems,  no  cities — only  bare  prai- 
rie?, and  tangled  forests,  and  deep  morasses  To  the  south 
again  they  toiled  on,  and  passed  their  third  winter  of  wander- 
ing upon  the  Washita.  In  the  following  spring  (1542),  De 
Soto,  weary  with  hope  long  deferred,  descended  the  Washita 
to  its  junction  with  the  Mississippi.  He  heard,  when  he 
reached  the  mighty  stream  of  the  west,  that  its  lower  portion 
flowed  through  endless  and  uninhabitable  swamps. 

The  news  sank  deep  into  the  stout  heart  of  the  disap- 
pointed warrior.  His  health  yielded  to  the  contests  of  his 
miud  and  the  influence  of  the  climate.  He  appointed  a 
successor,  and  on  the  21st  of  May  died.  His  body  was  sunk 
in  the  stream  of  the  Mississippi.  Deprived  of  their  ener- 
gatic  leader,  the  Spaniards  determined  to  try  to  reach  Mexico 
by  land.  After  some  time  spent  in  wandering  through  the 
forests,  despairing  of  success  in  the  attempt  to  rescue  them- 
selves by  land,  they  proceeded  to  prepare  such  vessels  as 
they  could  to  take  them  to  sea.  From  January  to  July 
1543,  the  weak,  sickly  band  of  gold-seekers  labored  at  the 
doleful  task,  and  in  July  reached,  in  the  vessels  thus  built, 
the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  and  by  September  entered  the  river 
Paunco.  Ode-half  of  the  six  hundred  f  who  had  disem- 
barked with  De  Soto,  so  gay  in  steel  and  silk,  left  their  bones 
among  the  mountains  and  in  the  morasses  of  the  South,  from 
Georgia  to  Arkansas. 

De  Soto  founded  no  settlements,  produced  no  results,  and 
left  no  traces,  unless  it  were  that  he  awakened  the  hostility 
of  the  red  man  against  the  white  man,  and  disheartened 

*  De  Soto  probably  was  at  the  lower  Chickasaw  bluffs.    The  Spaniards 
called  the  Mississippi  Rio  Grande,  Great  River,  which  is  the  literal 
meaning  of  the  aboriginal  name. 
>  t  De  Biedna  says  there  landed  G20  men. 


such  as  might  desire  to  follow  up  the  career  of  discovery  for 
better  purposes.  The  French  nation  were  eager  and  ready 
to  seize  upon  any  news  from  this  extensive  domain,  and 
were  the  first  to  profit  by  De  Solo's  defeat.  As  it  was,  for 
more  than  a  century  after  the  expedition,  the  west  remained 
utterly  unknown  to  the  whites. 

The  French  were  the  first  Europeans  to  make  settlements 
on  the  St.  Lawrence  river  and  along  the  great  lakes.  Quebec 
was  founded  by  Sir  Samuel  Champlain  in  1608,*  and  in  1609 
when  Sir  Henry  Hudson  was  exploring  the  noble  river 
which  bears  his  name,  Champlain  ascended  the  Sorrelle 
river,  and  discovered,  embosomed  between  the  Green  moun- 
tains, or  "  Verdmont,"  as  the  chivalrous  and  poetic  French- 
man called  them,  and  the  Adirondacks,  the  beautiful  sheet 
of  water  to  which  his  name  is  indissolubly  attached.  In 
1613  he  founded  Montreal. 

During  the  period  elapsing  between  the  years  1607  and 
1664,  the  English,  Dutch,  and  Swedes  alternately  held  pos- 
session of  portions  of  the  Atlantic  coast,  jealously  watching 
one  another,  and  often  involved  in  bitter  controversy,  and 
not  seldom  in  open  battle,  until,  in  the  latter  year,  the 
English  became  the  sole  rulers,  and  maintained  their  rights 
until  the  era  of  the  Revolution,  when  they  in  turn  were 
compelled  to  yield  to  the  growing  power  of  their  colonies, 
and  retire  from  the  field. 

The  French  movements,  from  the  first  settlement  at 
Quebec,  and  thence  westward,  were  led  by  the  Catholic 
missionaries.  Le  Caron,  a  Franciscan  friar,  who  had  been 
the  companion  and  friend  of  Champlain,  was  the  first  to 
penetrate  the  western  wilds,  which  he  did  in  1616*  in  a 
birch  canoe,  exploring  lake  Huron  and  its  tributaries. 
This  was  four  years  before  the  Pilgrims 

"Moored  their  bark  on  the  wild  New  England  shore." 

Under  the  patronage  of  Louis  XIII,  the  Jesuits  took  the 
advance,  and  began  vigorously  the  work  of  Christianizing 
the  savages  in  1632. 

In  1634,  three  Jesuit  missionaries,  Brebeuf,  Daniel,  and 
Lallemand,  planted  a  mission  on  the  shores  of  the  lake  of 
the  Iroquois,  (probably  the  modern  Lake  Simcoe),  and  also 
established  others  along  the  eastern  border  of  Lake  Huron. 

From  a  map  published  in  1660,  it  would  appear  that  the 
French  had  at  that  date,  become  quite  familiar  with  the 
region  from  Niagara  to  the  head  of  Lake  Superior,  includ- 
ing considerable  portions  of  Lake  Michigan. 

In  1641,  Fathers  Jogues  and  Raymbault  embarked  on 
the  Penetanguishine  Bay  for  the  Sault  St.  Marie,  where 
they  arrived  after  a  passage  of  seventeen  days.  A  crowd 
of  two  thousand  natives  met  them,  and  a  great  council  was 
held.  At  this  meeting  the  French  first  heard  of  many 
nations  dwelling  beyond  the  great  lakes. 

Father  Raymbault  died  in  the  wilderness  in  1642,  while 
enthusiastically  pursuing  his  discoveries.  The  same  year, 
Jogues  and  Bressani  were  captured  by  the  Indians  and 
tortured,  and  in  1648  the  mission  which  had  been  founded 
at  St.  Joseph  was  taken  and  destroyed,  and  Father  Daniel 
slain.  In  1649,  the  missions  St  Louis  and  St.  Ignatius 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND   WABASU  COUM1ES,  ILLINOIS. 


were  also  destroyed,  and  Fathers  Brebeuf  and  Lallemand 
barbarously  tortuivd  by  the  same  terrible  and  unrelenting 
enemy.  Literally  did  those  zealous  missionaries  of  the 
Romish  Church  "take  their  lives  in  their  hands,"  and  lay 
them  a  willing  sacrifice  on  the  altar  of  their  faith. 

It  is  stated  by  some  writer  that,  in  1G54,  two  fur  traders 
accompanied  a  band  of  Ottawas  on  a  journey  of  five  hun- 
dred leagues  to  the  west.  They  were  absent  two  years,  and 
on  their  return  brought  with  them  fifty  canoes  and  two 
hundred  and  fifty  Indians  to  the  French  trading  posts. 

They  related  wonderful  tales  of  the  countries  they  had 
Been,  and  the  various  red  nations  they  had  visited,  and 
described  the  lofty  mountains  and  mighty  rivers  in  glowing 
terms.  A  new  impulse  was  given  to  the  spirit  of  adventure, 
and  tcouts  and  traders  swarmed  the  frontiers  and  explored 
the  great  lakes  and  adjacent  country,  and  a  party  wintered 
in  IGoO-GO  on  the  south  shore  of  Lake  Superior. 

In  1GGO  Father  Mesnard  was  sent  out  by  the  Bishop  of 
Quebec,  and  visited  Lake  Superior  in  October  of  that  year. 
While  crossing  the  Kecweenaw  Point  he  was  lost  in  the  wilder- 
ness and  never  afterwards  heard  from,  though  his  cassock 
and  breviary  were  found  long  afterwards  among  the  Sioux. 

A  change  was  made  in  the  government  of  New  France  in 
1G65.  The  Company  of  the  Hundred  Associates,  who  had 
ruled  it  since  1632,  resigned  its  charter.  Tracy  was  made 
Viceroy,  Courcclles  Governor,  and  Talon  Intendent.*  This 
was  called  the  Government  of  the  West  Indies. 

The  Jesuit  missions  were  taken  under  the  care  of  the  new 
govcnmcnt,  and  thenceforward  became  the  leaders  in  the 
movement  to  Christianize  the  savages. 

In  the  same  year  (1GG5)  Pierre  Claude  Allouez  was  sent 
out  by  way  of  the  Ottawa  river  to  the  far  west,  via  the  Sault 
St.  Marie  and  the  south  shore  of  Lake  Superior,  where  he 
landed  at  the  bay  of  Chegoimegon.  Here  he  found  the 
chief  village  of  the  Chippcwas,  and  established  a  mission. 
He  also  made  an  alliance  with  them  and  the  Sacs,  Foxes  and 
Illinois,^  against  the  formidable  Iroquois.  Allouez,  the  next 
year  (1GGG)  visited  the  western  end  of  the  great  lake,  where 
he  met  the  Sioux,  and  from  them  first  learned  of  the  Missis- 
sippi river  which  they  called  "Mcssipi."  From  thence  he 
returned  to  Quebec. 

In  1GG8  Claude  Dablon  and  Jacques  Marquctte  estab- 
lished the  mission  at  the  Sault  called  St.  Marie,  and  during 
the  next  five  years  Alloiicz, Dablon  and  Marquette  explored 
the  region  of  Lake  Superior  on  the  south  shore,  and  ex- 
tending to  Lake  Michigan.  They  also  established  the  mis- 
sions of  Chegoimegon,  St.  Marie,  Mackinaw  and  Green  Bay. 

The  plan  of  exploring  the  Mississippi  probably  originated 
with  Marquctte.  It  was  at  once  sanctioned  by  the  Inten- 
dent, Talon,  who  was  ambitious  to  extend  the  dominion  of 
France  over  the  whole  West. 

In  1G70  Nicholas  Perot  was  sent  to  the  West  to  propose  a 
congress  of  all  the  nations  and  tribes  living  in  the  vicinity 
of  the  lakes ;  and,  in  1G71,  a  great  council  was  held  at  Sault 
St.  Marie,  ct  which  the  Cross  was  set  up,  and  the  nations  of 

*  The  duties  of  Intcmlent  included  a  supervision  cf  t'.ic  policy,  justice, 
taj  finance  of  the  province. 

|  The  meaning  of  this  word  b  said  to  be  "  Men." 


the  great  North-west  were  taken  into  an  alliance,  with  much 
pomp  and  ceremony. 

On  the  13th  of  May,  1G73,  Marquctte,  Joliet,  and  five 
voyageurs,  embarked  in  two  birch  canoes  at  Mackinaw  and 
entered  Lake  Michigan.  The  first  nation  they  visited  was 
the  "  Folles-Avoines,"  or  nation  of  Wild  Oats,  since  known 
as  the  Menomonies,  living  around  the  "  Baie  des  Puans,"  or 
Green  Bay.  These  people,  with  whom  Marquette  was  some- 
what acquainted,  endeavored  to  persuade  the  adventurers 
from  visiting  the  Mississippi.  They  represented  the  Indians 
on  the  great  river  as  being  blood-thirsty  and  savage  in  the 
extreme,  and  the  river  itself  as  being  inhabited  by  monsters 
which  would  devour  them  and  their  canoes  together.* 

Marquctte  thanked  them  for  their  advice,  but  declined  to 
be  guided  by  it.  Passing  through  Green  Bay,  they  ascended 
the  Fox  River,  dragging  their  canoes  over  the  strong  rapids 
and  visited  the  village,  where  they  found  living  in  l.armony 
together  tribes  of  the  Miamis,  Mascoutens  f  tMilKika.bea.ux 
or  Kickapoos.  Leaving  this  point  on  the  10th  of  June,  they 
made  the  portage  to  the  "  Ouisconsin,"  and  descended  that 
stream  to  the  Mississippi,  which  they  entered  on  the  17th 
with  a  joy,  as  Marquette  says,  which  he  could  not  express."! 

Sailing  down  the  Mississippi,  the  party  reached  the  Des 
Moines  River,  and,  according  to  some,  visited  an  Indian 
village  some  two  leagues  up  the  stream.  Here  the  people 
again  tried  to  persuade  them  from  prosecuting  their  voyage 
down  the  river.  After  a  great  feast  and  a  dance,  and  a 
night  passed  with  this  hospitable  people,  they  proceeded  on 
their  way,  escorted  by  six  hundred  persons  to  their  canoes. 
These  people  called  themselves  Illinois,  or  Illini.  The  name 
of  their  tribe  was  Peruaca,  and  their  language  a  dialect  of 
the  Algonquin. 

Leaving  these  savages,  they  proceeded  down  the  river. 
Passing  the  wonderful  rocks,  which  still  excite  the  admira- 
tion of  the  traveller,  they  arrived  at  the  mouth  of  another 
great  river,  the  Pekilan"ni,  or  Missouri  of  the  present  day. 
They  noticed  the  condition  of  its  waters,  which  they  described 
as  "  muddy,  rushing  and  noisy." 

Passing  a  great  rock,  §  they  came  to  the  Ouabouskigon,  or 
Ohio.  Marquette  shows  this  river  very  small, even  as  com- 
pared with  the  Illinois.  From  the  Ohio  they  passed  as  far 
down  as  the  Akamsca,  or  Arkansas,  where  they  came  very 
near  being  destroyed  by  the  natives;  but  they  finally  paci- 
fied them,  and,  on  the  1 7th  of  July,  they  commenced  their 
return  voyage. 

The  party  reached  Green  Bay  in  September  without  loss 
or  injury,  and  reported  their  discoveries,  which  were  among 
the  most  important  of  that  age.  Marquctte  afterwards 
returned  to  Illinois,  and  preached  to  the  natives  until  L°<75. 

On  the  18th  of  May  of  that  year,  while  cruising  up  the 
eastern  coast  of  Lake  Michigan  with  a  par!y  of  boatmen, 
he  landed  at  the  mouth  of  a  stream  putting  into  the  lake 
from  the  east,  since  known  as  the  river  Marquette.  He 
performed  mass,  and  went  a  little  apart  to  pruy,  and  being 

*  See  hgend  of  the  p-eat  bird,  the  terrible  "  Plata,"  t.'iru  devoured  men 
and  was  only  overcome  by  the  sacrl5ec  cf  a  bruvi.youn  ;  chief.  The 
rocks  above  Alton,  Ill.aois,  have  como  rude  rci>SB^gU.or.  i  ci"  this 
monster. 


|  Prair'c 


II 


*  XIarquctte's  journal.         {  The  ^rand  tD 


12 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  W ABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


gone  longer  than  his  companions  deemed  necessary,  they  j 
•went  in  search  of  him,  and  found  him  dead  where  he  had  j 
knelt.  Thefburied  him  in  the  sand. 

While   this  distinguished    adventurer  was  pursuing  his 
labors,  two  other  men  were  preparing  to  follow  in  his  foot-   i 
step,  and  make  still  further  explorations,  and,  if  possible,    | 
more  important  discoveries.      These   were   the   Chevalier   | 
Robert  de  la  Salle  and  Louis  Hennepin. 

La  Salle  was  a  native  of  Rouen,  in  Normandy.  He  was 
educated  at  a  seminary  of  the  Jesuits,  and  designed  for  the 
ministry,  but,  for  reasons  unknown,  he  left  the  seuiinary  and 
came  to  Canada,  in  1GG7,  where  he  engaged  in  the  fur  trade. 

Like  nearly  every  intelligent  man,  he  became  intensely 
interested  in  the  new  discoveries  of  the  West,  and  conceived 
the  idea  of  exploring  the  passage  to  the  great  South  Sea, 
which  by  many  was  believed  to  exist.  He  made  known  his 
ideas  to  the  Governor-General,  Count  Frontenac,  and  de- 
sired his  co-operation.  The  Governor  at  once  fell  in  with 
his  views,  which  were  strengthened  by  the  reports  brought 
back  by  Marquette  and  Joliet,  and  advised  La  Salle  to 
apply  to  the  King  of  France  in  person,  and  gave  him  letters 
of  introduction  to  the  great  Colbert,  then  Minister  of 
Finance  and  Marine.  Accordingly,  in  1675,  he  returned 
to  France,  where  he  was  warmly  received  by  the  King  and 
nobility,  and  his  ideas  were  at  once  listened  to,  and  every 
possible  favor  shown  to  him. 

He  was  made  a  Chevalier,  and  invested  with  the  seigniory 
of  Fort  Catarocouy,  or  Frontenac  (now  known  as  Kingston) 
upon  condition  that  he  would  rebuild  it,  as  he  proposed, -of 
stone. 

Returning  to  Canada,  he  wrought  diligently  upon  the  fort 
until  1677,  when  he  again  visited  France  to  report  progress. 
He  was  received,  as  before,  with  favor,  and,  at  the  instance 
of  Colbert  and  his  son,  the  King  granted  him  new  letters 
patent  and  new  privileges.  On  the  14th  of  July,  1678,  he 
sailed  from  Rochelle,  accompanied  by  thirty  men,  and  with 
Tonti,  an  Italian,  for  his  lieutenant.  They  arrived  at 
Quebec  on  the  13th  of  September,  and  after  a  few  days' 
delay,  proceeded  to  Frontenac.  Father  Lewis  Henuepin,  a 
Franciscan  friar,  of  the  Recollet  sect,  was  quietly  working 
in  Canada  on  La  Salle's  arrival.  He  was  a  man  of  great 
ambition,  and  much  interested  in  the  discoveries  of  the  day. 
He  was  appointed  by  his  religious  superiors  to  accompany 
the  expedition  fitting  out  for  La  Salle. 

Sending  agents  forward  to  prepare  the  Indians  for  his 
coming,  and  to  open  trade  with  them,  La  Salle  himself  era- 
barked,  on  the  18th  of  November,  in  a  little  brigantine  of 
ten  tons,  to  cross  Lake  Ontario.  This  was  the  first  ship  of 
European  build  that  ever  sailed  upon  this  fresh-water  sea. 
Contrary  winds  made  the  voyage  long  and  troublesome,  and 
a  month  was  consumed  in  beating  up  the  lake  to  the  Niagara 
River.  Near  the  mouth  of  this  river  the  Iroquois  had  a 
village,  and  here  La  Salle  constructed  the  first  fortification, 
which  afterwards  grew  into  the  famous  Fort  Niagara.  On 
the  2Cth  of  January,  1G79,  the  keel  of  the  first  vessel  built 
on  Luke  Erie  was  laid  at  the  mouth  of  the  Cayuga  Creek, 
on  the  American  side,  about  six  miles  above  the  falls. 

In  the  meantime  La  Salle  had  returned  to  Fort  Frontenac 


to  forward  supplies  for  his  forthcoming  vessel.  The  little 
barque  on  Lake  Ontario  was  wrecked  by  carelessness,  and  a 
large  amount  of  the  supplies  she  carried  was  lost.  On  the 
7th  of  August,  the  new  vessel  was  launched,  and  made  ready 
to  sail.  She  was  about  seven  tons'  burden. 

La  Salle  christened  his  vessel  the  "  Griffin,"  in  honor  of 
the  arms  of  Count  Frontenac.  Passing  across  Lake  Erie, 
and  into  the  small  lake,  which  they  named  St.  Clair,  they 
entered  the  broad  waters  of  Lake  Huron.  Here  they  en- 
countered heavy  storms,  as  dreadful  as  those  upon  the  ocean 
and  after  a  most  tempestuous  passage  they  took  refuge  in 
the  roadstead  of  Michillimackinac  (Mackinaw),  on  the  27th 
of  August  La  Salle  remained  at  this  point  until  the  middle 
of  September,  busy  in  founding  a  fort  and  constructing  a 
trading-house,  when  he  went  forward  upon  the  deep  waters 
of  Lake  Michigan,  and  soon  after  cast  anchor  in  Green  Bay. 
Finding  here  a  large  quantity  of  furs  and  peltries,  he  deter- 
mined to  load  his  vessel  and  send  her  back  to  Niagara.  On 
the  18th  of  September,  she  was  sent  under  charge  of  a  pilot 
while  La  Salle  himself,  with  fourteen  men,*  proceeded  up 
Lake  Michigan,  leisurely  examining  its  shores  and  noting 
everything  of  interest.  Tonti,  who  had  been  sent  to  look 
after  stragglers,  was  to  join  him  at  the  head  of  the  lake. 
From  the  19ih  of  September  to  the  1st  of  November,  the 
time  was  occupied  in  the  voyage  up  this  inland  sea.  On  the 
last-named  day,  La  Salle  arrived  at  the  mouth  of  the  river 
Miamis,  now  St.  Joseph.  Here  he  constructed  a  fort,  and 
remained  nearly  a  month  waiting  for  tidings  of  his  vessel; 
but,  hearing  nothing,  he  determined  to  push  on  before  the 
winter  should  preventhim.  On  the  3d  of  December,  leaving 
ten  men  to  garrison  the  fort,  he  started  overland  towards  the 
head-waters  of  the  Illinois,  accompanied  by  three  monks 
and  twenty  men.  Ascending  the  St.  Joseph  River,  he 
crossed  a  short  portage  and  reached  the  The-a-ki-ki,  since 
corrupted  into  Kankakee.  Embarking  on  this  sluggish 
stream,  they  came  shortly  to  the  Illinois,  and  soon  after 
found  a  village  of  the  Illinois  Indians,  probably  in  the 
vicinity  of  the  rocky  bluffs,  a  few  miles  above  the  present 
city  of  La  Salle,  Illinois.  They  found  it  deserted,  but  the 
Indians  had  quite  a  quantity  of  maize  stored  here,  and  La 
Salle,  being  short  of  provisions,  helped  himself  to  what  he 
required.  Passing  down  the  stream,  the  party,  on  the  4th  of 
January,  came  to  a  lake,  probably  the  Lake  Peoria,  as  there 
is  no  other  upon  this  stream.  Here  they  found  a  great 
number  of  natives,  who  were  gentle  and  kind,  and  La  Salle 
determined  to  construct  a  fort.  It  stood  on  a  rise  of  ground 
near  the  river,  and  was  named  Oreve-  Cceur  f  (broken-heart), 
most  probably  on  account  of  the  low  spirits  of  the  com- 
mander, from  anxiety  for  his  vessel  and  the  uncertainty  of 
the  future.  Possibly  he  had  heard  of  the  loss  of  the  "  Griffin," 
which  occurred  on  her  downward  trip  from  Green  Bay ; 
most  probably  on  Lake  Huron.  He  remained  at  the  Lake 
Peoria  through  the  winter,  but  no  good  tidings  came,  and 
no  supplies.  His  men  were  discontented,  but  the  brave 
adventurer  never  gave  up  hope.  He  resolved  to  send  a 
party  on  a  voyage  of  exploration  up  the  Mississippi,  under 

*  Annals  of  the  West. 
t  Th«  site  of  the  work  is  at  present  unknown. 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND   W ABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


the  lead  of  Father  Hennepin,  and  he  himself  would  proceed 
on  foot  to  Niagara  and  "Froutenac,  to  raise  more  means  and 
enlist  new  men  ;  while  Tonti,  his  lieutenant,  should  stay  at 
the  fort,  which  they  were  to  strengthen  in  the  meantime,  and 
extend  their  intercourse  with  the  Indians. 

Hennepin  started  "on  his  voyage  on  the  last  day  of  Febru- 
ary, 16SO,  and  La  Salle  soon  after,  with  a  few  attendants, 
started  on  his  perilous  journey  of  twelve  hundred  miles  by 
the  way  of  the  Illinois  River,  the  Miami,  and  Lakes  Erie 
ind  Ontario,  to  Frontenac,  which  he  finally  reached  in 
safety.  lie  found  his  worst  fears  realized.  The  "Griffin" 
was  lost,  his  agents  had  taken  advantage  of  his  absence,  and 
his  creditors  had  seized  his  goods.  But  he  knew  no  such 
word  as  fail,  and  by  the  middle  of  summer  he  was  again  on 
his  way  with  men  and  supplies  for  his  band  in  Illinois.  A 
sad  disappointment  awaited  him.  He  found  his  fort  deserted 
and  no  tidings  of  Tonti  and  his  men.  During  La  Salle'a 
absence  the  Indians  had  become  jealous  of  the  French,  and 
they  had  been  attacked  and  harassed  even  by  the  Iroquois, 
who  came  the  long  distance  between  the  shores  of  Lake 
Ontario  and  the  Illinois  River  to  make  war  upon  the  more 
peaceable  tribes  dwelling  on  the  prairies.  JJncertain  of  any 
assistance  from  La  Salle,  and  apprehensive  of  a  general 
war  with  the  savages,  Tonli,  in  September,  1G80,  abandoned 
his  position  and  returned  to  the  shores  of  the  lakes.  La 
Salle  reached  the  post  on  the  Illinois  in  December,  1C80,  or 
January,  1681.  Again  bitterly  disappointed,  La  Salle  did 
not  succumb,  but  resolved  to  return  to  Canada  and  start 
anew.  This  he  did,  and  in  June  met  his  lieutenant,  Tonti, 
at  Mackinaw. 

Hennepin  in  the  meanwhile  had  met  with  strange  adven- 
tures. After  leaving  Creve-Cceur,  he  reached  the  Missis- 
sippi in  seven  days  ;  but  his  way  was  so  obstructed  by  ice 
that  he  was  until  the  llth  of  April  reaching  the  Wisconsin 
line.  Here  he  was  taken  prisoner  by  some  northern  Indians, 
who,  however,  treated  him  kindly  and  took  him  and  his 
companions  to  the  falls  of  St.  Anthony,  which  they  reached 
on  the  first  of  May.  These  falls  Hennepin  named  in  honor 
of  his  patron  saint.  Hennepin  and  his  companions  remained 
here  for  three  months,  treated  very  kindly  by  their  captors. 
At  the  end  of  this  time  they  met  with  a  band  of  French, 
led  by  one  Sieur  de  Luth,*  who,  in  pursuit  of  game  and 
trade,  had  penetrated  to  this  country  by  way  of  Lake  Su- 
perior. With  his  band  Hennepin  and  his  companions  re- 
turned to  the  borders  of  civilized  life  in  November,  1G80, 
just  after  La  Salle  had  gone  back  to  the  wilderness.  Ilen- 
nepin  returned  to  France,'  where,  ia  1684,  he  published  a 
narrative  of  his  wonderful  adventures. 

Robert  De  La  Salle,  whose  name  is  more  "closely  connected 
with  the  explorations  of  the  Mississippi  than  that  of  any 
other,  was  the  next  to  descend  the  river  in  the  year  1682. 
Formal  possession  was  taken  of  the  great  river  and  all  the 
countries  bordering  upon  it  or  its  tributaries  in  the  name  of 
the  King. 

La  Salle  and  his  party  now  retraced  their  steps  towards 
the  north.  They  met  with  no  serious  trouble  until  they 
reached  the  Chickasaw  Bluffs,  where  they  had  erected  a  fort 

»  From  this  man  undoubtedly  come:  the  name  of  Eruluth. 


on  their  downward  voyage,  and  named  it  Frudhomme. 
Here  La  Salle  was  taken  violently  sick.  Unable  to  proceed, 
he  sent  forward  Toiiti  to  communicate  with  Count  Fronte- 
nac. La  Salle  himself  reached  the  mouth  of  the  St.  Joseph 
the  latter  part  of  September.  From  that  point  he  sent 
Father  Zenobe  with  his  dispatches  to  represent  him  at  court, 
while  he  turned  his  attention  to  the  fur  trade  and  to  the 
project  of  completing  a  fort,  which  he  named  St  Louis, 
upon  the  Illinois  River.  The  precise  location  of  this  work 
is  not  known.  It  was  said  to  be  upon  a  rocky  bluff  two 
hundred  and  fifty  feet  hi^h,  and  only  accessible  upon  one 
side.  There  are  no  bluffs  of  such  a  height  on  the  Illinois 
River  answering  the  description.  It  may  have  been  on 
the  rocky  bluff  above  La  Salle,  where  the  rocks  are  perhaps 
one  hundred  feet  in  height. 

Upon  the  completion  of  this  work  La  Salle  again  sailed 
for  France,  which  he  reached  on  the  13th  of  December, 
1683.  A  new  man,  La  Barre,  had  now  succeeded  Fronte- 
nac as  Governor  of  Canada.  This  man  was  unfriendly 
towards  La  Salle,  and  this,  with  other  untoward  circum- 
stances, no  doubt  led  him  to  attempt  the  colonization  of  the 
Mississippi  country  by  way  of  the  mouth  of  the  river.  Not- 
withstanding many  obstacles  were  in  his  path,  he  succeeded 
in  obtaining/  the  grant  of  a  fleet  from  the  King,  and  on  the 
24th  of  July,  1684,  a  fleet  of  twenty-four  vessels  sailed  from 
Rochelle  to  America,  four  of  which  were  destined  for  Lou- 
isiana, and  carried  a  body  of  two  hundred  and  eighty 
people,  including  the  crews.  There  were  soldiers,  artificers, 
and  volunteers,  and  also  "  some  youisg  women."  Discord 
soon  broke  out  between  M.  de  Beaujcu  and  La  Salle,  and 
grew  from  bad  to  worse.  On  the  20th  of  December  they 
reached  the  island  cf  St.  Domingo. 

Joutel*  was  sent  out  with  this  party,  which  left  oa  the 
5ih  of  February,  and  traveled  eastward  three  clays,  when 
they  came  to  a  great  stream  which  they  could  not  cross. 
Here  they  made  signals  by  building  great  fires,  and  on  the 
13th  two  of  the  vessels  came  in  sight.  The  stream  was 
sounded  and  the  vessels  were  anchored  under  shelter.  But 
again  misfortume  overtook  La  Salle,  and  the  vessel  was 
wrecked,  and  the  bulk  of  supplies  was  lost.  At  this  junc- 
ture M.  de  Beaujeu,  his  second  in  command,  set  sail  and 
returned  to  France.  La  Salle  now  constructed  a  rude 
shelter  from  the  timbers  of  his  wrecked  vessel,  placed  his 
people  inside  of  it,  and  set  out  to  explore  the  surrounding 
country  in  hope  of  .finding  the  Mississippi.  He  was,  of 
course,  disappointed  :  but  found  on  a  stream,  which  is, 
named  the  Yachcs,  a-  good  site  for  a  fort.  He  at  once  re- 
moved his  camp,  and,  after  incredible  exertions,  constructed 
a  fortification  sufficient  to  protect  them  from  the  Indians. 
This  fort  was  situated  on  Matagorda  Bay,  within  the  present 
limits  of  Texas,  and  was  called  by  La  Salle  Fort  St.  Louis. 

Leaving  Joutel  to  complete  the  work  with  one  hundred 
men,  La  Salle  took  the  remainder  of  the  company  and  em- 
barked on  the  river,  with  the  intention  of  proceeding  as  far 
up  as  he  could.  The  savages  toon  became  troublesome,  and 

sjoutcl,  historian  of  the  voyage,  accompanied  La  Salle,  and  subse- 
quently wrote  h;s  "  Journal  Historique,"  which  was  published  in  Paris, 
1713. 


u 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  W ABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


on  the  14th  of  July  La  Salic  ordered  Joutel  to  join  him 
with  his  whole  force.  They  had  already  lost  several  of  their 
best  men,  and  dangers  threatened  them  on  every  side.  It 
would  seem  from  the  historian's  account  of  the  expedition 
that  La  Salle  began  to  erect  another  fort,  and  also  that  he 
became  morose  and  severe  in  his  discipline,  so  much  so  as  to 
get  the  ill  will  of  many  of  his  people.  He  finally  resolved 
to  advance  into  the  country,  but  whether  with  the  view  of 
returning  to  Canada  by  way  of  Illinois,  or  only  for  the  pur- 
pose of  makiiig  further  discoveries,  Joutel  leives  in  doubt. 
Giving  his  last  instructions,  he  left  the  fort  en  the  12th  day 
of  January,  1687,  with  a  company  of  about  a  dozen  men, 
including  his  brother,  two  nephews,  Father  Ana&tasius,  a 
Franciscan  friar,  Joutel,  and  others,  and  moved  north-east- 
ward, as  is  supposed,  until  the  17th  of  March,  when  some 
of  his  men,  who  had  been  cherishing  revengeful  feelings  for 
some  time,  waylaid  the  Chevalier  and  shot  him  dead. 
They  also  slew  one  of  his  nephews  and  two  of  his  servants. 

This  deed  occurred  on  the  20th  of  March,  on  a  stream 
called  Cenis. 

In  1C87,  France  was  involved  in  a  long  and  bloody  war. 
The  League  of  Augsburg  was  formed  by  the  Princes  of  the 
Empire  against  Louis  XIV.,  and  England,  Spain,  Holland, 
Denmark,  Sweden,  and  Savoy  took  up  arms,  and  Louis 
found  himself  battling  with  nearly  the  whole  of  Europe,  and 
only  Turkey  for  an  ally.  This  war  ended  with  the  peace  of 
Ryswick  in  1697. 

No  material  change  took  place  in  America,  but  the  colo- 
nists were  harassed  and  many  of  their  people  killed  or  car- 
ried captives  to  the  Canadas.  In  1688,  the  French  posses- 
sions in  North  America  included  nearly  the  whole  of  the 
continent  north  of  the  St.  Lawrence,  and  the  entire  valley 
of  the  Mississippi ;  and  they  had  begun  to  establish  a  line 
of  fortifications  extending  from  Quebec  to  the  mouth  of  the 
Mississippi,  between  which  points  they  had  three  great  lines 
of  communication,  to  wit :  by  way  of  Mackinaw,  Green 
Bay,  and  the  Wisconsin  Eiver ;  by  way  of  Lake  Michigan, 
tlie  Kankakee  and  Illinois  Rivers ;  and  by  way  of  Lake 
Erie,  the  Maumee  and  Wabash  Rivers,  and  were  preparing 
to  explore  the  Ohio  as  a  fourth  route. 

In  1699,  D'Iberville,  under  the  authority  of  the  crown, 
discovered,  on  the  second  c  f  March,  by  way  of  the  sea,  the 
mouth  of  the  "  Hidden  River."  This  majestic  stream  was 
called  by  the  natives  "  Malbouchia,"  and  by  the  Spaniards, 
'  La  Palissade,"  from  the  great  number  of  trees  about  its 
mouth.  After  traversing  the  several  outlets,  and  satisfying 
himself  as  to  its  certainty,  he  erected  a  fort  near  its  western 
outlet,  and  returned  to  France.  An  avenue  of  trade  was 
now  opened  out,  which  was  fully  improved. 

At  this  time  a  census  of  -New  France  showed  a  total 
population  of  eleven  thousand  two  hundred  and  forty-nine 
Europeans.  War  again  broke  out  in  1701,  and  extended 
over  a  period  of  twelve  years,  ending  with  the  treaty  of 
Utrecht,  in  1713.  This  also  extended  to  the  American  Colo- 
nits,  and  its  close  left  everything  as  before,  with  the  excep- 
tion that  Nova  Scotia  was  captured  in  1710. 

In  1718,  New  Orleans  was  laid  out  and  settled  by  some 
European  colonists.  In  1762,  the  colony  was  made  over  to 


Spain,  to  be  regained  by  France,  under  the  consulate  of 
Napoleon. 

In  1803,  it  was  purchased  by  the  United  States,  for  the 
sum  of  fifteen  million  dollars,  and  the  territory  of  Louisiana 
and  the  commerce  of  the  Mississippi  river,  came  under  the 
charge  of  the  United  States.  Although  La  Salle's  labors 
ended  in  defeat  and  death,  he  had  not  worked  and  suffered 
in  vain.  He  had  thrown  open  to  France  and  the  world  an 
immense  and  most  valuable  country.  Had  established 
several  ports,  and  laid  the  foundation  of  more  than  one 
settlement  there.  "  Peoria,  Kaskaskia  and  Cahokia  arc  to 
this  day  monuments  of  La  Salle's  labors;  for,  th-ugh  he 
had  founded  neither  of  them  (unless  Peoria,  which  was  built 
nearly  upon  the  site  of  Fort  Crevecoeur),  it  was  by  those  he 
led  into  the  west  that  these  places  were  peopled  and  civil- 
ized. He  was,  if  not  the  discoverer,  the  first  settler  of  the 
Mississippi  Valley,  and  as  such  deserves  to  be  known  and 
honored."* 

The  French  early  improved  the  opening  made  for  them, 
and  before  1693,  the  Reverend  Father  Gravier  began  a 
mission  among  the  Illinois,  and  became  the  founder  of  Kas- 
kaskia. For  some  time  it  was  merely  a  missionary  station, 
and  the  inhabitants  of  the  village  consisted  entirely  of 
natives ;  it  being  one  of  three  such  villages,  the  other  two 
being  Cahokia  and  Peoria.  This  we  learn  from  a  letttr 
written  by  Father  Gabriel  Marest,  dated  "  Aux  Cascaskias, 
Autrement  dit  de  I'lmmaculee  concepcion  de  la  Saiute 
Vierge,  le  9  Novembre,  1712."  In  this  letter,  the  writer 
tells  us  that  Gravier  must  be  regarded  as  the  founder  of  the 
Illinois  mi  sions.  Soon  after  the  founding  of  Kaskaskia,  the 
missionary,  Pinet,  gathered  a  flock  at  Cahokia.f  while 
Peoria  arose  near  the  remains  of  Fort  Crevecreur  J 

An  unsuccessful  attempt  was  also  made  to  found  a  colony 
on  the  Ohio.  It  failed  in  consequence  of  sickness.§ 

In  the  north,  De  La  Motte  Cadillac,  in  June,  1701,  laid 
the  foundation  of  Fort  Poutchartrain,  on  the  strait,  (le  De- 
troit), ||  while  in  the  southwest  efforts  were  making  to  realize 
the  dreams  of  La  Salle.  The  leader  in  the  last  named  en- 
terprise was  Lemoine  D'Iberville,  a  Canadian  officer,  who 
from  1694  to  1697  distinguished  himself  not  a  little  by 
battles  and  conquests  among  the  icebergs  of  the  "  Baye 
D'Udson  or  Hudson  Bay." 

The  post  at  Vincennes,  on  theOubaehe  river,  (pronounced 
Wa-ba,  meaning  summer  cloud  moving  swiftly),  was  estab- 
lished in  1702.  It  is  quite  probable  that  on  La  Salle's  last 
trip  he  established  the  stations  at  Kaskaskia  and  Cahokia. 
Until  the  year  17.30,  but  little  is  known  of  the  settlements 
in  the  northwest,  as  it  was  not  until  this  time  that  the  atten- 

•The  authorities  m  relation  to  La  Salle  are  Hennepin :  a  narrative  pub- 
lished in  the  name  of  Tonti,  in  1697,  but  disclaimed  by  him  (Charlevoix 
III,  365.  Lettres  Edifiantes. 

t  Bancroft,  iii.     196. 

J  There  was  an  Old  Peoria  on  the  northwest  shore  of  the  lake  of  that 
name,  a  mile  and  a  half  above  the  outlet.  From  1778  to  1796  the  inhabi- 
tants left  this  for  New  Peoria,  (Fort  Clark)  at  the  outlet.  American 
State  Papers,  xviii.  476. 

I  Western  Annals. 

Chnrlevoix,  ii.  284.  Le  Detroit  was  the  whole  strait  from  Erie  to 
Huron.  The  first  grants  of  land  at  Detroit,  t. «.,  Fort  Pontchartrain, 
were  made  in  1707. 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


15 


tion  of  the  English  was  called  to  the  occupation  of  this  por- 
tion of  the  new  world,  which  they  then  supposed  they 
owned.  Vivier,  a  missionary  among  the  Illinois,  writing 
"  Aux  Illinois,"  six  leagues  from  Fort  Chartres,  June  8th, 
1750,  says :  "  We  have  here  whites,  negroes,  and  Indians,  to 
say  nothing  of  the  cross-breeds.  There  are  five  French 
villages,  and  three  villages  of  the  natives  within  a  space  of 
twenty-one  leagues,  situated  between  the  Mississippi  and 
another  river,  called  the  Karkadiad,  (Kaskaskia).  In  the 
five  French  villages  are,  perhaps,  eleven  hundred  whites, 
three  hundred  blacks,  and  some  tixty  red  slaves  or  savages. 
The  three  Illinois  towns  do  not  contain  more  than  eight 
hundred  souls  all  told.*  Most  of  the  French  till  the  soil. 
They  raise  wheat,  cattle,  pigs  and  horses,  and  live  like 
princes.  Three  times  as  much  is  produced  as  can  be  con- 
sumed, and  great  quantities  of  grain  and  flour  are  sent  to 
New  Orleans." 

Again,  in  an  epistle  dated  November  17th,  1750,  Vivier 
says  :  "  For  fifteen  leagues  above  the  mouth  of  the  Missis- 
sippi, one  sees  no  dwellings  *  *  *  *  New  Orleans  contains 
black,  white  and  red,  not  more,  I  think,  than  twelve  hun- 
dred persons.  To  this  point  come  all  kinds  of  lumber, 
bricks,  salt-beef,  tallow,  tar,  skins,  and  bear's  grease ;  and 
above  all  pork  and  flour  from  the  Illinois.  These  things 
create  some  commerce,  as  forty  vessels  and  more  have  come 
hither  this  year.  Above  New  Orleans  plantations  are  again 
met  with ;  the  most  considerable  is  a  colony  of  Germans, 
some  ten  leagues  up  the  river.  At  point  Coupee,  thirty-five 
leagues  above  the  German  settlement,  is  a  fort.  Along  here, 
within  five  or  six  leagues,  are  not  less  than  sixty  habitations. 
Fifty  leagues  farther  up  is  the  Natchez  post,  where  we  have 
a  garrison." 

Father  Marest,  witing  from  the  post  at  Vincennes,  makes 
the  same  observation.  Vivier  also  says,  "  Some  individuals 
dig  lead  near  the  surface,  and  supply  the  Indians  and  Can- 
ada. Two  Spaniards,  now  here,  who  claim  to  be  adepts, 
say  that  our  mines  are  like  those  of  Mexico,  and  that  if  we 
would  dig  deeper  we  would  find  silver  under  the  lead  ;  at 
any  rate  the  lead  is  excellent.  There  are  also  in  this  coun- 
try, beyond  doubt,  copper  mines,  as  from  time  to  time,  large 
pieces  have  been  found  in  the  streams."f 

At  the  close  of  the  year- 1750,  the  French  occupied  in  ad- 
dition to  the  lower  Mississippi  posts  and  those  in  Illinois, 
one  at  Du  Quesne,  one  at  the  Maumee,  in  the  country  of  the 
^lamis,  and  one  at  Sandusky,  in  what  may  be  termed  the 
Ohio  Valley.     In  the  northern  part  of  the  north-west,  they   j 
had  stations  at  St.  Joseph's  on  the  St.  Joseph's  of  Lake 
Michigan,   at   Fort  Pontehartrain    (Detroit),   at    Michilli-   j 
mackinac  or  Massillimacinac,  Fox  River  of  Green  Bay,  and   \ 
at  Sault  Ste.  Marie.     The  fondest  dreams  of  La  Salle  were  I 
now  fully  realized.     The  French  alone  were  possessors  of  | 
this  vast  realm,  basing  their  claim  on  discovery  and  settle-    | 
ment.      Another   nation,   however,   was   now    turning   its 
attention  to  this   extensive  country,   and   learning  of  its 
wealth  began  to  lay  plans  for  occupying  it  and  for  securing 
the  great  profits  arising  therefrom. 

cLetlrcs  Ediffantcs  (Paris,  1731),  vii.  97-106. 
t  Western  Annals. 


The  French,  however,  had  another  claim  to  this  country, 
namely,  the 

DISCOVERY    OF   THE    OHIO. 

The  largest  branch  of  the  Mississippi  river  from  the  east, 
known  to  the  early  French  settlers  as  la  belle  riviere,  called 
"beautiful"  river,  was  discovered  by  Robert  Cavalier  de 
La  Salle,  in  1669.  While  La  Salle  was  at  his  trading-post 
on  the  St.  Lawrence,  he  found  leisure  to  study  nine  Indian 
dialects,  the  chief  of  which  was  the  Iroquois.  While  con- 
versing with  some  Senecas,  he  learned  of  a  river  called  the 
Ohio,  which  rose  in  their  country  and  flowed  to  the  sea. 

In  this  statement  the  Mississippi  and  its  tributaries  were 
considered  as  one  stream.  La  Salle,  believing  as  most  of 
the  French  at  that  period  did,  that  the  great  rivers  flowing 
west  emptied  into  the  Sea  of  California,  was  anxious  to  em- 
bark in  the  enterprise  of  discovering  a  route  across  the 
continent.  He  repaired  at  once  to  Quebec  to  obtain  the 
approval  of  the  Governor  and  the  Intendent,  Talon.  They 
issued  letters  patent,  authorizing  the  enterprise,  but  made 
no  provisions  to  defray  the  expenses. 

At  this  juncture  the  seminary  St.  Sulpice  decided  to  send 
out  missionaries  in  connection  with  the  expedition,  and  La 
Salle  offering  to  sell  his  improvements  at  La  Chive  to  raise 
the  money,  the  offer  was  accepted  by  the  Superior,  and  two 
thousand  eight  hundred  dollars  were  raised,  with  which  La 
Salle  purchased  four  canoes  and  the  necessary  supplies  for 
the  outfit. 

On  the  6th  of  July,  1689,  the  party,  numbering  twenty- 
four  persons,  embarked  in  seven  canoes  on  the  St.  Lawrence. 
Two  additional  canoes  carried  the  Indian  guides. 

In  three  days  they  were  gliding  over  the  bosom  of  Lake 
Ontario.  Their  guides  conducted  them  directly  to  the 
Seneca  village  on  the  bank  of  the  Genesee,  in  the  vicinity 
of  the  present  city  of  Rochester,  New  York.  Here  they 
expected  to  procure  guides  to  conduct  them  to  the  Ohio,  but 
in  this  they  were  disappointed.  After  waiting  a  month  in 
the  hope  of  gaining  their  object,  they  met  an  Indian  from  the 
Iroquois  colony,  at  the  head  of  Lake  Ontario,  who  assured 
them  they  could  find  guides,  and  offered  to  conduct  them 
thence.  On  their  way  they  passed  the  mouth  of  Niagara 
river,  when  they  heard  for  the  first  time  the  distant  thunder 
of  the  cataract.  Arriving  among  the  Iroquois  they  met 
with  a  friendly  reception,  and  learned  from  a  Shawnee 
prisoner  that  they  could  reach  the  Ohio  in  six  weeks.-  -  De- 
lighted with  the  unexpected  good  fortune,  they  made  ready 
to  resume  their  journey,  and  as  they  were  about  to  start  they 
heard  of  the  arrival  of  two  Frenchmen  in  a  neighboring 
village.  One  of  them  proved  to  be  Louis  Joliet,  afterwards 
famous  as  an  explorer  in  the  west.  He  had  been  sent  by 
the  Canadian  government  to  explore  the  copper  mines  on 
Lake  Superior,  but  had  failed  and  was  on  his  way  back  to 
Quebec. 

On  arriving  at  Lake  Superior,  they  found,  as  La  Salle 
had  predicted,  the  Jesuit  fathers,  Marquette  and  Dablo;:, 
occupying  the  field.  After  parting  with  the  priests,  I ,-\ 
Salle  went  to  the  chief  Iroquois  village  at  Onondago,  ivhrre 
he  obtained  guides  and  passing  thence  to  a  tributary  of  the 
Ohio  south  of  Lake  Erie,  he  descended  the  latter  as  far  as 


16 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  W ABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


the  falls  of  Louisville.  Thus  was  the  Ohio  discovered  by 
La  Salle,  the  persevering  and  successful  French  explorer  of 
the  west  in  1069. 

When  Washington  was  sent  out  by  the  colony  of  Virginia 
in  1753,  to  demand  of  Gordeur  de  St.  Pierre  why  the  French 
had  built  a  fort  on  the  Monongahela,  the  haughty  com- 
mandant at  Quebec  replied :  "  We  claim  the  country  on  the 
Ohio  by  virtue  of  the  discoveries  of  La  Salle,  and  will  not 
give  it  up  to  the  English.  Our  orders  are  to  make  prisoners 
of  every  Englishman  found  trading  in  the  Ohio  valley." 

ENGLISH   EXPLORATIONS   AND   SETTLEMENTS. 

We  have  sketched  the  progress  of  French  discovery  in 
the  valley  of  the  Mississippi.  The  first  travelers  reached 
tha*  river  iu  1G73,  and  when  the  year  1750  broke  in  upon 
the  father  of  waters  and  the  great  north-west,  all  was  still 
except  those  little  spots  upon  the  prairies  of  Illinois  and 
among  the  marshes  of  Louisiana. 

Volney,  by  conjecture,  fixes  the  settlement  of  Vincennes 
about  1735.*  Bishop  Brute,  of  Indiana,  speaks  of  a  mis- 
sionary station  there  in  1700,  and  adds:  "The  friendly 
tribes  and  traders  called  to  Canada  for  protection,  and  then 
M.  De  Vincennes  came  with  a  detachment,  I  think,  of 
Cariguan,  and  was  killed  in  1735. ''f  Bancroft  says  a  mili- 
tary establishment  was  formed  there  in  1716,  and  in  1742  a 
settlement  of  herdsmen  took  place.J  In  a  petition  of  the 
old  inhabitants  at  Vincennes,  dated  in  November,  1793,  we 
find  the  settlement  spoken  of  as  having  been  made  before 
1742. §  And  such  is  the  general  voice  of  tradition.  On  the 
other  hand,  Charlevoix,  who  records  the  death  of  Vincennes, 
which  took  place  among  the  Chickasaws,  in  1736,  makes  no 
mention  of  any  post  on  the  Wabash,  or  any  missionary 
station  there.  Neither  does  he  mark  any  upon  his  map, 
although  he  gives  even  the  British  forts  upon  the  Tennessee 
and  elsewhere.  Such  is  the  character  of  the  proof  relative 
to  the  settlement  of  Vincennes. 

Hennepin,  in  1663-4,  had  heard  of  the  "  Hohio."  The 
route  from  the  lakes  to  the  Mississippi,  by  the  Wabash,  was 
explored  1676,||  and  in  Hennepin's  volume  of  1698,  is  a 
journal,  said  to  be  that  sent  by  La  Salle  to  Count  Frontenac 
in  1682  or  '83,  which  mentions  the  route  by  the  Maumee^f 
and  Wabash  as  the  most  direct  to  the  great  western  river. 

In  1749,  when  the  English  first  began  to  think  seriously 
of  sending  men  into  the  west,  the  greater  portions  of  the 
states  of  Ohio,  Indiana,  Illinois,  Michigan,  Wisconsin,  and 
Minnesota  were  yet  under  the  dominion  of  the  red  men. 
The  English  knew,  however,  of  the  nature  of  the  vast 
wealth  of  these  wilds. 

In  the  year  1710,  Governor  Spotswood,  of  Virginia,  had 
matured  a  plan  and  commenced  movements,  the  object  of 
which  was  to  secure  the  country  beyond  the  Alleghenics  to 
the  English  crown.  In  Pennsylvania,  also,  Governor  Keith 
and  James  Logan,  Secretary  of  the  Province  from  1719  to 

•  Volney's  View,  p.  336. 

t  Butler's  Kentucky. 

J  History  XJ.  S.  iii.  340. 

\  American  State  Papers,  xvi.  32. 

|  Histoire  General  Des  Voyages  iiv.,  758. 

TNow  called  Miami. 


1731,  represented  to  the  powers  of  England  the  necessity  of 
taking  steps  to  secure  the  western  lands.  Nothing,  however/ 
was  done  by  the  mother  country,  except  to  take  certain 
diplomatic  steps  to  secure  the  claim  of  Britain  to  this  unex- 
plored wilderness.  England  had  from  the  outset  claimed 
from  the  Atlantic  to  the  Pacific,  on  the  ground  that  the  dis- 
covery and  possession  of  the  sea  coast  was  a  discovery  and 
possession  of  the  country  ;  and  as  is  well  known,  her  grants 
to  Virginia,  Connecticut,  and  other  colonies,  were  through 
from  "  sea  to  sea."  This  was  not  all  her  claims ;  she  had 
purchased  from  the  Indian  tribes  large  tracts  of  laud.  Thij 
was  also  a  strong  argument. 

In  the  year  1684,  Lord  Howard,  Governor  of  Virginia, 
held  a  treaty  with  the  five  nations  at  Albany.  These  wero 
the  great  Northern  Confederacy,  and  comprised  at  first  the 
Mohawks,  Oneidas,  Onondagas,  Cayugas,  and  Senecas. 
Afterward  the  Tuscaroras  were  taken  into  the  confederacy, 
and  it  became  known  as  the  six  nations.  They  came  under 
the  protection  of  the  mother  country,  and  again  in  1701  they 
repeated  the  agreement.  Another  formal  deed  was  drawn 
up  and  signed  by  the  chiefs  of  the  National  Confederacy  in 
1726,  by  which  their  lands  were  conveyed  in  trust  to  Eng- 
land, "  to  be  protected  and  defended  by  his  majesty,  to  and 
for  the  use  of  the  grantors  and  their  heirs."  The  validity 
of  this  claim  has  often  been  disputed,  but  never  successfully. 
In  1774,  a  purchase  was  made  at  Lancaster  of  certain  lands 
within  the  "  colony  of  Virginia-,"  for  which  the  Indians 
received  £200  in  gold  and  a  like  sum  in  goods,  with  a 
promise  that  as  settlements  increased,  more  should  be  paid. 
The  commissioners  from  Virginia  at  the  treaty  were  Col. 
Thomas  Lee  and  Col.  William  Beverly. 

As  settlements  extended,  and  the  Indians  ./egan  to  com- 
plain, the  promise  of  further  pay  was  called  to  mind,  and 
Mr.  Conrad  Weiser  was  sent  across  the  Alleghenies  to  Logs' 
town.  In  1784,  *  Col.  Lee  and  some  Virginians  accom- 
panied him,  with  the  intention  of  ascertaining  the  feelings 
of  the  Indians  with  regard  to  further  settlements  in  the  west, 
which  Col.  Lee  and  others  were  contemplating.  The  object 
of  these  proposed  settlements  was  not  the  cultivation  of  the 
soil,  but  the  monopoly  of  the  Indian  trade.  Accordingly 
aftef  Weiser's  conference  with  the  Indians  at  Logstown, 
which  was  favorable  to  their  views,  Thomas  Lee,  with 
twelve  other  Virginians,  among  whom  were  Lawrence  and 
Augustine,  brothers  of  George  Washington,  and  also  Mr. 
Hanbury,  of  London,  formed  an  association  whLh  they 
called  the  "Ohio  Company,"  and  in  1748  petitioned  the 
king  for  a  grant  beyond  the  mountains.  This  petition  was 
approved  by  the  English  government,  and  the  government 
of  Virginia  was  ordered  to  grant  to  the  petitioners  half  a 
million  of  acres  within  the  bounds  of  that  colony  beyond 
the  Alleghenies,  two  hundred  thousand  of  which  were  to  be 
located  at  once.  This  portion  was  to  be  held  for  ten  years 
free  of  quit-rent,  provided  the  company  would  put  there  one 
hundred  families  within  seven  years,  and  build  a  fort  suffi- 
cient to  protect  the  settlement.  The  company  accepted  the 
proposition,  and  sent  to  London  for  a  cargo  suited  to  tho 
Indian  trade,  which  should  arrive  in  November,  1749. 

*  Plain  Facts,  pp.  40,  120. 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WAS  ASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


Other  companies  were  also  formed  about  this  time  in  Vir- 
ginia to  colonize  the  west.  On  the  12th  of  June,  1749,  a 
grant  of  800,000  acres  from  the  line  of  Canada,  on  the 
north  and  west,  was  made  to  the  Loyal  Company,  and  on 
the  29th  of  October,  1751,  another  of  100,000  acres  to  the 
Greenbriar  Company.  * 

The  French  were  not  blind  all  this  time.  They  saw  that 
if  the  British  once  obtained  a  stronghold  upon  the  Ohio, 
they  might  not  only  prevent  their  settlements  upon  it,  but 
in  time  would  come  to  the  lower  posts,  and  so  gain  posses- 
sion of  the  whole  country.  Upon  the  10th  of  May,  1744, 
Vandreuil,  the  French  governor,  well  knowing  the  conse- 
quences that  must  arise  from  allowing  the  English  to  build 
trading  posts  in  the  north-  .vest,  seized  some  of  their  frontier 
posts,  to  further  secure  the  claims  of  the  French  to  the 
west.  Having  these  fears,  and  seeing  the  danger  of  the 
late  movements  of  the  British,  Gallisouiere,  then  Governor 
of  Canada,  determined  to  place  along  the  Ohio  evidences  of 
the  French  claim  to,  and  possession  of,  the  country.  For 
that  purpose  he  sent,  in  the  summer  of  1749,  Louis  Celeron, 
with  a  party  of  soldiers,  to  place  plates  of  lead,  on  which 
were  written  out  the  claims  of  the  French,  in  the  mounds 
and  at  the  mouths  of  the  rivers.  These  were  heard  of  by 
Willliam  Trent,  an  Indian  commissioner,  sent  out  by  Vir- 
ginia in  1752,  to  treat  with  and  conciliate  the  Indians, 
while  upon  the  Ohio,  and  mentioned  in  his  journal.  One  of 
these  plates  was  found  with  the  inscription  partly  defaced. 
It  bears  date  August  16th,  1749,  and  a  cop^  of  the  inscrip- 
tion, with  particular  account,  was  sent  by  De  Witt  Clinton 
to  the  American  Antiquarian  Society,  among  whose  journals 
it  may  now  be  found.  These  measures  did  not,  however, 
deter  the  English  from  going  on  with  their  explorations. 

In  February,  1751,  Christopher  Gist  was  sent  by  the 
Ohio  Company  to  examine  its  lands.  He  went  to  a  village 
of  the  Twigtwees,  on  the  Miami,  about  150  miles  above  its 
mouth.  From  there  he  went  down  the  Ohio  River  nearly 
to  the  falls,  at  the  present  city  of  Louisville,  and  in  Novem- 
ber he  commenced  a  survey  of  the  company's  lands.  In 
17.31,  General  Andrew  Lewis  commenced  some  surveys  in 
the  Greenbrier  country,  on  behalf  of  the  company  already 
mentioned.  Meanwhile  the  French  were  busy  in  preparing 
their  forts  for  defence,  and  in  opening  roads.  In  1752 
having  heard  of  the  trading  houses  on  the  Miami  River, 
they,  assisted  by  the  Ottawas  and  Chippewas,  attacked  it, 
and,  after  a  severe  battle,  in  which  fourteen  of  the  natives 
were  killed  and  others  wounded,  captured  the  garrison. 
The  traders  were  carried  away  to  Canada,  and  one  account 
gays  several  were  burned.  This  fort,  or  trading  house  was 
called  by  the  English  writers  Pickawillany.  A  memorial 
of  the  king's  ministers  refers  to  it  as  "  Pickawellanes,  in  the 
centre  of  the  territory  between  Ohio  and  the  Wabash." 
This  was  the  first  blood  shed  between  the  French  and 
English,  and  occurred  near  the  present  city  of  Piqua,  Ohio. 
The  English  were  determined  on  their  part  to  purchase  a 
title  from  the  Indians  of  lands  which  they  wished  to  occupy, 
and  in  the  spring  of  1752,  Messrs.  Fry,f  Lomax  and  Pat  on 


*  Revised  Statutes  of  Virginia. 
t  Afterwards  Commander-in-chief 
ment  of  the  French  War  of  177:,. 


Washington,  at  the  commence- 


were sent  from  Virginia  to  hold  a  conference  with  the 
natives  at  Logstown,  to  learn  what  they  objected  to  in  the 
treaty  at  Lancaster,  and  to  settle  all  difficulties.  On  the 
9th  of  Juno  the  commissioners  met  the  red  men  at  Logs- 
town.  This  was  a  village  seventeen  miles  below  Pittsburgh, 
upon  the  north  side  of  the  Ohio.  Here  had  been  a  trading 
post  for  many  years,  but  it  was  abandoned  by  the  Indians 
in  1750.  At  first  the  Indians  declined  to  recognize  the 
treaty  of  Lancaster,  but  the  commissioners  taking  aside 
Montour,  the  interpreter,  who  was  a  son  of  the  famous 
Catherine  Montour,  and  a  chief  among  the  six  nations, 
being  three-fourths  of  Indian  blood,  through  his  influence 
an  agreement  was  effected,  and  upon  the  13lh  of  June  they 
all  united  in  signing  a  deed,  confirming  the  Lancaster  treaty 
in  its  fullest  extent.  Mean  while  the  powers  beyond  the  seas 
were  trying  to  out-mano3uver  each  other,  and  were  professing 
to  be  at  peace.  The  English  generally  outwitted  the  Indians, 
and  secured  themselves,  as  they  thought,  by  their  polite 
conduct.  But  the  French,  in  this  as  in  all  cases,  proved  that 
they  knew  best  how  to  manage  the  natives.  While  these 
measures  were  taken,  another  treaty  with  the  wild  men  of 
the  debatable  land  was  also  in  contemplation.  And  in  Sep- 
tember, 1753,  William  Fairfax  met  their  deputies  at  Win- 
chester, Virginia,  where  he  concluded  a  treaty.  In  the 
month  following,  however,  a  more  satisfactory  inter  view  took 
place  at  Carlisle,  between  the  representatives  of  the  Iroquois, 
Delawares,  Shawnees,  Twigtwees,  and  Wyandots,  and  the 
commissioners  of  Pennsylvania,  Richard  Peters,  Isaac  Norris, 
and  Benjamin  Franklin.  Soon  after  this,  no  satisfaction 
being  obtained  from  the  Ohio,  either  as  to  the  force,  position, 
or  purposes  of  the  French,  Robert  Dinwiddie,  then  Governor 
of  Virginia,  determined  to  send  to  them  another  messenger, 
and  learn  if  possible  their  intentions.  For  this  purpose  he 
selected  a  young  surveyor,  who,  at  the  age  of  nineteen  had 

I  attained  the  rank  of  major,  and  whose  previous  life  had 
inured  him  to  hardships  and  woodland  ways ;  while  his 
courage,  cool  judgment,  and  firm  will,  all  fitted  him  for  such 

'  a  mission.  This  personage  was  no  other  than  the  illustrious 
George  Washington,  who  then  held  considerable  interest  in 
western  lands.  He  was  twenty-one  years  old  at  the  time  of 

!  the  appointment.*  Taking  Gist  as  a  guide,  the  two,  accom- 
panied by  four  servitors,  set  out  on  their  perilous  march. 

!  They  left  Will's  Creek,  where  Cumberland  now  is,  on  the 
15th  of  November,  and  on  the  22d  reached  the  Monongahela, 

|   about  ten  miles  above  the  fork.     From  there  they  went  to 

i  Logstown,  where  Washington  had  a  long  conference  with 
the  chiefs  of  the  six  nations.  Here  he  learned  the  position 
of  the  French,  and  also  that  they  had  determined  not  to  come 
down  the  river  until  the  following  spring.  The  Indians  were 
non-committal,  they  deeming  a  neutral  position  the  safest. 
Washington,  finding  nothing  could  be  done,  went  on  to  Ve- 
nango,  an  old  Indian  town  at  the  mouth  of  the  French 
Creek.  Here  the  French  had  a  fort  called  Fort  Machault. 
On  the  llth  of  December  he  reached  the  fort  at  the  head  of 
French  Creek.  Here  he  delivered  Governor  Dinwiddie's 
letter,  received  his  answer,  and  upon  the  16th  set  out  upon 
his  return  journey  with  no  one  but  Gist,  hia  guide,  and  a  few 

•Sparks'  Washington,  Vol.  ii.,  pp.  42S-447. 


18 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  W ABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLIN  CJf. 


Indians,  who  still  remained  true  to  him.  They  reached  home 
in  safety  on  the  Gth  of  January,  1754.  From  the  letter  of 
St.  Pierre,  Commander  of  the  French  fort,  sent  by  Washing- 
ton to  Governor  Diuwiddie,  it  was  perfectly  clear  that  the 
French  would  not  yield  the  West  without  a  struggle.  Active 
preparations  were  at  once  made  iii  all  the  English  colonies 
for  the  coming  conflict,  while  the  French  finished  their  fort 
at  Venango  and  strengthened  their  lines  of  fortifications  to 
be  in  readiness.  The  Old  Dominion  was  alive.  Virginia 
was  the  center  of  great  activities.  Volunteers  were  called 
for,  and  from  neighboring  colonies  men  rallied  to  the  conflict, 
and  everywhere  along  the  Potomac  men  were  enlisting  under 
Governor's  proclamation, — which  promised  two  hundred 
thousand  acres  on  the  Ohio.  Along  this  river  they  were 
gathering  as  far  as  Will's  Creek,  and  far  beyond  this  point, 
whither  Trent  had  come  for  assistance,  for  his  little  band  of 
forty-one  men,  who  were  working  away  in  hunger  and  want, 
to  fortify  that  point  at  the  fork  of  the  Ohio,  to  which  both 
parties  were  looking  with  deep  interest.  The  first  birds  of 
spring  filled  the  fjrest  with  their  songs.  The  swift  river 
rolled  by  the  Allegheny  hillsides,  swollen  by  the  melting 
snows  of  spring  and  April  showers.  The  leaves  were  appear- 
ing, a  few  Indian  Scouts  were  seen,  but  no  enemy  seemed 
near  at  hand,  and  all  was  so  quiet  that  Frazier,  an  old  In- 
dian trader,  who  had  been  left  by  Trent  in  command  of  the 
new  fort,  ventured  to  his  home  at  the  mouth  of  Turtle  Creek, 
ten  miles  up  the  Monongahela.  But  though  all  was  so  quiet 
in  that  wilderness,  keen  eyes  had  seen  the  low  entrenchment 
that  was  rising  at  the  fork,  and  swift  feet  had  borne  the  news 
of  it  up  the  valley,  and  on  the  morning  of  the  17th  of  April, 
Ensign  Ward,  who  then  had  charge  of  it,  saw  upon  the 
Allegheny  a  sight  that  made  his  heart  sink; — sixty  batteaux 
and  three  hundred  canoes,  filled  with  men,  and  laden  deep 
with  cannon  and  stores.  The  fort  was  called  on  to  surren- 
der :  by  the  advice  of  the  Half-King,  Ward  tried  to  evade 
the  act,  but  it  would  not  do.  Contrecceur,  with  a  thousand 
men  about  him,  said  '  Evacuate,'  and  the  ensign  dared  not 
refuse.  That  evening  he  supped  with  his  captor,  and  the 
next  day  was  bowed  off  by  the  Frenchman,  and,  with  his 
men  and  tools,  marched  up  the  Monongahela."  The  French 
and  Indian  war  had  begun.  The  treaty  of  Aix  la  Chapelle, 
in  1748,  had  left  the  boundaries  between  the  French  and 
English  possessions  unsettled,  and  the  events  already  narra- 
ted show  that  the  French  were  determined  to  hold  the  coun- 
try watered  by  the  Mississippi  and  its  tributaries :  while  the 
English  laid  claim  to  the  country  by  virtue  of  the  discoveries 
by  the  Cabots,  and  claimed  all  the  country  from  New  Found- 
land  to  Florida,  and  from  the  Atlantic  to  the  Pacific.  The 
first  decisive  blow  had  been  struck,  and  the  first  attempt  of 
the  English,  through  the  Ohio  Company,  to  occupy  these 
lands  had  resulted  disastrously  to  them.  The  French  and 
Indians  immediately  completed  the  fortifications  begun  at 
the  fork,  which  they  had  so  easily  captured,  and  when  com- 
pleted gave  to  the  fort  the  name  of  Du  Quesne.  Washing- 
ton was  at  Will's  Creek,  when  the  news  of  the  capture  of  the 
fort  arrived.  He  at  once  departed  to  recapture  it.  On  his 
way  he  entrenched  himself  at  a  place  called  the  "  Meadow*," 
where  he  erected  a  fort  called  by  him  Fort  Necessity.  From 


there  he  surprised  and  captured  a  forco  of  French  and  Indi- 
ans marching  against  him,  but  was  soon  after  attacked  by  a 
much  superior  force,  and  was  obliged  to  yield  on  the  morn- 
ing of  July  4th.  He  was  allowed  to  return  to  Virginia. 

The  English  Government  immediately  planned  for  cam- 
paigns, one  against  Fort  Du  Quesne,  one  against  Nova  Sco- 
tia, one  against  Fort  Niagara,  and  one  against  Crown  Point. 
These  occurred  during  1755-6,  and  were  not  successful  in 
driving  the  French  from  their  possessions.  The  expedition 
against  Fort  Du  Quesne  was  led  by  the  famous  Braddock, 
who,  refusing  to  listen  to  the  advice  of  Washington  and  those 
acquainted  with  Indian  warfare,  suffered  an  inglorious  de- 
feat. This  occurred  on  the  morning  of  July  9th,  and  is  gen- 
erally known  as  the  battle  of  Monongahela  or  "  Braddock's 
defeat."  The  war  continued  through  various  vicissitudes 
through  the  years  1756-7,  when,  at  the  commencement  of 
1758,  in  accordance  with  the  plans  of  William  Pitt,  then 
secretary  of  state,  afterwards  Lord  Chatham,  active  prepa- 
rations were  made  to  carry  on  the  war.  Three  expeditions 
were  planned  for  this  year :  one  under  General  Amherst, 
against  Louisburg;  another  under  Abercrombie,  against 
Fort  Ticonderoga ;  and  a  third  under  General  Forbes,  against 
Fort  Du  Quesne.  On  the  26th  of  July,  Louisburg  surren- 
dered after  a  desperate  resistance  of  more  than  forty  days, 
and  the  eastern  part  of  the  Canadian  possessions  foil  into  the 
hands  of  the  British.  Abercrombie  captu  red  Fort  Fronte- 
nac,  and  when  the  expedition  against  Fort  Du  Quesne,  of 
which  Washington  had  the  active  command,  arrived  there, 
it  was  found  in  flames  and  deserted.  The  English  at  once 
took  possession,  rebuilt  the  fort,  and  in  honor  of  their  illus- 
trious statesman,  changed  the  name  to  Fort  Pitt. 

The  great  object  of  the  campaign  of  1759,  was  the  reduc- 
tion of  Canada.  General  Wolfe  was  to  lay  siege  to  Quebec ; 
Amherst  was  to  reduce  Ticonderoga  and  Crown  Point ;  and 
General  Prideaux  was  to  capture  Niagara.  This  latter  place 
was  taken  in  July,  but  the  gallant  Prideaux  lost  his  life. 
Amherst  captured  Ticonderoga  and  Crown  Point,  without  a 
blow ;  and  Wolfe,  after  making  the  memorable  ascent  to  the 
plains  of  Abraham,  on  September  13th,  defeated  Montcalm, 
and  on  the  18th  the  city  capitulated.  In  this  engagement, 
Montcalra  and  Wolfe  both  lost  their  lives.  De  Levi,  Mont- 
calm's  successor,  marched  to  Sillery,  three  miles  above  the 
city,  with  the  purpose  of  defeating  the  English,  and  there, 
on  the  28th  of  the  following  April,  was  fought  one  of  the 
bloodiest  battles  of  the  French  and  Indian  war.  It  resulted 
in  the  defeat  of  the  French,  and  the  fall  of  the  city  of  Mon- 
treal. The  Governor  signed  a  capitulation  by  which  the 
whole  of  Canada  was  surrendered  to  the  English.  This 
practically  concluded  the  war,  but  it  was  not  until  1763 
that  the  treaties  of  peace  between  France  and  England 
were  signed.  This  was  done  on  the  10th  of  February  of  that 
year,  and  under  its  provisions  all  the  country  east  of  the 
Mississippi  and  north  of  the  Ibervill  river  in  Louisiana,  were 
ceded  to  England.  At  the  same  time,  Spain  ceded  Florida 
to  Great  Britain. 

On  the  13th  September,  1760,  Major  Robert  Rogers  was 
sent  from  Montreal  to  take  charge  of  Detroit,  the  only  re- 
maining French  post  in  the  territory.  He  arrived  there  on 


HIS  TORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND   WABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


the  (Jth  of  November,  and  summoned  the  place  to  surrender. 
At  first  the  commander  of  the  post,  Beletre,  refused,  but  on 
the  29th,  hearing  of  the  continued  defeat  of  the  French  army, 
surrendered.  The  North-west  Territory  was  now  entirely 
under  the  English  rule.  In  1762,  France,  by  a  secret  treaty, 
ceded  Louisiana  to  Spain,  to  prevent  it  falling  into  the  hands 
of  the  English,  who  were  becoming  masters  of  the  entire 
West.  The  next  year  the  treaty  of  Paris,  signed  at  Fou- 
tainbleau,  gave  to  the  English  the  dominion  iu  question. 
Twenty  years  after,  by  the  treaty  of  peace  between  the  United 
States  and  England,  that  part  of  Canada  lying  south  and 
west  of  the  great  lakes,  comprising  a  large  territory,  was 
acknowledged  to  be  a  portion  of  the  United  States.  In 
1803  Louisiana  was  ceded  by  Spain  back  to  France,  and  by 
France  sold  to  the  United  States,  By  the  treaty  of  Paris, 
the  regions  east  of  the  Mississippi,  including  all  these  and 
other  towns  of  the  north-west,  were  given  over  to  England ; 
but  they  do  not  appear  to  have  been  taken  possession  of  until 
1765,  when  Captain  Stirling,  in  the  name  of  the  Majesty  in 
England,  established  himself  at  Fort  Chartres,  bearing  with 
him  the  proclamation  of  General  Gage,  dated  December 
30th,  1764,  which  promised  religious  freedom  to  all  Catho- 
lics who  worshiped  here  and  the  right  to  leave  the  country 
with  their  effects  if  they  wished,  or  to  remain  with  the  priv- 
ileges of  Englishmen.  During  the  years  1775  s.nd  1776,  by 
the  operations  of  land  companies  and  the  perseverance  of 
individuals,  several  settlements  were  firmly  established  be- 
tween the  Alleghenies  and  the  Ohio  river,  and  western  land 
speculators  were  busy  in  Illinois  and  on  the  Wabash.  At  a 
council  held  in  Kaskaskia,  on  July  5th,  1773,  an  association 
of  English  traders,  calling  themselves  the  "  Illinois  Land 
Company,"  obtained  from  the  chiefs  of  the  Kaskaskia,  Ca- 
hokia,  and  Peoria  tribes  two  large  tracts  of  land  lying  on  the 
east  side  of  the  Mississippi  river  south  of  the  Illinois.  In 
1775  a  merchant  from  the  Illinois  country,  named  Viviat, 
came  to  Post  Vincenncs  as  the  agent  of  the  association  called 
the  "  Wabash  Land  Company."  On  the  8th  of  October  he 
obtained  from  eleven  Piankeshaw  chiefs  a  deed  for  37,497, 
600  acres  of  land.  This  deed  was  signed  by  the  grantors, 
attested  by  a  number  of  the  inhabitants  of  Vincenues,  and 
afterward  recorded  in  the  office  of  a  Notary  Public  at  Kas- 
kaskia. This  and  other  land  companies  had  extensive 
schemes  for  the  colonization  of  the  West ;  but  all  were  frus- 
trated by  the  breaking  out  of  the  Revolutionary  war.  On 
the  20th  of  April,  1780,  the  two  companies  named  consoli- 
dated under  the  name  of  the  "  United  Illinois  and  Wabash 
Land  Company  ; "  they  afterwards  made  strenuous  efforts  to 
have  these  grants  sanctioned  by  Congress,  but  all  signally 
failed.  When  the  war  of  the  Revolution  commenced,  Ken- 
tucky was  an  unorganized  country,  though  there  were  several 
settlements  within  her  borders. 

Iu  Ilutchins'  Topography  of  Virginia,  it  is  stated  that  at 
that  time  Kaskaskia  contained  80  houses,  and  nearly  1,000 
white  and  black  inhabitants,  the  whites  being  a  little  the 
more  numerous.  Cahokia  contained  fifty  houses,  300  white 
inhabitants,  and  80  negroes.  There  were  east  of  the  Missis- 
sippi river,  about  the  year  1771 — when  these  observations 
wcro  made—"  300  v.hitc  men  capable  of  bearing  arms,  and 


233  negroes."  From  1775  until  the  expedition  of  Clark, 
nothing  is  recorded  and  nothing  known  of  these  settlements, 
save  what  is  contained  iu  a  report  made  by  a  committee  to 
Congress  in  June,  1778.  From  it  the  following  extract  is 
made :  "  Near  the  mouth  of  the  river  Kaskaskia,  there  is  a 
village  which  appears  to  have  contained  nearly  eighty  fam- 
ilies from  the  beginning  of  the  late  Revolution  ;  there  are 
twelve  families  at  a  small  village  at  La  Prairie  Du  Rochers, 
and  nearly  fifty  families  at  the  Cahokia  village.  There  aro 
also  four  or  five  families  at  Fort  Chartres  and  St.  Philip's, 
which  is  five  mibs  further  up  the  river."  St.  L  >uis  had  been 
settled  in  February,  1764,  and  at  this  time  contained,  inclu- 
ding its  neighboring  towns,  over  six  hundred  white  and  one 
hundred  and  fifty  negroes.  It  must  be  remembered  that  all 
the  country  west  of  the  Mississippi  was  under  French  rule, 
and  remained  so  until  ceded  back  to  Spain, its  original  owner, 
who  afterwards  sold  it  and  the  country  including  New  Or- 
leans to  the  Uuited  States.  At  De'roit,  there  were,  accord- 
ing to  Captain  Carver,  who  was  in  the  north-west  from  1768 
to  1776,  more  than  one  hundred  houses,  and  the  river  was 
settled  for  more  than  twenty  miles,  although  poorly  cultiva- 
ted, the  people  being  engaged  iu  the  Indian  trade. 

On  the  breaking  out  of  the  Revolution,  the  British  held 
every  post  of  importance  in  the  West.  Kentucky  was 
formed  as  a  component  part  of  Virginia,  and  the  sturdy 
pioneers  of  the  West,  alive  to  their  interests,  and  recog- 
nizing the  great  benefits  of  obtaining  the  control  of  the 
trade  iu  this  part  of  the  New  World,  held  steadily  to  their 
purposes,  and  those  within  the  commonwealth  of  Ken- 
tucky proceeded  to  exercise  their  civrl  privileges  of  electing 
John  Todd  and  Richard  Gallaway  burgesses,  to  represent 
them  in  the  assembly  of  the  present  state.  The  chief  spirit 
in  this  far-out  colony,  who  had  represented  her  the  year 
previous  east  of  the  mountains,  was  now  meditating  a  move 
of  unequalled  boldness.  He  had  been  watching  the  move- 
ments of  the  British  throughout  the  north-west,  and  under- 
stood their  whole  plan.  He  saw  it  was  through  their 
possession  of  the  post  at  Detroit,  Vincennes,  Kaskaskia,  and 
other  places,  which  would  give  them  easy  access  to  the  vari- 
ous Indian  tribes  in  the  north-west,  that  the  British  intended 
to  penetrate  the  country  from  the  north  and  south,  and 
annihilate  the  frontier  fortresses.  This  moving,  energetic 
man  was  Colonel,  afterwards  General  George  Rodgers  Clark. 
He  knew  that  the  Indians  were  not  unanimously  in  accord 
with  the  English,  and  he  was  convinced  that,  could  the 
British  be  defeated  and  expelled  from  the  north-west,  the 
natives  might  be  easily  awed  into  neutrality ;  by  spies  sent  for 
the  purpose,  he  satisfied  himself  that  the  enterprise  against 
the  Illinois  settlements  might  easily  succeed.  Patrick  Henry 
was  Governor  of  Virginia,  and  at  once  entered  heartily  into 
Clark's  plans.  The  same  plan  had  before  been  agitated  in 
the  Colonial  Assemblies ;  but  there  was  no  one  until  Clark 
came  who  was  sufficiently  acquainted  with  the  condition  of 
affairs  at  the  scene  of  action  to  be  able  to  guide  them. 

Clark,  having  satisfied  the  Virginia  leaders  of  the  feasibility 
of  his  plan,  received  on  the  second  of  January  two  sets  of 
instructions:  one  secret,  the  other  open.  The  latter  authoriz- 
ed him  to  proceed  to  enlist  seven  companies  to  go  to  Ken- 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


tucky,  subject  to  his  orders,  and  to  serve  three  months  from 
their  arrival  in  the  west.  The  secret  order  authorized  him 
to  arm  the  troops,  to  procure  his  powder  and  lead  of  General 
Hand,  at  Pittsburg,  and  to  proceed  at  once  to  subjugate  the 
country. 

With  these  instructions  Clark  repaired  to  Pittsburg,  choos- 
ing rather  to  raise  his  men  west  of  the  mountains.  Here  he 
raised  three  companies  and  several  private  volunteers. 
Clark  at  length  commenced  his  descent  of  the  Ohio,  which 
he  navigated  as  far  as  the  falls,  where  he  took  possession  of 
and  fortified  Corn  Island,  between  the  present  sites  of  Louis- 
ville, Kentucky,  and  New  Albany,  Indiana.  Remains  of 
this  fortification  may  yet  be  found.  At  this  place  he  ap- 
pointed Col.  Bowman  to  meet  him  with  such  recruits  as  had 
reached  Kentucky  by  the  southern  route.  Here  he  an- 
nounced to  the  men  their  real  destination.  On  the  24th  of 
June  he  embarked  on  the  river,  his  destination  being  Fort 
Massac  or  Massacre,  and  then  marched  direct  to  Kaskaskia. 
The  march  was  accomplished  and  the  town  reached  on  the 
evening  of  July  4.  He  captured  the  fort  near  the  village, 
and  soon  after  the  village  itself,  by  surprise,  without  the 
loss  of  a  single  man  or  killing  any  of  the  enemy.  Clark 
told  the  natives  that  they  were  at  perfect  liberty  to  worship 
as  they  pleased,  and  to  take  whichever  side  of  the  conflict 
they  would,  and  he  would  protect  them  from  any  barbarity 
from  British  or  Indian  foes.  This  had  the  desired  effect) 
and  the  inhabitants  at  once  swore  allegiance  to  the  Amerr 
can  arms,  and  when  Clark  desired  to  go  to  Cahokia  on  the 
6th  of  July,  they  accompanied  him,  and  through  their  in- 
fluence the  inhabitants  of  the  place  surrendered.  Thus  two 
important  posts  iu  Illinois  passed  from  the  hands  of  the  Eng- 
Hsh  into  the  possession  of  Virginia.  During  the  year 
(1779)  the  famous  "  Land  Laws  "  of  Virginia  were  passed- 
The  passage  of  these  laws  was  of  more  consequence  to  the 
pioneers  of  Kentucky  and  the  north-west  than  the  gaining 
of  a  few  Indian  conflicts.  These  grants  confirmed  in  the 
main  all  grants  made,  and  guaranteed  to  actual  settlers  their 
rights  and  privileges. 

After  providing  for  the  settlers,  the  laws  provided  for  sell- 
ing the  balance  of  the  public  lands  at  forty  cents  per  acre. 
To  carry  the  Land  Laws  into  effect,  the  Legislature  sent 
four  Virginians  westward  to  attend  to  the  various  claims 
over  many  of  which  great  confusion  prevailed  concerning 
their  validity  vote.*  These  gentlemen  opened  their  court  on 
October,  13,  1779,  at  St.  Asaphs,  and  continued  until  April 
26,  1780,  when  they  adjourned,  having  decided  three  thou- 
sand claims.  They  were  succeeded  by  the  surveyor, — George 
May,  who  assumed  the  duties  on  the  10th  day  of  the  month 
whose  name  he  bore.  With  the  opening  of  the  next  year 
(1781)  the  troubles  concerning  the  navigation  of  the  Missis- 
sippi commenced.  The  Government  of  Spain  exacted  such 
measures  in  relation  to  its  trade  as  to  cause  the  overtures 
made  to  the  United  States  to  be  rejected.  The  American 
Government  considered  they  had  a  right  to  navigate  its 
channel.  To  enforce  their  claims,  a  fort  was  erected  below 
the  mouth  of  the  Ohio  on  the  Kentucky  side  of  the  river. f 

»  Butler's  Kentucky. 

t  American  Stati-   Papers. 


The  settlements  in  Kentucky  were  being  rapidly  filled  by 
emigrants.  It  was  during  this  year  that  the  first  seminary 
of  learning  was  established  in  the  West  in  this  young  and 
enterprising  commonwealth. 

The  settlers  did  not  look  upon  the  building  of  the  fort  in 
a  friendly  manner  as  it  aroused  the  hostility  of  the  Indians. 
Spain  had  been  friendly  to  the  colonies  during  their  struggle 
for  independence,  and  though  for  a  while  this  friendship  ap- 
peared in  danger  from  the  refusal  of  the  free  navigation  of 
the  river,  yet  it  was  finally  settled  to  the  satisfaction  of  both 
nations.  The  winter  of  1779-80  was  one  of  the  most  unusu- 
ally severe  ones  ever  experienced  in  the  West.  The  Indians 
always  refered  to  it  as  the  "  Great  Cold. "  Numbers  of  wild 
animals  perished,  and  not  a  few  pioneers  lost  their  lives. 
The  following  summer  a  party  of  Canadians  and  Indians, 
attacked  St.  Louis,  and  attempted  to  take  possesion  of  it  in 
consequence  of  the  friendly  disposition  of  Spain  to  the  revolt- 
ing colonies.  They  met  with  such  a  determined  resistance 
on  the  part  of  the  inhabitants,  even  the  women  taking  part 
in  the  battle,  that  they  were  compelled  to  abandon  the  con- 
test. They  also  made  an  attack  on  the  settlements  in  Ken- 
tucky, but,  becoming  alarmed  in  some  unaccountable  man- 
ner, they  fled  the  country  in  great  haste.  About  this  time 
arose  the  question  in  the  Colonial  Congress  concerning  the 
western  lands  claimed  by  Virginia,  New  York,  Massachu- 
setts and  Connecticut.  The  agitation  concerning  this  sub- 
ject finally  led  New  York,  on  the  19th  of  February,  1780,  to 
pass  a  law  giving  to  the  delegates  of  that  State  in  Congress 
the  power  to  cede  her  western  lands  for  the  benefit  of  the 
United  States.  This  law  was  laid  before  Congress  during 
the  next  month,  but  no  steps  were  taken  concerning  it  until 
September  6th,  when  a  resolution  passed  that  body  calling 
upon  the  states  claiming  western  lands  to  release  their  claims 
in  favor  of  the  whole  body.  This  basis  formed  the  Union, 
and  was  the  first  after  all  of  those  legislative  measures, 
which  resulted  in  the  creation  of  the  States  of  Ohio,  Indiana, 
Illinois,Michigan,  Wisconsin  and  Minnesota.  In  December  of 
the  same  year,  the  plan  of  conquering  Detroit  again  arose.  The 
conquest  might  easily  have  been  effected  by  Clark,  had  the 
necessary  aid  been  furnished  him.  Nothing  decisive  was 
done,  yet  the  heads  of  the  Government  knew  that  the  safety 
of  the  North- West  from  British  invasion  lay  in  the  capture 
and  retention  of  that  important  post,  the  only  uuconquered 
one  in  the  territory. 

Before  the  close  of  the  year,  Kentucky  was  divided  into 
the  counties  of  Lincoln,  Fayette,  and  Jefferson,  and  the  act 
eetablishicg  the  town  of  Louisville  was  passed.  Virginia  in 
accordance  with  the  resolution  of  Congress,  on  the  2d  day 
of  January,  1781,  agreed  to  yield  her  western  lands  to  the 
United  States  upon  certain  conditions,  which  Congress  would 
not  accede  to,*  and  the  Act  of  Cession,  on  the  part  of  the  Old 
Dominion,  failed,  nor  was  anything  farther  done  until  1783. 
During  all  that  time  the  colonies  were  busily  engaged  in  the 
struggle  with  the  mother  country,  and  in  consequence  thereof 
but  little  heed  was  given  to  the  western  settlements.  Upon 
the  16th  of  April,  1781,  the  first  birth  north  of  the  Ohio 
River  of  American  parentage  occurred,  being  that  of  Mary/ 

*  AmiT>:m  State  Papers. 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


Heckewelder,  daughter  of  the  widely  known  Moravian  Mis- 
sionary, whose  baud  of  Christian  Indians  suffered  in  after 
years  a  horrible  massacre  by  the  hands  of  the  frontier  settlers, 
who  had  been  exasperated  by  the  murder  of  several  of  their 
neighbors,  and  in  their  rage  committed,  without  regard  to 
humanity,  a  deed  which  forever  afterwards  cast  a  shade  of 
shame  upon  their  lives.  For  this  and  kindred  outrages  on 
the  part  of  the  whites,  the  Indians  committed  many  deeds  of 
cruelty  which  darken  the  years  of  1781  and  1782  in  the  his- 
tory of  the  North-west.  During  the  year  1782  a  number  of 
battles  among  the  Indians  and  frontiersmen  occurred,  and 
between  the  Moravian  Indians  and  the  Wyandots.  In  these, 
horrible  acts  of  cruelty  were  practiced  on  the  captives,  many 
of  such  dark  deeds  transpiring  under  the  leadership  of  fron- 
tier outlaws.  These  occurred  chiefly  in  the  Ohio  Valleys. 
Contemporary  with  them  were  several  engagements  in  Ken- 
tucky, in  which  the  famous  Daniel  Boone  engaged,  and  who, 
often  by  his  skill  and  knowledge  of  Indian  warfare,  saved 
the  outposts  from  cruel  destruction.  By  the  close  of  the 
year  victory  had  perched  upon  the  American  banner, 
and  on  the  30th  of  November,  provisional  articles  of 
peace  had  been  arranged  between  the  Commissioners  of 
England  and  her  unconquerable  colonies ;  Cornwallis  had 
been  defeated  on  the  19th  of  October  preceding,  and  the  lib- 
erty of  America  was  assured.  On  the  19th  of  April  follow- 
ing, the  anniversary  of  the'  battle  of  Lexington,  peace  was 
proclaimed  to  the  Army  of  the  United  States,  and  on  the  3d 
of  the  next  September,  the  definite  treaty  which  ended  our 
revolutionary  struggle  was  concluded.  By  the  terms  of  thai 
treaty,  the  boundaries  of  the  West  were  as  follows:  On  the, 
north  the  line  was  to  extend  along  the  centre  of  the  Great 
Lakes ;  from  the  western  point  of  Lake  Superior  to  Long 
Lake,  thence  to  the  Lake  of  the  Woods ;  thence  to  the  head  of 
the  Mississippi  River ;  down  its  center  to  the  31st  parallel  of 
latitude,  then  on  that  line  east  to  the  head  of  the  Appalach- 
icola  River;  down  its  center  to  its  junction  with  the  Flint ; 
thence  straight  to  the  head  of  St.  Mary's  River,  and  thencj 
clown  along  its  center  to  the  Atlantic  Ocean. 

Following  the  cessation  of  hostilities  with  England,  several 
posts  were  still  occupied  by  the  British  in  the  North  and 
West.  Among  these  was  Detroit,  still  in  the  hands  of  the 
enemy.  Numerous  engagements  with  the  Indians  through- 
out Ohio  and  Indiana  occurred,  upon  whrse  lands  adventur- 
ous whites  would  settle  ere  the  title  had  been  acquired  by  the 
proper  treaty.  To  remedy  this  evil,  Congress  appointed 
Commissioners  to  treat  with  the  natives  and  purchase  their 
lands,  and  prohibited  the  settlement  of  the  territory  until 
this  could  be  done.  Before  the  close  of  the  year  another 
attempt  was  made  to  capture  Detroit,  which  was,  however, 
not  pushed,  and  Virginia,  no  longer  feeling  the  interest  in 
the  North-west  she  had  formerly  done,  withdrew  her  troops, 
having  on  the  20th  of  December  preceding,  authorized  the 
whole  of  her  possessions  to  be  deeded  to  the  United  States. 
This  was  done  on  the  1st  of  March  following,  and  the  North- 
west Territory  passed  from  the  control  of  the  Old  Dominion. 
To  General  Clark  and  his  soldisrs,  however,  she  gave  a  tract 
of  one  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  acres  of  land,  to  be  situ- 
ated anywhere  north  of  the  Ohio  wherever  they  chose  to 


locate  them.  They  selected  the  region  opposite  the  falls  of 
the  Ohio,  where  is  now  the  village  of  Clarksville,  about  mid- 
way between  the  cities  of  New  Albany  and  Jeffersonville, 
Indiana. 

While  the  frontier  remained  thus,  and  General  Haldi- 
mand  at  Detroit  refused  to  evacuate,  alleging  that  he  had  no 
orders  from  his  king  to  do  so,  settlers  were  rapidly  gather- 
ing about  the  inland  forts.  In  the  spring  of  1784,  Pittsburg 
was  regularly  laid  out,  and  from  the  journal  of  Arthur  Lee, 
who  passed  through  the  town  soon  after  on  his  way  to  the 
Indian  council  at  Fort  Mclntosh,  we  suppose  it  was  not  very 
prepossessing  in  appearance.  He  says,  "  Pittsburg  is  in- 
habited almost  entirely  by  Scots  and  Irish,  who  live  in  paltry 
log  houses,  and  are  as  dirty  as  if  in  the  North  of  Ireland,  or 
even  Scotland.  There  is  a  great  deal  of  trade  carried  on, 
the  goods  being  brought  at  the  vast  expense  of  forty-five 
shillings  per  hundred  Ibs.  from  Philadelphia  and  Baltimore. 
They  take  in  the  shops  flour,  wheat,  skins  and  money.  There 
are  in  the  town,  four  attorneys,  two  doctors,  and  not  a  priest 
of  any  persuasion,  nor  church  nor  chapel." 

•Kentucky  at  this  time  contained  thirty  thousand  inhabi- 
tants, and  was  beginning  to  discuss  measures  for  a  separation 
from  Virginia.  A  land  office  was  opened  at  Louisville,  and 
measures  were  adopted  to  take  defensive  precaution  against 
the  Indians,  who  were  yet,  in  some  instances,  incited  to  deeds 
of  violence  by  the  British.  Before  the  close  of  this  year, 
1784,  the  military  claimants  of  land  began  to  occupy  them, 
although  no  entries  were  recorded  until  1787.  The  Indian 
title  to  the  Northwest  was  not  yet  extinguished,  they  held 
large  tracts  of  lands,  and  in  order  to  prevent  bloodshed  Con- 
gress adopted  means  for  treaties  with  the  original  owners 
and  provided  for  the  surveys  of  the  lands  gained  thereby,  as 
well  as  for  those  north  of  the  Ohio,  now  in  its  possession. 
On  January  31, 1786,  a  treaty  was  made  with  the  Wabash 
Indians.  The  treaty  of  Fort  Stanwix  had  been  made  in 
1781,  that  at  Fort  Mclntosh  in  1785,  and  through  these 
vast  tracts  of  land  were  gained.  The  Wabash  Indians,  how- 
ever, afterwards  r°fused  to  comply  with  the  provisions  of 
the  treaty  made  with  them,  and  in  order  to  compel  their 
adherence  to  its  provisions,  force  was  used. 

During  the  year  1786,  the  free  navigation  of  the  Mis- 
sissippi came  up  in  Congress,  and  caused  various  discussions, 
which  resulted  in  no  definite  action,  only  serving  to  excite 
speculation  in  regard  to  the  Western  lands.  Congress  had 
promised  bounties  of  land  to  the  soldiers  of  the  Revolution, 
but  owing  to  the  unsettled  condition  of  affairs  along  the 
Mississippi  respecting  its  navigation,  and  the  trade  of  the 
Northwest,  that  body,  had  in  1783  declared  its  inability  to 
fulfill  these  promises  until  a  treaty  could  be  concluded  be- 
tween the  two  governments.  Before  the  close  of  the  year, 
1786,  however,  it  was  able,  through  the  treaties  with  the 
Indians,  to  allow  some  grants  and  settlements  thereon,  and 
on  the  14th  of  September  Connecticut  ceded  to  the  general 
government  the  tract  of  land  known  as  the  "  Connecticut 
Reserve,"  and  before  the  close  of  the  year  a  large  tract  of 
hind  was  sold  to  a  company,  who  at  once  took  measures  to 
settle  it.  By  the  provisions  of  this  grant,  the  company  were  to 
pay  the  United  States  one  dollar  per  acre,  subject  to  a  de- 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


duction  of  one-third  for  bad  lands  and  other  contingencies*, 
they  received  750,000  acres  bounded  on  the  south  by  the 
Ohio,  on  the  east  by  the  Seventh  range  of  townships,  on  the 
west  by  the  Sixteenth  range,  and  on  the  north  by  a  line  so 
drawn  as  to  make  the  grant  complete  without  the  reservation. 
In  addition  to  this  Congress  afterward  granted  100,000  acres 
to  actual  settlers,  and  214,285  acres  as  army  bounties  under 
the  resolutions  of  1789  and  1790.  While  Dr.  Cutler,  one  of 
the  agents  of  the  company,  was  pressing  its  claims  before 
Congress,  that  body  was  bringing  into  form  an  ordinance 
for  the  political  and  social  organization  of  this  Territory. 
When  the  cession  was  made  by  Virginia,  1784,  a  plan  was 
offered,  but  rejected.  A  motion  had  been  made  to  strike  from 
the  proposed  plan  the  prohibition  of  slavery,  which  prevail- 
ed. The  plan  was  -then  discussed  and  altered,  and  finally 
passed  unanimously,  with  the  exception  of  South  Carolina. 
By  tliis  proposition  the  Territory  was  to  have  been  divided 
into  ten  States  by  parallels  and  meridian  lines.  There  were, 
However,  serious  objections  to  this  plan  ;  the  root  of  the  diffi- 
culty was  in  'the  resolution  of  Congress  passed  in  October, 
1780,  which  fixed  the  boundaries  of  the  ceded  lands  to  be 
from  one  hundred  to  one  hundred  and  fifty  miles  square. 
These  resolutions  being  presented  to  the  Legislatures  of  Vir- 
ginia and  Massachusetts  they  desired  a  change,  and  in  July 
1786,  the  subjeet  was  taken  up  in  Congress  and  changed  to 
favor  a  division  into  not  more  than  five  Spates,  and  not  less 
than  three;  this  was  approved  by  the  Legislature  of  Virginia. 
The  subject  was  again  taken  up  by  Congress  in  17S6,  and 
discussed  throughout  that  year,  and  until  July  1787  when 
the  famous  "  compact  of  1787  "  was  passed,  and  the  founda- 
tion of  the  government  of  the  Northwest  laid.  This  compact 
is  fully  discussed  and  explained  in  the  sketch  on  Illinois  in 
this  book,  and  to  it  the  reader  is  referred.  The  passage  of  this 
act  and  the  grant  to  the  New  England  Company  was  soon 
followed  by  an  application  to  the  Government  by  John  Cleves 
Symtnes,  of  New  Jersey,  for  a  grant  of  land  between  the 
Miamis.  This  gentleman  had  visited  these  lands  soon  after 
the  treaty  of  1786,  and  being  greatly  pleased  with  them, 
offered  similar  terms  to  those  given  to  the  New  England 
Company.  The  petition  was  referred  to  the  Treasury  Board 
with  power  to  act,  and  a  contract  was  concluded  the  follow- 
ing year.  During  the  autumn  the  directors  of  the  New 
England  Company  were  preparing  to  occupy  their  grant 
the  following  spring,  and  upon  the  23d  of  November  made 
arrangements  for  a  party  of  forty-seven  men,  under  the 
superintendency  of  General  Rufus  Putnam,  to  set  forward. 
Six  boat-builders  were  to  leave  at  once,  and  on  the  first  of 
January  the  surveyors  and  their  assistant',  twenty-six  in 
number,  were  to  meet  at  Hartford  and  proceed  on  their 
journey  westward,  the  remainder  to  follow  as  soon  as  possi- 
ble. Congress  in  the  meantime,  upon  the  3d  of  October, 
had  ordered  seven  hundred  troops  for  defense  of  the  western 
settlers,  and  to  prevent  unauthorized  intrusions,  and  two 
days  later  appointed  Arthur  St.  Clair  Governor  of  the  Ter- 
ritory of  the  Northwest. 

AMERICAN    SETTLEMENTS. 

The  civil  organization  of  the  Northwest  Territory  was 
now  complete,  and  notwithstanding  the  uncertainty  of  In- 


dian affairs,  settlers  from  the  east  began  to  come  into  the 
country  rapidly.  The  New  England  Company  sent  their 
men  during  the  winter  of  1787-8,  pressing  on  over  the  Alle- 
ghenics  by  the  old  Indian  path  which  had  been  opened  into 
Braddock's  road,  and  which  has  since'  been  made  a  national 
turnpike  from  Cumberland,  westward.  Through  the  weary 
winter  days  they  toiled  on,  and  by  April  were  all  gathered 
on  the  Youghiogheny,  where  boats  had  been  built,  and  a 
once  started  for  the  Muskingum.  Here  they  arrived  on  the 
7th  of  that  mouth,  and  unless  the  Moravian  missionaries  be 
regarded  as  the  pioneers  of  Ohio,  this  little  band  can  justly 
claim  that  honor. 

General  St.  Clair,  the  appointed  Governor  of  the  North 
west  not  having  yet  arrived,  a  set  of  laws  were  passed,  writ- 
ten out,  and  published  by  being  nailed  to  a  tree  in  the 
embryo  town,  and  Jonathan  Meigs  appointed  to  administer 
them.  Washington  in  writing  of  this,  the  first  American 
settlement  in  the  Northwest  said :  "  No  colony  in  America 
was  ever  settled  under  such  favorable  auspices  as  that  which 
has  just  commenced  at  Muskingum.  I  know  many  of  its  set- 
tlers personally,  and  there  were  never  men  better  calculated 
to  promote  the  welfare  of  such  a  community."  On  the  2d 
of  July  a  meeting  of  the  directors  and  agents  was  held  on 
the  banks  of  the  Muskingum,  "  for  the  purpo.e  of  naming 
the  new  born  city  and  its  squares."  As  yet  the  settlement 
was  known  as  the  "  Muskingum,"  but  was  afterwards  changed 
to  the  name,  Marietta,  in  honor,  of  Marie  Antoinette. 
Two  days  after,  an  oration  was  delivered  by  James  M.  Var- 
num,  who  with  S.  H.  Parsons  and  John  Armstrong  had  been 
appointed  to  the  judicial  bench  of  the  territory  on  the  ICth 
of  October  1787.  On  July  9,  Governor  St.  Clair  arrivedj 
and  the  colony  began  to  assume  form.  The  act  of  1787  pro- 
vided two  distinct  grades  of  government  for  the  Northwest, 
under  the  first  of  which  the  whole  power  was  invested  in  the 
hands  of  a  governor  and  three  district  judges.  This  was 
immediately  formed  on  the  governor's  arrival,  and  the  first 
laws  of  the  colony  passed  on  the  25th  of  July :  these  provid- 
ed for  the  organization  of  the  militia,  and  on  the  next  day 
appeared  the  Governor's  proclamation,  erecting  all  that 
country  that  had  been  ceded  by  the  Indians  east  of  the 
Scioto  River  into  the  county  of  Washington.  From  that 
time  forward,  notwithstanding  the  doubts  yet  existing  as  to 
the  Indians,  all  Marietta  prospered,  and  on  the  second  of 
September  the  first  court  was  held  with  imposing  ceremonies. 

The  emigration  westward  at  this  time  was  very  great. 
The  commander  at  Fort  Harmer,  at  the  mouth  of  the  Musk- 
ingum reported  four  thousand  five  hundred  persons  as  having 
passed  that  post  between  February  and  June  1788,  many  of 
whom  would  have  purchased  of  the  "  Associates,"  as  the 
New  England  Company  was  called,  had  they  been  ready  to 
receive  them.  On  the  26th  of  November  1787  Symmes 
issued  a  pamphlet  stating  the  terms  of  his  contract  and  the 
plan  of  sale  he  intend.ed  to  adopt.  In  January  1788,  Mat- 
thias Denman,  of  New  Jersey,  took  an  active  interest  in 
Symmes'  purchase,  and  located  among  other  tracts  the  sec- 
tions upon  which  Cincinnati  has  been  built.  Retaining  one- 
third  of  this  locality,  he  sold  the  other  two-thirds  to  Robert 
Patterson  and  John  Filson,  and  the  three  about  August 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


commenced  to  lay  out  a  town  on  the  spot,  which  was  desig- 
nated as  being  Licking  River,  to  the  mouth  of  which  they 
proposed  to  have -a  road  cut  from  Lexington  ;  these  settle- 
ments prospered  but  suffered  greatly  from  the  flood  of  1789. 
On  the  4th  of  March  1789,  the  Constitution  of  the  United 
States  went  into  operation,  and  on  April  30th,  George 
Washington  was  inaugurated  President,  and  during  the  next 
summer  an  Indian  war  was  commenced  by  the  tribes  north 
of  the  Ohio.  The  President  at  first  used  pacific  means,  but 
these  failing,  he  sent  General  Harmer  against  the  hostile 
tribes.  He  destroyed  several  villages,  but  was  defeated  in 
two  battles,  near  the  present  city  of  Fort  Wayne,  Indiana. 
From  this  time  till  the  close  of  1795,  the  principal  events 
were  the  wars  with  the  various  Indian  tribes.  In  1796, 
General  St.  Clair  was  appointed  in  command,  and  marched 
against  the  Indians ;  but  while  he  was  encamped  on  a  stream, 
the  St  Mary,  a  branch  of  the  Maumee,  he  was  attacked  and 
defeated  with  a  loss  of  six  hundred  men.  General  Wayne 
was  then  sent  against  the  savages.  In  August,  1794,  he  met 
them  near  the  rapids  of  the  Maumee,  and  gained  a  compkte 
victory.  This  success,  followed  by  vigorous  measures,  com- 
pelled the  Indians  to  sue  for  peace,  and  on  the  30th  of  July, 
the  following  year,  the  treaty  of  Greenville  was  signed  by 
the  principal  chiefs,  by  which  a  large  tract  of  country  was 
ceded  to  the  United  States.  Before  proceeding  in  our  nar- 
rative, we  will  pause  to  notice  Fort  Washington,  erected  in 
the  early  part  of  this  war.  on  the  site  of  Cincinnati.  Nearly 
all  the  great  cities  of  the-North-west,  and  indeed  of  the  whole 
country,  have  had  their  nuclei  in  those  rude  pioneer  struc- 
tures, known  as  forts  or  stockades.  Thus  Forts  Dearborn, 
Washington,  Ponchartrain,  mark  the  original  sites  of  the 
now  proud  cities  of  Chicago,  Cincinnati  and  Detroit.  So  of 
most  of  the  flourishing  cities  east  and  west  of  the  Mississippi. 
Fort  Washington,  erected  by  Doughty  in  1790,  was  a  rude 
but  highly  interesting  structure.  It  was  composed  of  a  num- 
ber of  strong'y-built  hewed  log  cabins.  Those  designed  for 
soldiers'  barracks  were  a  story  and  a  half  high,  while  those 
composing  the  officers'  quarters  were  more  imposing  and  more 
conveniently  arranged  and  furnished.  The  whole  was  so 
placed  as  to  form  a  hollow  square,  enclosing  about  an  acre 
of  ground,  with  a  block  house  at  each  of  the  four  angles. 
Fort  Washington  was  for  some  time  the  headquarters  of  both 
the  Civil  and  Military  governments  of  the  North-western 
Territory.  Following  the  consummation  of  the  treaty  vari- 
ous gigantic  land  speculations  were  entered  into  by  different 
persons,  who  hoped  to  obtain  from  the  Indians  in  Michigan 
and  northern  Indiana,  large  tracts  of  lands.  These  were 
generally  discovered  in  time  to  prevent  the  schemes  from 
being  carried  out,  and  from  involving  the  settlers  in  war. 
On  October  27,  1795,  the  treaty  between  the  United  States 
and  Spain  was  signed,  whereby  the  free  navigation  of  the 
Mississippi  was  secured.  No  sooner  had  the  treaty  of  1795 
been  ratified  than  settlers  began  to  pour  rapidly  into  the 
west.  The  great  event  of  the  year  179G,  was  the  occupa'ion 
of  that  part  of  the  North-west  including  Michigan,  which 
was  this  year,  under  the  provisions  of  the  treaty,  evacuated 
by  the  British  forces.  The  United  States  owing  to  certain 
conditions,  did  not  feel  justified  in  addressing  the  authorities 


in  Canada  in  relation  to  Detroit  and  other  frontier  posts. 
When  at  last  the  British  authorities  were  called  upon  to  give 
them  up,  they  at  once  complied,  and  General  Wayne  who 
had  done  so  much  to  preserve  the  frontier  settlements,  and 
who  before  the  year's  close,  sickened  and  died  near  Erie, 
transferred  his  headquarters  to  the  neighborhood  of  the  lakes, 
where  a  county  named  after  him  was  formed,  which  included 
the  north-west  of  Ohio,  all  of  Michigan,  and  the  north-east 
of  Indiana.  During  this  same  year  settlements  were  formed 
at  the  present  city  of  Chillicothe,  along  the  Miami  from 
Middletown  to  Piqua,  while  in  the  more  distant  West,  settlers 
and  speculators  began  to  appear  in  great  numbers.  In  Sep- 
tember the  city  of  Cleveland  was  laid  out,  and  during  the 
summer  and  autumn,  Samuel  Jackson  and  Jonathan  Sharp- 
less,  erected  the  first  manufactory  of  paper — the  "  Redstone 
Paper  Mills" — in  the  West.  St.  Louis  contained  some 
seventy  houses,  and  Detroit  over  three  hundred,  and  along 
the  river,  contiguous  to  it,  were  more  than  three  thousand 
inhabitants,  mostly  French  Canadians,  Indians  and  half- 
breeds,  scarcely  any  Americans  venturing  yet  into  that  part 
of  the  North-west.  The  election  of  representatives  for  the 
territory  had  taken  place,  and  on  the  4th  of  February,  1799, 
they  convened  at  Losantiville — now  known  as  Cincinnati, 
having  been  named  so  by  Gov.  St.  Clair,  and  considered  the 
capital  of  the  territory, — to  nominate  persons  from  whom  the' 
members  of  the  Legislature  were  to  be  chosen  in  accordance 
with  a  previous  ordinance.  This  nomination  being  made, 
the  Assembly  adjourned  until  the  16. h  of  the  following  Sep- 
tember. From  those  named  the  President  selected  as  mem- 
bers of  the  council,  Henry  Vandenburg,  of  Vincennes,  Robert 
Oliver,  of  Marietta,  James  Findley,  and  Jacob  Burnett,  of 
Cincinnati,  and  David  Vance,  of  Vance ville.  On  the  16th 
of  September,  the  Territorial  Legislature  met,  and  on  the 
24th,  the  two  houses  were  duly  organized,  Henry  Vanden- 
burg being  elected  President  of  the  Council.  The  message 
of  Gov.  St.  Clair,  was  addressed  to  the  Legislature  Septem- 
ber 20th,  and  on  October  13th,  that  body  elected  as  a  dele-  • 
gate  to  Congress,  General  Wm.  Henry  Harrison,  who  re- 
ceived eleven  of  the  votes  cast,  being  a  majority  of  one  over 
his  opponent,  Arthur  St.  Clair,  son  of  General  St.  Clair. 
The  whole  number  of  acts  passed  at  this  session  and  approved 
by  the  Governor,  were  thirty-seven — eleven  others  were 
passed  but  received  his  veto.  The  most  important  of  those 
passed  related  to  the  militia,  to  the  administration,  and  to 
taxation.  On  the  1 9th  of  December  this  protracted  session 
of  the  first  Legislature  in  the  West  closed,  and  on  the  30lh 
of  December  the  President  nominated  Charles  Willing  Byid, 
to  the  office  of  secretary  of  the  Territory,  vice  Wm.  Henry 
Harrison,  elected  to  Congress.  The  Senate  confirmed  his 
nomination  the  next  day. 

DIVISION   OF   THE   NORTH- TVEST   TEEEITOEY. 

The  increased  emigration  to  the  north-west,  and  extent  of 
the  domain,  made  it  very  difficult  to  conduct  the  ordinary 
operations  of  government,  and  rendered  the  efficient  action 
of  courts  almost  impossible  ;  to  remedy  this  it  was  deemed 
advisable  to  divide  the  territory  for  civil  purposes.  Coil- 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


gross,  in  1800,  appointed  a  committee  to  examine  the  ques- 
tion and  report  some  means  for  its  solution. 

This  committee  on  the  3d  of  March  reported  :  "  In  the 
western  countries  there  had  been  but  one  court  having  cog- 
nizance of  crimes,  in  five  years,  and  the  immunity  which 
offenders  experience  attracts,  as  to  an  asylum,  the  most  vile 
and  abandoned  criminals,  and  at  the  same  time  deters  useful 
citizens  from  making  settlements  in  such  society.  The 
extreme  necessity  of  judiciary  attention  and  assistance  is 
experienced  in  civil  as  well  as  in  criminal  cases.  *  *  *  * 
To  remedy  this  evil  it  is  expedient  to  the  committee  that  a 
division  of  said  territory  into  two  distinct  and  separate 
governments  should  be  made,  and  that  such  division  be 
made  by  beginning  at  the  mouth  of  the  Great  Miami  river, 
running  directly  north  until  it  intersects  the  boundary 
between  the  United  States  and  Canada." 

The  report  was  accepted  by  Congress,  and,  in  accordance 
with  its  suggestions,  that  body  passed  an  act  extinguishing 
the  north-west  territory,  which  act  was  approved  May  7th. 
Among  its  provisions  were  these : 

"  That  from  and  after  July  4  next  all  that  part  of  the 
territory  of  the  United  States  north-west  of  the  Ohio  river, 
which  lies  to  the  westward  of  a  line  beginning  at  a  point 
opposite  the  mouth  of  the  Kentucky  river,  and  running 
thence  to  Fort  Recovery,  and  thence  North  until  it  shall 
intersect  the  territorial  line  between  the  United  States  and 
Canada,  shall  for  the  purpose  of  temporary  government, 
constitute  a  separate  territory  and  be  called  the  Indian 
Territory." 

Gen.  Harrison  (afterwards  President),  was  appointed 
governor  of  the  Indiana  Territory,  and  during  his  residence 
at  Vincennes,  he  made  several  important  treaties  with  the 
Indians,  thereby  gaining  large  tracts  of  land.  The  next 
year  is  memorable  in  the  history  of  the  west  for  the  purchase 
of  Louisiana  from  France  by  the  United  States  for  815,000,- 
000.  Thus  by  a  peaceful  manner  the  domain  of  the  United 
States  was  extended  over  a  large  tract  of  country  west  of 
the  Mississippi,  and  was  for  a  time  under  the  jurisdiction  of 
the  north-western  government.  The  next  year  Gen.  Harri- 
son obtained  additi  >nal  grants  of  land  from  the  various 
Indian  nations  in  Indiana  and  the  present  limits  of  Illinois, 
and  on  the  18th  of  August,  1804,  completed  a  treaty  at  St. 
Louis,  whereby  over  51,000,000  acres  of  land  were  obtained. 

During  this  year,  Congress  granted  a  township  of  land 
for  the  support  of  a  college  and  began  to  offer  inducements 
for  settlers  in  these  wilds,  and  the  country  now  comprising 
the  state  of  Michigan  began  to  fill  rapidly  with  settlers 
along  its  southern  borders.  This  same  year  a  law  was 
passed  organizing  the  south-west  territory,  dividing  it  into 
two  portions, — the  territory  of  New  Orleans,  which  city  was 
made  the  seat  of  government,  and  the  district  of  Louisiana, 
which  was  annexed  to  the  domain  by  General  Harrison. 

On  the  llth  of  January,  1805,  the  territory  of  Michigan 
was  formed,  and  Wm.  Hull  appointed  governor,  with  head- 
quarters at  Detroit,  the  change  to  take  effect  June  30th. 
On  the  llth  of  that  month,  a  fire  occurred  at  Detroit,  which 
destroyed  most  every  building  in  the  place.  When  the 
officers  of  the  new  territory  reached  the  post,  they  found  it 


in  ruins,  and  the  inhabitants  scattered  throughout  the  coun- 
try. Rebuilding,  however,  was  commenced  at  once.  While 
this  was  being  done,  Indiana  passed  to  the  second  grade  of 
government.  In  1809,  Indiana  territory  was  divided,  and 
the  territory  of  Illinois  was  formed,  the  seat  of  government 
being  fixed  at  Kaskaskia,  and  through  her  General  Assem- 
bly had  obtained  large  tracts  of  land  from  the  Indian  tribes. 
To  all  this  the  celebrated  Indian  Tecumthe,  or  Tecumseh, 
vigorously  protested,*  and  it  was  the  main  cause  of  his 
attempts  to  unite  the  various  Indian  tribes  in  a  conflict  with 
the  settlers.  He  visited  the  principal  tribes,  and  succeeded 
in  forming  an  alliance  with  most  of  the  tribes,  and  then 
joined  the  cause  of  the  British  in  the  memorable  war  of  1812. 
Tecumseh  was  killed  at  the  battle  of  the  Thames.  Tecum- 
seh was,  in  many  respects,  a  noble  character, — frank  and 
honest  in  his  intercourse  with  General  Harrison  and  the 
settlers ;  in  war,  brave  and  chivalrous.  His  treatment  of 
prisoners  was  humane.  In  the  summer  of  1812,  Perry's  vic- 
tory on  Lake  Erie  occurred,  and  shortly  after,  active  pre- 
parations were  made  to  capture  Fort  Maiden.  On  the  27th 
of  September,  the  American  army-  under  command  of 
General  Harrison,  set  sail  for  the  shores  of  Canada,  and,  in 
a  few  hours,  stood  around  the  ruins  of  Maiden,  from  which 
the  British  army  under  Proctor  had  retreated  to  Sandwich, 
intending  to  make  its  way  to  the  heart  of  Canada  by  the 
valley  of  the  Thames.  On  the  29th,  General  Harrison  was 
at  Sandwich,  and  General  McArthur  took  possession  of 
Detroit  and  the  territory  of  Michigan.  On  the  2d  of  Octo- 
ber following,  the  American  army  began  their  pursuit  of 
Proctor,  whom  they  overtook  on  the  5th,  and  the  battle  of 
the  Thames  followed.  The  victory  was  decisive,  and  practi- 
cally closed  the  war  in  the  north-west.  In  1806,  occurred 
Burr's  insurrection.  He  took  possession  of  an  island  in  the 
Ohio,  and  was  charged  with  treasonable  intentions  against 
the  Federal  government.  His  capture  was  effected  by 
General  Wilkinson,  acting  under  instruction  of  President 
Jefferson.  Burr  was  brought  to  trial  on  a  charge  of  treason, 
and,  after  a  prolonged  trial,  during  which  he  defended  him- 
self with  great  ability,  he  was  acquitted  of  the  charge  of 
treason.  His  subsequent  career  was  obscure,  and  he  died 
in  1836.  Had  his  scheme  succeeded,  it  would  be  interesting 
to  know  what  effect  it  would  have  had  on  the  north-we-tern 
territory.  The  battle  of  the  Thames  was  fought  October 
6th,  1813.  It  effectually  closed  hostilities  in  the  north-west, 
although  peace  was  not  restored  until  July  22d,  1814,  when 
a  treaty  was  made  at  Greenville,  by  General  Harrison,  be- 
tween the  United  States  and  the  Indian  tribes.  On  the  24th 
of  December,  the  treaty  of  Ghent  was  signed  by  the  repre- 
sentatives of  England  and  the  United  States.  This  treaty 
was  followed  the  next  year  by  treaties  with  various  Indian 
tribes  throughout  the  north-west,  and  quiet  was  again 
restored. 

PRESENT   CONDITION   OF   THE   NORTH-WEST. 

In  former  chapters  we  have  traced  briefly  the  discoveries, 
settlements,  wars,  and  most  important  events  which  have 
occurred  in  the  large  area  of  country  denominated  the 

*  American  State  Papers 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND   WABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


28 


BRIEF  HISTORICAL  SKETCH  OF  ILLINOIS. 


north-west,  and   we  now  turn  to  the  contemplation  of  its 
gro\vth  and  prosperity.      Its  people  are  among  the   most 
intelligent  and  enterprising  in  the  Union.     The  population 
is  steadily  increasing,  the  arts  and  sciences  are  gaining  a   i 
stronger  foothold,  the  trade  area  of  the  region  is  becoming   j 
daily  more  extended,  and  we  have  been  largely  exempt  from 
the  financial   calamities  which  have  nearly  wrecked   com 
munitties  on  the  seaboard,  dependent  wholly  on  foreign  com- 
merce or  domestic  manufacture.     Agriculture  is  the  leading 
feature  in  our  industries.     This  vast  domain  has  a  sort  of  I 
natural  geographical  border,  save  where  it  melts  away  to   ; 
the  southward  in  the  cattle- raising  districts  of  the  south-   i 
west.     The  leading  interests  will  be  the  growth  of  the  food 
of  the  world,  in  which  branch  it  has  already  outstripped  all 
competitors,  and  our  great  rival  will  be  the  fertile  fields  of 
Kansas,  Nebraska,  Colorado,  Texas  and  New  Mexico. 

To  attempt  to  give  statistics  of  grain  productions  for  1880 
would  require  more  space  than  our  work  would  permit  of. 
Manufacturing  has  now  attained  in  the  chief  cities  a  foot- 
hold that  bids  fair  to  render  the  north-west  independent  of 
the  outside  world.  Nearly  our  whole  region  has  a  distribu- 
tion of  coal  measure  which  will  in  time  support  the  manu- 
factures necessary  to  our  comfort  and  prosperity.  As  to 
transportation,  the  chief  factor  in  the  production  of  all  articles 
except  food,  no  section  is  so  magnificently  endowed,  and 
our  facilities  are  yearly  increasing  beyond  those  of  any 
other  region. 

The  principal  trade  and  manufacturing  centres  of  the  great 
north-west  are  Chicago,  St.  Louis,  Cincinnati,  Indianapolis, 
Detroit,  Cleveland  and  Toledo,  with  any  number  of  minor 
cities  and  towns  doing  a  large  and  growing  business.  The 
intelligence  and  enterprise  of  its  people ;  the  great  wealth  of 
its  soil  and  minerals ;  its  vast  inland  seas  and  navigable 
rivers ;  its  magnificent  railroad  system  ;  its  patriotism  and 
love  of  country  will  render  it  ever  loyal  in  the  future  as  in 
the  past.  The  people  of  the  Mississippi  Valley  are  the  key- 
stone of  the  national  union  and  national  prosperity. 


CHAPTER    II. 


:EGINNING  the  history  of    this  great   State   j 
we   direct  attention  briefly  to  the   discovery   . 
and  exploration  of  the  3Iigsissippi.    Hernando 
.De  Soto,  cutting  his  way  through  the  wilder- 
ness from  Florida,  had  discovered  the  Missis-  j 
sippi  in  the  year  1542.     Wasted  with  disease  | 
and  privation,  he  only  reached  the   stream   j 
to  die  upon  its   banks,  and   the  remains  of  j 
the  ambitious  and  iron-willed  Spaniard  found 
a  fitting  resting-place  beneath  the  waters  of  the  great  river. 
The  chief  incitement  to  Spanish  discoveries  in  America  was 
a  thirst  for  gold  and  treasure.     The  discovery  and  settle- 
ment of  the  Mississippi  Valley  on  the  part  of  the  French 


must,  on  the  other  hand,  be  ascribed  to  religious  zeal. 
Jesuit  missionaries,  from  the  French  settlements  on  the  St. 
Lawrence,  early  penetrated  to  the  region  of  Lake  Huron. 
It  was  from  the  tribes  of  Indians  living  in  the  West,  that 
intelligence  came  of  a  noble  river  flowing  south.  Marquette, 
who  had  visited  the  Chippewas  in  1668,  and  established 
the  mission  of  Sault  Ste.  Marie,  now  the  oldest  settlement 
within  the  present  commonwealth  of  Michigan,  formed  the 
purpose  of  its  exploration. 

The  following  year  he  moved  to  La  Poiute,  in  Lake 
Superior,  where  he  instructed  a  branch  of  the  Hurons  till 
1670,  when  he  removed  south  and  founded  the  mission  at 
St.  Ignace,  on  the  Straits  of  Mackinaw.  In  company  with 
Joliet,  a  fur-trader  of  Quebec,  who  had  been  designated  by 
M.  Talon,  Intendent  of  Canada,  as  chieftain  of  the  explor- 
ing party,  and  five  French  voyageurs,  Marquette,  on  the 
10th  of  June,  1673,  set  out  on  the  expedition.  Crossing 
the  water-shed  dividing  the  Fox  from  the  Wisconsin  rivers, 
their  two  canoes  were  soon  launched  on  the  waters  of  the 
latter.  Seven,  days  after,  on  the  17th  of  June,  they  joy- 
fully entered  the  broad  current  of  the  Mississippi.  Stopping 
sis  days  on  the  western  bank,  near  the  mouth  of  the  Des 
Moines  River,  to  enjoy  the  hospitalities  of  the  Illinois 
Indians,  the  voyage  was  resumed,  and  after  passing  the 
perpendicular  rocks  above  Alton,  on  whose  lofty  limestone 
front  were  painted  frightful  representations  of  monsters, 
they  suddenly  came  upon  the  mouth  of  the  Missouri,  known 
by  its  Algonquin  name  of  Pekitanoni,  whose  swift  and 
turbid  current  threatened  to  engulf  their  frail  canoes.  The 
site,  of  St.  Louis  was  an  unbroken  forest,  and  further  down 
the  fertile  plain  bordering  the  river  reposed  in  peaceful 
solitude,  as,  e.irly  in  July,  the  adventurers  glided  past  it. 
They  continued  their  voyage  to  a  point  some  distance  below 
the  mouth  of  the  Arkansas,  and  then  retraced  their  course 
up  the  river,  arriving  at  their  Jesuit  Mission  at  the  head  of 
Green  Bay,  late  in  September. 

Robert  Cavalier  de  La  Salle,  whose  illustrious  name  is 
more  intimately  connected  with  the  exploration  of  the 
Mississippi  than  that  of  any  other,  was  the  next  to  descend 
the  river,  in  the  early  part  of  the  year  1682.  La  Salle  was  a 
man  of  remarkable  genius,  possessing  the  power  of  originating 
the  vastest  schemes,  and  endowed  with  a  will  and  a  judgment 
capable  of  carrying  them  to  successful  results.  Had  ample 
facilities  been  placed  by  the  king  of  France  at  his  disposal, 
the  result  -of  the  colonization  of  this  continent  might  have 
been  far  different  from  what  we  now  behold.  He  was  born 
in  Rouen,  France,  in  1643,  of  wealthy  parentage,  but  he 
renounced  his  patrimony  on  entering  a  college  of  the  Jesuits 
from  which  he  separated  and  came  to  Canada  a  poor  man 
in  1666.  The  priests  of  St.  Sulpice,  among  whom  he  had  a 
brother,  were  then  the  proprietors  of  Montreal,  the  nucleus 
of  which  was  a  seminary  or  convent  founded  by  that  order. 
The  Superior  granted  to  La  Salle  a  large  tract  of  land  at 
La  Chine,  where  he  established  himself  in  the  fur  trade. 
He  was  a  man  of  daring  genius,  and  outstripped  all  his 
competitors  in  exploits  of  travel  and  commerce  with  the 
Indians.  In  1669  he  visited  the  headquarters  of  the  great 
Iroquois  Confederacy,  at  Ouondaga,  in  the  heart  of  New 


at 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  W ABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


York,  and  obtaining  guides,  explored  the  Ohio  River  to  the 
falls  at  Louisville. 

In  order  to  understand  the  intrepid  genius  of  La  Salle, 
it  must  be  remembered  that  for  many  years  prior  to  his 
time  the  missionaries  and  traders  were  obliged  to  make  their 
way  ts  the  North  west  by  the  Ottaway  River  (of  Canada), 
on  account  of  the  fierce  hostility  of  the  Iroquois  along  the 
lower  l^kes  and  Niagara  River,  which  entirely  closed  this 
latter  route  to  the  Upper  Lakes.  They  carried  on  their 
commerce  chiefly  by  canvas,  paddling  them  through  the 
Ottaway  to  Lake  Nipissing,  carrying  them  across  the  port- 
age to  French  River,  and  descending  that  to  Lake  Huron. 
This  being  the  route  by  which  they  reached  the  North-west, 
accounts  for  the  fact  that  all  the  earliest  Jesuit  missions 
were  established  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  Upper  Lakes. 
La  Salle  conceived  the  grand  idea  of  opening  the  route  by 
Niagara  River  and  the  Lower  Lakes  to  Canadian  commerce 
by  sail  vessels,  connecting  it  with  the  navigation  of  the 
Mississippi,  and  thus  opening  a  magnificent  water  communi- 
cation from  the  Gulf  of  St.  Lawrence  to  the  Gulf  of  Mexico. 
This 'truly  grand  and  comprehensive  purpose  seems  to 
Lave  animated  him  in  all  his  wonderful  achievements  and 
the  matchless  difficulties  and  hardships  he  surmounted. 

As  the  first  step  in  the  accomplishment  of  this  object  he 
established  himself  on  Lake  Ontario,  and  built  and  gar- 
risoned Fort  Frontenac,  the  site  of  the  present  city  of 
Kingston,  Canada.  Here  he  obtained  a  grant  of  land  from 
the  French  crown  and  a  body  of  troops  by  which  he  beat 
hack  the  invading  Iroquois  and  cleared  the  passage  to 
Niagara  Falls.  Having  by  this  masterly  stroke  made  it 
safe  to  attempt  a  hitherto  untried  expedition,  his  next  step 
as  we  have  seen,  was  to  advance  to  the  falls  with  all  his 
outCt  for  building  a  ship  with  which  to  sail  the  lakes.  He 
was  successful  in  this  undertaking,  though  his  ultimate  pur- 
pose was  defeated  by  a  strange  combination  of  untoward 
circumstances.  The  Jesuits  evidently  hated  La  Salle  and 
plotted  against  him,  because  he  had  abandoned  them  and 
co-operated  with  a  rival  order.  The  fur  traders  were  also 
jealous  of  his  superior  success  in  opening  new  channels  of 
commerce.  At  La  Chine  he  had  taken  the  trade  of  Lake 
Ontario,  which  but  for  his  presence  there  weuld  have  gone 
to  Quebec.  While  they  were  plodding  with  their  bark 
canoes  through  the  Ottaway  he  was  constructing  vessels  to 
command  the  trade  of  the  lakes  and  the  Mississippi.  These 
great  plans  excited  the  jealousy  and .  envy  of  the  small 
traders,  introduced  treason  and  revolt  into  the  ranks  of  his 
own  companions,  and  finally  led  to  the  foul  assassination  by 
which  his  great  achievements  were  prematurely  ended.  In 
1082,  La  Salle,  having  completed  his  vessel  at  Pcoria, 
descended  the  Mississippi  to  its  confluence  with  the  Gulf  of 
Mexico.  At  its  mouth  he  erected  a  column,  and  decorating 
it  with  the  arms  of  France,  placed  upon  it  the  following 
inscription  : 

LOUIS  LE  GRAND,  EOI  DE  FRANCE  ET  DE  NAVARRE  REGNE  ; 
LE  NEUVIEME  AVRIL,  1G82. 

Thus  France,  by  right  of  discovery,  lay  claim  to  the 
Mississippi  Valley,  the  fairest  portion  of  the  globe,  an 


empire  in'  extent,  stretching  from  the  Gulf  to  the  Lakes, 
and  from  the  farthest  sources  of  the  Ohio  to  where  the  head 
waters  of  the  Missouri  are  lost  in  the  wild  solitudes  of  the 
Rocky  Mountains.  La  Salle  bestowed  upon  the  territory 
the  name  of  Louisiana,  in  honor  of  the  King  of  France, 
Louis  XIV. 

The  assertion  has  been  made  that  on  La  Salle's  return  up 
the  river,  in  the  summer  of  1682,  a  portion  of  the  party 
were  left  behind,  who  founded  the  village  of  Kaskaskia  and 
Cahokia,  but  the  statement  rests  on  no  substantial  foun- 
dation. 

THE    FIRST   SETTLEMENTS   IN    ILLINOIS. 

The  gentle  and  pious  Marquette,  devoted  to  his  purpose 
of  carrying  the  gospel  to  the  Indians,  had  established  a 
mission  among  the  Illinois,  in  1675,  at  their  principal  town 
on  the  river  which  still  bear  stheir  .name.  This  was  at  the 
present  town  of  Utica,  in  La  Salle  County.  In  the  presence 
of  the  whole  tribe,  by  whom,  it  is  recorded,  he  was  received 
as  a  celestial  visitor,  he  displayed  the  sacred  pictures  of  the 
Virgin  Mary,  raised  an  altar,  and  said  mass.  On  Easter 
Sunday,  after  celebrating  the  mystery  of  the  Eucharist,  he 
took  possession  of  the  land  in  the  name  of  the  Saviour  of 
the  world,  and  founded  the  "Mission  of  the  Immaculate 
Conception."  The  town  was  called  Kaskaskia,  a  name 
afterwards  transferred  to  another  locality.  The  founding 
of  this  mission  was  the  last  act  of  Marquette's  life.  He 
died  in  Michigan,  on  his  way  back  to  Green  Bay,  May  18, 
1675. 

La  Salle,  while  making  preparations  to  descend  the 
Mississippi,  built  a  fort,  on  the  Illinois  River,  below  the 
Lake  of  Peoria,  in  February,  1680,  and  in  commemoration 
of  his  misfortunes,  bestowed  upon  it  the  name  of  Crevecceur, 
"broken-hearted."  Traces  of  its  embankments  are  yet  dis- 
cernible. This  was  the  first  military  occupation  of  Illinois. 
There  is  no  evidence,  however,  that  settlement  was  begun 
there  at  that  early  date. 

On  La  Salle's  return  from  this  exploration  of  the  Missis- 
sippi, in  1682,  he  fortified  "  Starved  Rock,"  whose  military 
advantages  had  previously  attracted  his  attention.  Fronj 
its  summit,  which  rises  125  feet  above  the  waters  of  the 
river,  the  valley  of  the  Illinois  speeds  out  before  the  eye  in 
landscape  of  rarest  beauty.  From  three  sides  it  is  inacces- 
sible. This  stronghold  received  the  name  of  the  Fort  of 
j3t.  Louis.  Twenty  thousand  allied  Indians  gathered  round 
it  on  the  fertile  plains.  The  fort  seems  to  have  been  aban- 
doned soon  after  the  year  1700. 

Marquette's  mission  (1675),  Crevecceur  (1680),  and  the 
Fort  of  St.  Lauia  (1682),  embrace,  so  far,  all  the  attempts 
made  towards  effecting  anything  like  a  permanent  settle- 
ment in  the  Illinois  country.  Of  the  second  few  traces 
remain.  A  line  of  fortifications  may  be  faintly  traced,  and 
that  is  all.  The  seed  of  civilization  planted  by  the  Jesuit, 
Marquette,  among  the  Illinois  Indians,  was  destined  to  pro- 
duce more  enduring  fruit.  It  was  the  germ  of  Kaskaskia, 
during  the  succeeding  years  of  the  French  occupation — the 
metropolis  of  the  Mississippi  Valley.  The  southern  Kas- 
kaskia is  merely  the  northern  one  transplanted.  The 
Mission  of  the  Immaculate  Conception  is  the  fame. 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WAS  ASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


•27 


FOUNDING   OF   KASKASKIA. 

On  the  death  of  Marquctte,  he  was  succeeded  by  Alloiicz, 
and  he  by  Father  Gravier,  who  respectively  had  charge  of 
the  Mission  on  the  Illinois  River  Gravier  is  said  to  have 
been  the  first  to  reduce  the  principles  of  the  Illinois  lan- 
guage to  rules.  It  was  also  he  who  succeeded  in  trans- 
ferring Marquette's  Mission  from  the  banks  of  the  Illinois 
south  to  the  spot  where  stands  the  modern  town  of  Kas- 
kaskia,  and  where  it  was  destined  to  endure.  The  exact 
date  is  not  known,  but  the  removal  was  accomplished  some 
time  prior  to  the  year  1685,  though  probably  not  earlier 
than  1082. 

Father  Gravier  was  subsequently  recalled  to  Mackinaw, 
and  his  place  was  supplied  by  Bineteau  and  Pinet.  Pinet 
proved  an  eloquent  and  successful  minister,  and  his  chapel 
was  often  insufficient  to  hold  the  crowds  of  savages  who 
gathered  to  hear  his  words.  Bineteau  met  with  a  fate 
similar  to  that  which  befell  many  another  devoted  priest  in 
his  heroic  labors  for  the  conversion  of  the  savages.  He 
accompanied  the  Kaskaskias  on  one  of  their  annual  hunts 
to  the  upper  Mississippi,  that  his  pastoral  relations  might 
not  suffer  intermission.  His  frame  was  poorly  fittfd  to 
stand  the  exposure.  Parched  by  day  on  the  burning 
prairie,  chilled  by  heavy  dews  at  night,  now  panting  with 
thirst  and  again  aching  with  cold,  he  at  length  fell  a 
victim  to  a  violent  fever,  and  "  left  his  bones  on  the  wilder- 
ness range  of  the  buffaloes."  Pinet  shortly  after  followed 
his  comrade. 

Father  Gabriel  Morrest  had  previously  arrived  at  Kas- 
kaskia.  He  was  a  Jesuit.  He  had  carried  the  emblem  of 
bis  faith  to  the  frozen  regions  of  Hudson's  Bay,  and  had 
been  taken  prisoner  by  the  English,  and  upon  his  liberation 
returned  to  America,  and  joined  the  Kaskaskia  Mission. 
After  the  deaths  of  Bineteau  and  Pinet,  he  had  sole  charge 
until. joined  by  Father  Mermet  shortly  after  the  opening  of 
the  eighteenth  century. 

The  devotion  and  piety  of  Mermet  fully  equalled  those  of 
his  companion.  He  had  assisted  in  collecting  a  village  of 
Indians  and  Canadians,  and  had  thus  founded  the  first 
French  port  on  the  Ohio,  or,  as  the  lower  part  of  the  river 
was  then  called,  the  Wabash.  At  the  Kaskaskia  Mission 
his  gentle  virtues  and  fervid  eloquence  seem  not  to  have  been 
without  their  influence.  "  At  early  dawn  his  pupils  came 
to  church  dressed  neatly  and  modestly,  each  in  a  large  deer- 
skin, or  in  a  robe  stitched  together  from  several  skins. 
After  receiving  lessons  they  chanted  canticles;  mass  was 
then  said  in  presence  of  all  the  Christians  in  the  place,  the 
French  and  the  converts — the  women  on  one  side  and  the 
men  on  the  other.  From  prayer  and  instruction  the  mis- 
sionaries proceeded  to  visit  the  sick  and  administer  medicine, 
and  their  skill  as  physicians  did  more  than  all  the  rest  to  I 
win  confidence.  In  the  afternoon  the  catechism  was  taught 
in  the  presence  of  the  young  and  the  old,  when  every  oue,  ' 
without  distinction  of  rank  or  age,  answered  the  questions  of 
the  missionary.  At  evening  all  would  assemble  at  the 
chapel  for  instruction,  for  prayer,  and  to  chant  the  hymns 
of  the  church.  On  Sundays  and  festivals,  even  after  vespers 
a  homily  was  pronounced  ;  at  the  close  of  the  day  parties 


would  meet  in  houses  to  recite  the  chaplet  in  alternate 
choirs,  and  sing  psalms  until  late  at  night.  These  psalms 
were  often  homilies  with  words  set  to  familiar  tunes.  Satur- 
day and  Sunday  were  days  appointed  for  confession  and 
communion,  and  every  convert  confessed  once  in  a  fortnight. 
The  success  of  the  mission  was  such  that  marriages  of 
French  immigrants  were  sometimes  solemnized  with  the 
daughters  of  the  Illinois  according  to  the  rites  of  the 
Catholic  Church.  The  occupation  of  the  country  was  a 
cantonment  of  Europeans  among  the  native  proprietors  of 
the  forests  and  the  prairies.*  A  court  of  law  was  unknown 
for  nearly  a  century,  and  up  to  the  time  of  Boisbriant  there 
was  no  local  government.  The  priests  possessed  the  entire 
confidence  of  the  community,  and  their  authority  happily 
settled,  without  the  tardy  delays  and  vexations  of  the  courts, 
the  minor  difficulties  which  threatened  the  peace  of  the 
settlement.  Of  the  families  which  formed  part  of  the 
French  population  in  the  early  history  of  Kaskaskia,  there 
is  some  uncertainty.  There  is,  however,  authority  for 
believing  that  the  following  were  among  the  principal 
settlers:  Bazyl  La  Chapelle,  Michael  Derouse,  (called  St. 
Pierre),  Jean  Baptiste  St.  Gemme  Bcauvais,  Baptiste  Mon- 
treal, Boucher  de  Moutbrun,  Charles  Danie,  Franc.ois 
Charlesville,  Antoine  Bienvenu,  Louis  Bruyat,  Alexis  Doza, 
Joseph  Paget,  Prix  Pagi,  Michael  Antoyen,  Langlois  De 
Lisle,  La  Derrou  te  and  Nova!- 

AS   PAftT   OF   LOUISIANA. 

The  settlements  of  Illinois  had  been  a  separate  depend- 
ency of  Canada.  In  1711,  together  with  the  settlements  on 
the  Lower  Mississippi,  which  had  been  founded  by  D'lber- 
ville  and  Bienville,  they  became  united  in  a  single  province 
under  the  name  of  Louisiana,  with  the  capital  at  Mobile. 

The  exclusive  control  of  the  commerce  of  this  region, 
whose  boundless  resources,  it  was  believed,  were  to  enrich 
France,  was  granted  to  Anthony  Crozat,  a  merchant  of 
great  wealth.  "We  permit  him,"  says  the  king  in  his 
letters  patent,  "  to  search,  open,  and  dig  all  mines,  veins, 
minerals,  precious  stones  and  pearls,  and  to  transport  the 
proceeds  thereof  into  any  part  of  France  for  fifteen  years." 
La  Motte  Cadillac,  who  had  now  become  royal  Governor  of 
Louisiana,  was  his  partner.  Hopes  of  obtaining  great 
quantities  of  gold  and  silver  animated  the  proprietors,  as 
well  as  agitated  France.  Two  pieces  of  silver  ore,  left  at 
Kaskaskia  by  a  traveler  from  Mexico,  were  exhibited  to 
Cadillac  as  the  produce  of  a  mine  in  Illinois.  Elated  by 
this  prospect  of  wealth,  the  Governor  hurried  up  the  river 
to  find  his  anticipations  fade  away  in  disappointment.  ''Iron 
ore  and  the  purest  lead  were  discovered  in  large  quantities 
in  Missouri,  but  of  gold,  and  silver,  and  precious  stones  not 
a  trace  was  found.  After  Crozat  had  expended  42.3,000 
livres,  and  realized  only  300,000,  he,  in  1717,  petitioned  the 
king  for  the  revocation  of  his  charter.  The  white  popula- 
tion had  slowly  increased  ;  and  at  the  time  of  his  departure 
it  was  estimated  that  the  families  comprising  the  Illinois 
settlements,  now  including  those  on  tho  AVabash,  numbered 
three  hundred  and  twenty  souls. 

*  Bancroft. 
27 


HJSTOHY  OF  LDWA1WS,  LA  WHENCE  AND  WABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


The  commerce  of  Louisiana  was  next  transferred  to  the 
Mississippi  Company,  instituted  under  the  auspices  of  the 
notorious  John  Law.  The  wild  excitement  and  visionary 
schemes  which  agitated  France  during  Law's  connection 
with  the  Cumpany  of  the  West,  and  while  at  the  head  of 
the  Bank  of  France,  form  the  most  curious  chapter  in  the 
annals  of  commercial  speculations.  These  delusive  dreams 
of  wealth  were  based  mainly  upon  the  reports  of  the  fabu- 
lous riches  of  the  Mississippi  Valley.  Attempts  to  colonize 
the  country  were  conducted  with  careless  prodigality. 
Three  ships  landed  eight  hundred  emigrants  in  August, 
1718,  near  Mobile,  whence  they  were  to  make  their  way 
overland  to  the  Mississippi.  Bienville,  on  the  banks  of  that 
river,  had  already  selected  the  spot  for  the  Capital  of  the 
new  Empire,  which,  after  the  Regent  of  France,  was  named 
New  Orleans.  From  among  the  emigrants,  eighty  convicts 
from  the  prisons  of  France  were  sent  to  clear  away  the 
coppices  which  thickly  studded  the  site.  Three  years  after 
in  1721,  the  place  was  yet  a  wilderness,  overgrown  with 
cauebrakes,  among  which  two  hundred  persons  had  en- 
camped. 

Phillip  Renault  was  created  Director-General  of  the 
mines  of  the  ne>v  country,  and  an  expedition  was  organized 
to  work  them.  Renault  left  France,  in  1719,  with  two 
hundred  mechanics  and  laborers.  Touching  at  San  Domingo 
he  bought  five  hundred  negro  slaves  for  working  the  mines. 
On  reaching  the  Mississippi,  he  sailed  to  Illinois,  the  region 
in  which  gold  and  silver  were  supposed  to  abound.  A  few  • 
miles  from  Kaskaskia,  in  what  is  now  the  south-west  corner 
of  Monroe  County,  was  the  seat  of  his  colony.  The  village 
which  he  founded  received  the  name  of  St.  Phillip's.  From 
this  point  various  expeditions  were  sent  out  in  search  of  the 
precious  metals.  Drewry's  Creek,  in  Jackson  County,  was 
explored;  St.  Mary's,  in  Randolph;  Silver  Creek,  in 
Monroe ;  and  various  parts  of  St.  Clair  County,  and  other 
districts  of  Illinois.  On  Silver  Creek,  tradition  has  it  that 
considerable  quantities  of  silver  were  discovered  and  sent  to 
France,  and  from  this  the  stream  has  its  name.  By  the 
retrocession  of  the  territory  to  the  crown,  Renault  was  left 
to  prosecute  the  business  of  mining  without  means.  His 
operations  proved  a  disastrous  failure. 

FORT    CHARTRES. 

Meanwhile  war  had  sprung  up  between  France  and  Spain 
and  to  protect  the  Illinois  settlements  from  incursions  of 
Spanish  cavalry  across  the  Great  Desert,  it  was  thought 
advisable  to  establish  a  fort  in  the  neighborhood  of  Kas- 
kaskia. A  Spanish  expedition  had,  indeed,  been  fitted  out 
at  Santa  Fe,  but  their  guides,  leading  it  by  mistake  to  the 
Missouri  Indians,  instead  of  the  Osages,  enemies  instead  of 
friends,  the  whole  party  was  massacred,  with  the  exception 
of  a  priest  who  escaped  to  relate  the  fate  of  his  unfortunate 
comrades.  Previous  to  this  La  Salle,  on  the  occasion  of  his 
visit  to  Paris,  had  shown  the  necessity  of  building  a  chain 
of  forts  from  Canada  to  the  Gulf,  in  order  to  secure  the 
territory  to  the  crown  of  France.  In  1718,  Buisbriant  was 
despatched  to  Illinois.  He  began  the  building,  of  Fort 
Chnrtres,  long  the  strongest  fortress  on  the  Western  Conti- 


nent, and  of  wide  celebrity  in  the  subsequent  history  of 
Illinois. 

Fort  Chartres  stood  on  the  east  bank  of  the  Mississippi, 
seventeen  miles  north-west  of  Kaskaskia,  and  between  three 
and  four  miles  from  the  location  of  the  present  village  of 
Prairie  du  Rocher.  The  Company  of  the  West  finally  built 
their  warehouses  here.  In  1721,  on  the  division  of  Louisi- 
ana into  seven  districts,  it  became  the  headquarters  of  Bois- 
briant,  the  first  local  Governor  of  Illinois.  Fort  Chartres 
was  the  seat  of  the  Government  of  Illinois,  not  only  while 
the  French  retained  possession  ot'  the  country,  but  after  it 
passed  under  English  control.  When  the  fort  was  built,  it 
stood  about  one  mile  distant  from  the  river.  In  the  year  1724 
an  inundation  of  the  Mississippi  washed  away  a  portion  of 
bank  in  front  of  the  fort. 

Captain  Philip  Pitman  visited  Illinois  in  1766.  He  was 
an  engineer  in  the  British  army,  and  was  sent  to  Illinois  to 
make  a  survey  of  the  forts,  and  report  the  condition  of  the 
country,  which  had  recently  passed  under  British  control. 
He  published  in  London,  in  1770.  a  work  entitled,  "  The 
present  State  of  the  European  Settlements  on  the  Missis- 
sippi," in  which  he  gives  an  accurate  description  of  Fort 
Chartres : 

"  Fort  Chartres,  when  it  belonged  to  France,  was  the  seat 
of  the  government  of  the  Illinois.  The  headquarters  of  the 
English  commanding  officer  is  now  here,  who,  in  fact,  is  the 
arbitrary  governor  of  the  country.  The  fort  is  an  irregular 
quadrangle.  The  sides  of  the  exterior  polygon  are  four  hun- 
dred and  ninety  feet.  It  is  built  of  stone,  and  plastered  over, 
and  is  only  designed  for  defence  against  the  Indians.  The 
walls  are  two  feet  two  inches  thick,  and  are  pierced  with 
loopholes  at  regular  distances,  and  with  two  port  holes  for 
cannon  in  the  facies,  and  two  in  the  flanks  of  each  bastion. 
The  ditch  has  never  been  finished.  The  entrance  to  the  fort 
is  through  a  very  handsome  rustic  gate.  Within  the  walls 
is  a  banquette  raised  three  feet,  for  the  men  to  stand  on'when 
they  fire  through  the  loopholes.  The  buildings  within  the 
fort  are,  a  commandant's  and  a  commissary's  house,  the 
magazine  of  stores,  corps  de  garde,  and  two  barracks.,  iThese. 
occupy  the  square.  '  Within  the  gorges  of  the  bastion  are  a 
powder-magazine,  a  bake-house,  and  a  prison,  in  the  floor  of 
which  are  four  dungeons,  and  in  the  upper,  two  rooms  and 
an  out-house  belonging  to  the  commandant.  The  command- 
ant's house  is  thirty-two  yards  long  and  ten  broad,  and  con- 
tains a  kitchen,  a  dining-room,  a  bed-chamber,  one  small 
room,  five  closets  for  servant?,  and  a  cellar.  The  commis- 
sary's house  is  built  on  the  same  line  as  this,  and  its  propor- 
tion and  the  distribution  of  its  apartments  are  the  same. 
Opposite  these  are  the  store-house,  and  the  guard-house,  each 
thirty  yards  long  and  eight  broad.  The  former  consists  of 
two  large  store  rooms,  (under  which  is  a  large  vaulted  cellar), 
a  large  room,  a  bed-chamber,  and  a  closet  for  the  storekeeper. 
The  latter  of  a  soldiers'  and  officers'  guard-room,  a  chapel, 
a  bed-chamber,  a  closet  for  the  chaplain,  and  an  artillery 
store-room.  The  lines  of  barracks  have  never  been  finished. 
They  at  present  consist  of  two  rooms  each  for  officers,  and 
three  for  soldiers.  They  are  each  twenty-five  feet  square, 
and  have  betwixt  a  small  passage."  • 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WAS  ASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


21 


Such  was  Fort  Chartres,  believed  at  the  time  to  be  the 
most  convenient  and  best  built  stronghold  in  North  America ! 
Just  before  the  French  surrender,  forty  families  lived  in  the 
neighboring  village,  in  which  stood  a  parish  church,  under 
the  care  of.  a  Franciscan  friar,  and  dedicated  to  St.  Anne. 
At  the  time  of  the  surrender  to  the  English,  all,  with  the 
exception  of  three  or  four  families,  abandoned  their  homes, 
and  removed  to  the  west  bank  of  the  Mississippi,  preferring 
the  government  of  La  Belle  France  to  the  hated  English 
rule,  ignorant  that  by  secret  treaty  the  territory  west 
of  the  Mississippi  had  been  ceded  to  Spain,  even  before 
the  transfer  of  the  region  eastward  was  made  to  the 
English. 

But  the  glory  of  the  old  fortress  soon  departed!  In  1756 
nearly  half  a.  mile  intervened  between  Fort  Chartres  and  the 
bank  of  the  Mississippi.  A  sand  bar,  however,  was  forming 
opposite,  to  which  the  river  was  fordable.  Ten  years  later 
the  current  had  cut  the  bank  away  to  within  eighty  yards  of 
the  fort.  The  sand-bar  had  become  an  island,  covered  with 
a  thick  growth  of  cottonwoods.  The  channel  between  it 
and  the  eastern  bank  was  forty  feet  in  depth.  In  the  great 
freshet  six  years  after,  in  1772,  in  which  the  American  Bot- 
tom was  inundated,  the  west  walls  and  two  of  the  bastions 
were  swept  away  in  the  flood.  It  was  abandoned  by  the 
British  garrison,  which  took  up  its  quarters  in  Fort  Gage, 
on  the  bluff  opposite  Kaskaskia,  which  then  became  the  seat 
of  government.  From  this  date  its  demolition  proceeded 
rapidly.  InT^O  the  south-east  angle  was  still  remaining. 
Only  vestiges  of  the  old  Fortress  can  now  be  traced.  Much 
of  the  stone  was  carried  away,  and  used  for  building  pur- 
poses elsewhere.  Trees  of  stately  growth  cover  the  founda- 
tions. The  river  has  retreated  to  its  original  channel,  and 
is  now  a  mile  distant  from  the  ruins.  A  growth  of  timber 
covers  the  intervening  land,  where  less  than  a  century  ago 
swept  the  mighty  current  of  the  Father  of  Waters. 

UNDER   FRENCH   RULE. 

During  the  few  years  immediately  succeeding  the  comple- 
tion of  Fort  Chartres,  prosperity  prevailed  in  the  settlements 
between  the  Kaskaskia  and  the  Miss'ssippi  rivers.  Prairie 
du  Rocher,  founded  about  the  year  1722,  received  consider- 
able accessions  to  its  population.  Among  the  earliest  French 
settlers  to  make  their  homes  here  were  Etienne  Langlois, 
Jean  Baptiste  Blais,  Jean  Baptiste  Barbeaux,  Antoine 
Louvier,  acd  the  La  Compte  and  other  families,  whose  de- 
scendants are  still  found  in  that  locality.  New  settlements 
sprang  up,  and  the  older  ones  increased  in  population.  At 
Kaskaskia,  the  Jesuits  established  a  monastery,  and  founded 
a  college.  In  1725  the  village  became  an  incorporated  town, 
and  the  king,  Louis  XV.,  granted  the  inhabitants  a  com- 
mons. The  Bottom  land,  extending  upward  along  the  Mis- 
sissippi, unsurpassed  for  the  richness  of  its  soil,  was  in  the 
process  of  being  rapidly  settled  by  the  larger  number  of  new 
arrivals  in  the  colony.  Fort  Chartres,  the  seat  of  govern- 
ment and  the  headquarters  of  the  commandment  of  Upper 
Louisiana,  attracted  a  wealthy,  and  for  Illinois,  a  fashionable 
population. 

After  having  been  fourteen  years  under  the  government 


of  the  Western  Company,  in  April,  1732,.  the  king  issued  a 
proclamation  by  which  Louisiana  was  declared  free  to  all  hU 
subjects,  and  all  restrictions  on  commerce  were  removed. 
At  this  time  many  flourishing  settlements  had  sprung  up  in 
Illinois,  centering  about  Kaskaskia, and  the  inhabitants  were 
said  to  be  more  exclusively  devoted  to  agriculture  than  in 
any  other  of  the  French  settlements  in  the  West. 

M.  D'Artaguette,  in -1732,  became  commandant  of  Fort 
!  Chartres,  and  Governor  of  Upper  Louisiana.  Between  New 
i  Orleans  and  Kaskaskia  the  country  was  yet  a  wilderness. 
j  Communication  by  way  of  the  Mississippi  was  interrupted 
by  the  Chickasaws,  allies  of  the  English  and  enemies  of 
France,  whose  cedar  barks  shooting  boldly  out  into  the  cur- 
rent of  the  Mississippi,  cut  off  the  connection  between  the 
two  colonies.  It  was  in  an  attempt  to  subdue  these  that 
M.  D'Artaguette,  the  commandant,  lost  h;s  life.  An  officer 
arrived  at  Fort  Chartres  from  M.  Prerrier,  Governor-General 
at  New  Orleans,  in  the  year  1736,  summoning  M.  D'Arta- 
guette, with  his  French  soldiers,  and  all  the  Indians  whom 
he  could  induce  to  join  him,  to  unite  in  an  expedition  against 
the  enemy.  With  an  army  of  fifty  Frenchmen,  and  more 
than  one  thousand  Indians  accompanied-  by  Father  Senat 
and  the  gallant  Vincennes,  commandant  of  the  post  on  the 
Wabash,  where  now  stands  the  city  bearing  his  name, 
D'Artaguette  stole  cautiously  in  the  Chickasaw  country. 
!  His  Indian  allies  were  impatient,  and  the  commander  con- 
i  sented,  against  his  better  judgment,  to  an  immediate  attack. 
One  fort  was  carried — another — and  then  in  making  the  as- 
sault on  the  third,  the  young  and  intrepid  D'Artaguette  fell 
at  the  head  of  his  forces,  pierced  with  wounds.  The  Indian 
allies  made  this  reverse  the  signal  for  their  flight.  The 
Jesuit  Senat  might  have  fled,  Vincennes  might  have  saved 
his  life,  but  both  preferred  to  share  the  fate  of  their  leader. 
The  captives  afterward  met  death  at  the  stake  under  the  slow 
torments  of  fire. 

La  Buissoniere  succeeded  as  commandant  at  Fort  Chartres. 
In  1739  a  second  expedition  was  undertaken  against  the 
Chickasaw  country.     La  Buissoniere  joined  Bienville,  then 
;   Governor-General  of  Louisiana,  with  a  force  of  two  hundred 
!    Frenchmen  and  three  hundred  Indians.     The  whole  force 
I   under  Bienville  was  twelve  hundred  French  and  five  hun- 
j   dred  Indians  and  negroes.     His  men  suffered  greatly  from 
malarial   fevers   and   famine,  and    returned   the  following 
spring  without  conquering  the  Chickasaws,  with  whom  after- 
ward, however,  amicable  relations  were  established. 

The  period  from  1740  to  1750  was  one  of  great  prosperity 
for  the  colonies.  Cotton  was  introduced  and  cultivated. 
Regular  cargoes  of  pork,  flour,  bacon,  tallow,  hides  and 
leather,  were  fl  >ated  down  the  Mississippi,  and  exported 
thence  to  France.  Frsnch  emigrant*  poured  rapidly  into 
the  settlements.  Canadians  exchanged  the  cold  rigors  of 
their  climate  for  the  sunny  atmosphere  and  rich  soil  of  the 
new  country.  Peace  and  plenty  blessed  the  settlements. 

La  Buissoniere  was  followed,  in  1750,  by  Chevalier  Ma- 
carty  as  Governor  of  Upper  Louisiana,  and  Commandant  of 
Fort  Chartres.  Peace  was  soon  to  be  broken.  The  French 
and  English  war,  which  terminated  in  1759  with  the  defeat 
of  Montcalm  on  the  plains  of  Abraham,  and  the  capturo  of 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  W ABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


Quebec,  began  with  a  struggle  for  the  territory  on  the  Upper 
Ohio.  Fort  Chartres  was  the  depot  of  supplies  and  the  place 
of  rendezvous  for  the  united  forces  of  Louisiana,  and  several 
expeditions  were  fitted  out  and  dispatched  to  the  scene  of  con- 
flict on  the  border  between  the  French  and  English  settle- 
ments. But  France  was  vanquished  in  the  struggle,  and  its 
result  deprived  her  of  her  princely  possessions  east  of  the 
Mississippi. 

CHARACTER  OF   THE   EARLY    FRENCH   SETTLERS. 

The  early  French  inhabitants  were  well  adapted  by  their 
peculiar  traits  of  character  for  intercourse  with  their  savage 
neighbors  of  the  forest,  with  whom  they  lived  on  terms  of 
peace  and  friendship.  For  this  reason,  the  French  colonists 
almost  entirely  escaped  the  Indian  hostilities  by  which  the 
English  settlements  were  repressed  and  weakened.  The 
freest  communication  existed  between  the  two  races.  They 
stood  on  a  footing  of  equality.  The  Indian  was  cordially 
received  in  the  French  village,  and  the  Frenchman  found  a 
safe  resting-place  in  the  Iodg3  of  the  savage.  In  see  ies  of 
social  pleasure,  in  expeditions  to  remote  rivers  and  distant 
forests,  in  the  ceremonies  and  exercises  of  the  church,  the 
red  men  were  treated  as  brothers,  and  the  accident  of  race 
and  color  was  made  as  little  a  mark  of  distinction  as  possi- 
ble. Frequent  intermarriages  of  the  French  with  the  In- 
dians strongly  cemented  this  union.  For  nearly  a  hundred 
years  the  French  colonists  enjoyed  continual  peace,  while  the 
English  settlements  on  the  Atlantic  coast  were  in  a  state  of 
almost  constant  danger  from  savage  depredations. 

It  was  doubtless  greatly  owing  to  the  peculiar  facility  with 
which  the  French  temperament  adapted  itself  to  surround- 
ings, and  the  natural  address  with  which  Frenchmen  ingra- 
tiated themselves  in  the  favor  of  the  savages,  that  this  happy 
condition  of  affairs  existed.  But  something  must  be  ascribed 
to  the  differences  of  character  between  the  French  and  Eng- 
lish in  regard  to  their  aggressiveness.  The  English  colonists 
excited  the  jealousy  and  fear  of  the  Indians  by  their  rapid 
occupation  of  the  country.  New  settlements  were  constantly 
being  projected,  and  the  white  population  pushed  farther 
and  farther  into  the  wilderness.  When  the  Indians  saw 
their  favorite  haunts  broken  up,  and  their  hunting  grounds 
invaded,  a  natural  feeling  of  distrust  and  jealousy  led  them 
to  warfare  against  the  English.  With  the  French  it  was 
different.  There  was  but  little  disposition  to  found  new 
settlements,  or  occupy  the  wilderness.  They  were  essentially 
a  social  people,  and  the  solitary  life  of  a  pioneer  in  the  forest 
was  repugnant  to  their  disposition.  They  lived  in  compact 
villages.  Their  houses  were  in  close  proximity.  With 
abundant  room  for  spacious  streets,  they  yet  made  them  BO 
narrow  that  the  merry  villagers  could  converse  with  ease 
across  the  street,  each  from  his  own  cottage.  Hunting  was 
a  favorite  pursuit,  and  the  chief  means  of  support.  With 
this  mode  of  life  the  French  were  content.  Ambition  failed 
to  incite  them  to  conquer  the  wilderness,  and  push  their  set- 
tlements to  unknown  regions,  and  avarice  was  wanting  to 
lead  them  to  grasp  after  great  possessions.  The  development 
of  the  "territorial  paradise,"  as  La  Salle  had  called  the  re- 
gion through  which  he  passed  on  his  first  voyage  down  the 
Mississippi,  was  to  be  accomplished  by  another  race. 


A   POSSESSION   OF   GREAT   BRITAIN. 

By  the  treaty  of  Fountainbleau,1762,  the  vast  possessions 
of  France,  east  of  the  Mississippi,  with  the  exception  of  the 
island  of  New  Orleans,  passed  under  British  control.  Fort 
Chartres  and  the  other  Illinois  posts  were  surrounded  by  an 
impenetrable  barrier  of  hostile  savages,  friends  to  the  French 
|  and  enemies  to  the  English,  and  the  French  officers  were 
authorized  t)  retain  command  until  it  was  found  pos.-ible  for 
the  English  to  take  possession.  M.  Neyon  de  Villicrs  was 
commandant  of  Fort  Chartres,  and  upon  his  retiring  in  1764, 
St.  Ange  d'Bellerive  took  upon  himself  the  duties  of  that 
position.  It  was  the  time  of  Pontiac's  conspiracy,  when  the 
Indian  tribes,  inflamed  by  the  savage  spirit  of  that  warrior, 
were  precipitating  themselves  on.  the  English  settlements 
from  Canada  to  Carolina.  The  French  commandant  of  Fort 
Chartres  was  besieged  for  arms  and  ammunition  to  be  used 
against  the  English.  The  French  flag  was  still  flying  over 
the  Fort,  and  the  fact  of  the  territory  having  been  ceded  to 
Great  Britain  was  not  generally  known  except  to  those  in 
authority.  The  commandant  was  visited  by  embassies  from 
the  Illinois,  the  Delawares,  Shawnees  and  Miamis,  and 
finally  Pontiac  himself,  at  the  head  of  four  hundred  warriors, 
entered  the  council  hall.  St.  Ange  d  Bellerive,  unable  to 
furnish  arms,  offered  instead  his  good  will.  The  reply  was 
received  with  dissatisfaction.  The  Indians  pitched  their 
lodges  about  the  Fort,  and  for  a  time  an  attack  was  seriously 
apprehended.  Finally  Pontiac  dispatched  a  chosen  band  of 
warriors  to  New  Orleans  to  obtain  from  the  Governor  there 
the  assistance  St.  Ange  refused  to  grant. 

Pontiac  was  killed  a  few  years  after.  Disappointed  by 
the  failure  of  his  plans  against  the  English,  he  retired  to  the 
solitude  of  the  forests.  In  the  year  1769,  he  suddenly  made 
his  appearance  in  the  neighborhood  of  St.  Louis.  Arrayed 
in  the  French  uniform  given  him  by  the  Marquis  Montcalm 
a  short  time  previous  to  the  latter's  death  on  the  Plains  of 
Abraham,  he  visited  St.  Ange  d'Bellerive,  who  at  that  time 
had  removed  from  Fort  Chartres  to  St.  Louis,  where  he  had 
become  one  of  the  principal  inhabitants  and  commandant  of 
the  Spanish  garrison.  While  at  St.  Louis,  he  crossed  the 
Mississippi  to  attend  a  social  gathering  of  Indians  at  Cahokia. 
Becoming  intoxicated  he  started  to  the  neighboring  woods, 
when  an  Indian  of  the  Kaskaskia  tribe,  bribed  by  an  Eng- 
lish trader  with  a  barrel  of  whiskey,  stole  up  behind  him  and 
buried  a  tomahawk  in  the  brain  of  the  renowned  warrior. 
St.  Ange  procured  the  body,  and  buried  it  with  all  the  honors 
of  war  near  the  fort  under  his  command  in  St.  Louis.  The 
tramp  of  a  great  city  now  sweeps  over  his  grave. 

Two  attempts,  on  the  part  of  the  English,  to  take  posses- 
sion of  Illinois  and  Fort  Chartres,  had  been  made  by  way  of 
the  Mississippi,  but  hostile  Indians  on  the  banks  of  the  river 
had  driven  back  the  expeditions.  Meantime  a  hundred 
Highlanders  of  the  Forty-second  Regiment,  those  veterans 
"  whose  battle  cry  had  echoed  over  the  bloodiest  fields  of 
America,''  had  left  Fort  Pitt,  now  Pittsburg,  and  descending 
the  Ohio,  appeared  before  Fort  Chartres  while  the  forests 
were  yet  rich  with  the  varied  hues  of  autumn.  St.  Ange 
yielded  up  the  citadel.  It  was  on  the  tenth  day  of  October, 
17(55,  that  the  ensign  of  France  on  the  ramparts  of  the  Fort 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


gave  place  to  the  flag  of  Great  Britain.  Kaskaskia  had  now 
been  founded  more  than  three-fourths  of  a  century. 

Ou  the  surrender  of  Fort  Chartres,  St.  Ange  with  his  gar- 
rison of  twenty-one  soldiers  retired  from  the  country,  and 
became  commandant  at  St.  Louis,  an  infant  settlement  just 
founded.  A  large  number  of  the  French  residents  of  Kas- 
kaskia and  other  settlements  refused  to  live  under  English 
rule.  Many  of  the  wealthiest  families  left  the  country ;  some 
removed  across  the  Mississippi,  to  the  small  village  of  Ste. 
Genevieve,  under  the  impression  that  on  the  west  bank  of  the 
Mississippi  they  would  still  find  a  home  under  the  govern- 
ment of  France,  while  in  truth  that  territory  had  been  ceded 
to  Spain  by  a  secret  treaty  in  1762.  Others  joined  in  found- 
ing the  city  of  St.  Louis.  The  French  settlements  in  Illinois, 
at  a  period  immediately  preceding  this  date,  were  at  the 
zenith  of  their  prosperity.  From  that  day  the  French  in- 
habitants have  declined  in  numbers  and  influence.  In  17C5, 
the  population  -of  the  Illinois  settlements  was  computed  as 
follows :  White  men  able  to  bear  arms,  seven  hundred ;  white 
women,  five  hundred ;  white  children,  eight  hundred  and 
fifty ;  negroes,  nine  hundred ;  total,  two  thousand  nine  hun- 
dred and  fifty.  One-third  of  the  whites,  and  a  still  larger 
proportion  of  the  blacks,  removed  on  the  British  taking  pos- 
session. A  population  of  less  than  two  thousand  remained. 
Few  English,  or  Americans,  with  the  exception  of  the  British 
troops,  were  in  the  country. 

Captain  Stirling,  who  now  had  command  of  the  Fort,  issued 
a  proclamation  guaranteeing  the  inhabitants  the  liberty  of 
the  Catholic  faith,  permission  to  retire  from  the  country,  and 
enjoyment  of  their  full  rights  and  privileges,  only  requiring 
an  oath  of  fidelity  and  obedience  to  His  Majesty,  the  English 
King.  Captain  Stirling  died  some  three  months  after  his 
arrival.  In  the  period  that  elapsed  before  the  coming  of  his 
successor,  St.  Ange  d'Bollerive  returned  from  St.  Louis,  and 
discharged  the  duties  of  commandant.  Major  Frazier,  from 
Fort  Pitt,  exercised  for  a  time  an  arbitrary  power,  and  his 
successor,  Col.  Reed,  proved  still  worse.  He  held  the  office 
eighteen  months,  and  during  that  time  aroused  the  hatred  of 
the  settlements  by  his  oppressive  measures.  Lieutenant  Colo- 
nel Wilkins  assumed  command  in  17G8. 

Captain  Pitman,  to  whose  book  on  "  The  Present  State  of 
the  European  Settlements  on  the  Mississippi "  reference  has 
already  been  made,  gives  the  following  description  of  Kas- 
kaskia, as  it  appeared  in  1766. 

The  vi'lage  of  Notre  Dame  de  Cascasquias  is  by  far  the 
most  considerable  settlement  in  the  country  of  the  Illinois, 
as  well  from  its  number  of  inhabitants  as  from  its  advan- 
tageous situation. 

"  Mons.  Paget  was  the  first  who  introduced  water  mills  in 
this  country,  and  he  constructed  a  very  fine  one  on  the  river 
Cascasquias,  which  was  both  for  grinding  corn  and  sawing 
boards.  It  lies  about  one  mile  from  the  village.  The  mill 
proved  fatal  to  him,  being  killed  as  he  was  working 
it,  with  two  negroes,  by  a  party  of  Cherokees,  in  the 
year  1764. 

"  The  principal  buildings  are  the  church  and  the  Jesuits' 
house,  which  has  a  small  chapel  adjoining  it;  these,  as  well 
as  some  of  tho  other  houses  in  the  village,  arc  built  of  stone, 


and,  considering  this  part  of  the  world,  make  a  very  good 
appearance.  The  Jesuits'  plantation  consisted  of  240  arpents 
(an  arpent  is  85-100  of  an  acre)  of  cultivated  land,  a  very 
good  stock  of  cattle,,  and  a  brewery  which  was  sold  by  the 
French  commandant,  after  the  country  was  ceded  to  tho 
English,  for  the  crown,  in  consequence  of  the  suppression  of 
the  order. 

"  Mons.  Beauvais  wa^  tiio  purchaser,  who  is  the  richest  of 
the  English  subjects  in  this  country;  he  keeps  eighty  slaves; 
he  furnishes  86,000  weight  of  flour  to  the  King's  magazine, 
which  was  only  part  of  the  harvest  he  reaped  in  one  year. 
Sixty-five  families  reside  in  this  village,  besides  merchants, 
other  casual  people,  and  slaves.  The  fort  which  was  burnt 
down  in  October,  1766,  stood  on  the  summit  of  a  high  rock 
opposite  the  village  and  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  river. 
It  was  an  oblong  quadrangle,  of  which  the  extreme  polygon 
measured  290  by  251  feeL  It  was  built  of  very  thick  square 
timber,  and  dove-tailed  at  the  angles.  An  officer  and  twenty 
soldiers  are  quartered  in  the  village.  The  officer  governs 
the  inhabitants  under  the  direction  of  the  commandant  at 
Fort  Chartres.  Here  are  also  two  companies  of  militia." 

Of  Prairie  du  Rocher,  Pitman  writes  that  "  it  is  a  small 
village,  consisting  of  twenty-two  dwelling-houses,  all  of  which 
are  inhabited  by  as  many  families.  Here  is  a  little  chapel, 
formerly  a  chapel  of  ease  to  the  church  at  Fort  Chartres. 
The  inhabitants  are  very  industrious,  and  raise  a  great  deal 
of  com  and  every  kind  of  stock.  The  village  is  two  miles 
from  Fort  Chartres.  It  takes  its  name  from  its  situation, 
being  built  under  a  rock  that  runs  parallel  with  the  Missis- 
sippi river  at  a  league  distance,  for  forty  miles  up.  Here  is 
a  company  of  militia,  the  captain  of  which  regulates  the 
police  of  the  village. " 

In  describing  the  distance  from  Fort  Chartres,  the  author, 
doubtless,  refers  to  Little  Village,  which  was  a  mile  or  more 
nearer  than  Prairie  du  Rocher.  The  writer  goes  on  to  de- 
scribe "Saint  Philippe"  as  a  "small  village  about  five  miles 
from  Fort  Chartres  on  the  road  to  Kaoquias.  There  are 
about  sixteen  houses  and  a  small  church  standing ;  all  of  tho 
inhabitants,  except  the  captain  of  the  militia,  deserted  in 
1765,  and  went  to  the  French  side  (Missouri )  The  captain 
of  the  militia  has  about  twenty  slaves,  a  good  stock  of  cattle, 
and  a  water  mill  for  corn  and  planks.  The  village  stands 
on  a  very  fine  meadow  about  one  mile  from  the  Mis- 
sissippi. 

From  the  same  authority  we  learn  that  the  soil  of  the 
country  is  in  general  rich  and  luxuriant.  It  was  favorably 
adapted  to  the  production  of  all  kinds  of  European  grains 
which  grew  side  by  side  with  hops,  hemp,  flax,  cotton  and 
tobacco.  European  fruits  arrived  to  great  perfection.  Of 
the  wild  grapes  a  wine  was  made,  very  inebriating,  and  in 
color  and  taste  much  like  the  red  wine  of  Provcac?.  In  tho 
late  wars,  New  Orleans  and  the  lower  parts  of  Louisiana 
were  supplied  with  flour,  baef,  wines,  hams,  and  other  pro- 
visions, from  this  country.  At  present,  its  commerce  is 
mostly  confined  to  the  peltry  and  furs  which  are  got  in  traf- 
fic from  the  Indians ;  for  which  are  received  in  turn  such 
European  commodities  as  arc  necessary  to  carry  on  that  com- 
merce and  the  support  of  its  inhabitants." 


92 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  W ABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


CONQUEST    BY    CLARKE. 

On  the  breaking  out  of  the  War  of  the  Revolution,  it  is 
probable  that  the  British  garrison  (removed  in  1772  from 
Fort  Chartres  to  Fort  Gage,  opposite  Kaskaskia,)  had  been 
withdrawn.  Illinois  was  remote  from  the  theatre  of  action, 
and  the  colonists  were  little  disturbed  by  the  rumors  of  war 
which  came  from  the  Atlantic  coast.  The  French  inhabitants 
were  rather  in  sympathy  with  the  Americans  than  the  Eng- 
lish, but  probably  understood  little  of  the  nature  of  the 
struggle.  Illinois  belonged  to  the  jurisdiction  of  Virginia. 
George  Rogers  Clarke,  who  visited  Kentucky  in  1775,  seems 
to  have  been  the  first  to  comprehend  the  advantages  which 
would  result  from  the  occupation  of  Illinois  by  the  Ameri- 
cans. He  visited  Virginia,  where  he  laid  his  plans  before 
Patrick  Henry,  the  Governor  of  the  State.  Clarke  received 
his  instructions,  January,  1778,  and  the  following  month  set 
out  for  Pittsburg  His  instructions  were  to  raise  seven  com- 
panies of  men,  but  he  could  only  succeed  in  enlisting  four 
commanded  by  Captains  Montgomery,  Bowman,  Helm,  and 
Harrod.  On  Corn  Island,  opposite  Louisville,  on  the  Ohio, 
Clarke  announced  his  destination  to  the  men.  At  the  mouth 
of  the  Tennessee,  a  man  named  John  Duff  was  encountered, 
with  a  party  of  hunters,  who  had  recently  visited  Kaskaskia, 
and  also  brought  the  intelligence  that  one  Rocheblave,  a 
French  Canadian,  was  in  command  at  that  point,  that  he 
kept  the  militia  well  drilled,  and  that  sentinels  were  posted 
to  watch  for  the  "  Long  Knives,"  as  the  Virginians  were 
called,  of  whom  the  inhabitants  were  in  terror.  Securing  his 
boats  near  Fort  Massacre  (or  Massac,)  Clarke  undertook  the 
journey  across  the  country,  one  hundred  and  twenty  miles, 
to  Kaskaskia.  It  was  accomplished  with  difficulty.  On  the 
afternoon  of  the  fourth  of  July,  1778,  the  exhausted  band  of 
invaders  came  to  the  vicinity  of  Kaskaskia,  and  concealed 
themselves  in  the  hills  to  the  east  of  the  town.  After  dark 
Clarke  proceeded  to  the  old  ferry-house,  three-fourths  of  a 
mile  above  the  village,  and  at  midnight  addressed  his  troops 
on  the  banks  of  the  river.  He  divided  his  force  into  three 
parties.  Two  were  to  cross  to  the  west  side  of  the  river,  and 
enter  the  town  from  different  quarters.  The  third,  under  the 
direction  of  Clarke  himself,  was  to  capture  the  fort  on  the 
east  side.  Kaskaskia  at  that  time  was  a  village  of  about  two  j 
hundred  and  fifty  houses.  The  British  commander  last  in  j 
charge  had  instilled  in  the  minds  of  the  people  the  impres-  ! 
sion  that  the  Virginians,  otherwise  the  "  Long  Knives,"  were  I 
a  ferocious  band  of  murderers,  plundering  houses,  slaughter-  ! 
ing  women  and  children,  and  committing  acts  of  great  atro-  j 
city.  Clarke  determined  to  take  advantage  of  this,  and  so  j 
surprise  the  inhabitants  by  fear  as  to  induce  them  to  submit  | 
without  resistance.  Clarke  effected  an  entrance  to  the  fort 
without  difficulty.  The  other  parties  at  a  given  signal  en-  | 
tered  Kaskaskia  at  the  opposite  extremities,  and  with  terri- 
ble outcries  and  hideous  noises,  aroused  the  terrified  inhabi- 
tants, who  shrieked  in  their  alarm,  "The  Long  Knives!' 
" The  Long  Kuives  are  here!"  The  panic  stricken  towns-  j 
men  delivered  up  their  arms,  and  the  victory  was  accom-  \ 
plished  without  the  shedding  of  a  drop  of  blood.  M.  Roche- 
blave, the  British  commandant,  was  unconscious  of  the  pres- 
ence of  the  enemy,  till  an  officer  of  the  detachment  entered 


his  bed-chamber,  and  claimed  him  as  a  prisoner.  '  In  accord- 
ance with  his  original  plan  of  conquering  the  inhabitants  by 
terror,  and  then  afterward  winning  their  regard  and  grati- 
tude by  his  clemency,  Clarke,  the  next  day,  withdrew  hia 
forces  from  the  town,  and  sternly  forbade  all  communication 
between  it  and  his  soldiers.  Some  of  the  principal  militia 
officers,  citizens  of  the  town,  were  next  put  in  irons.  The 
terror  now  reached  its  height.  The  priest,  and  a  deputation 
of  five  or  six  elderly  men  of  the  villige,  called  on  Clarke, 
and  humbly  requested  permission  to  assemble  in  the  church, 
to  take  leave  of  each  other  and  commend  their  future  lives 
to  the  protection  of  a  merciful  Gjd,  since  they  expected  to 
be  separated,  perhaps  never  to  meet  again.  Clarke  gruffly 
granted  the  privilege.  The  whole  population  convened  at 
the  church,  and  after  remaining  together  a  long  time,  the 
priest  and  a  few  others  again  waited  upon  the  commander  of 
the  American  forces,  presenting  thanks  for  the  privilege  they 
had  enjoyed,  and  desiring  to  know  what  fate  awaited 
them. 

Clarke  now  determined  to  lift  them  from  their  despair,  and 
win  their  gratitude  by  a  show  of  mercy.  "  What!"  said  he; 
"  do  you  take  us  for  savages  ?  Do  you  think  Americans  will 
strip  women  and  children,  and  take  bread  from  their  mouths? 
My  countrymen  disdain  to  make  war  on  helpless  innocents." 
He  further  reminded  them  that  the  King  of  France,  their 
former  ruler,  was  an  ally  of  the  Americans,  and  now  fighting 
their  cause.  He  told  them  to  embrace  the  side  they  deemed 
best,  and  they  should  be  respected  in  the  enjoyment  of  their 
liberty  and  the  rights  of  property. 

The  revulsion  of  feeling  was  complete.  The  good  news 
spread  throughout  the  village.  The  church-bell  rang  a 
merry  peal,  and  the  delighted  inhabitants  gathered  at  the 
chapel,  where  thanks  were  offered  to  God  for  their  happy 
and  unexpected  deliverance.  The  loyalty  of  the  inhabitants 
was  assured,  and  ever  after  they  remained  faithful  to  the 
American  cause.  The  French  inhabitants  of  Kaskaskia 
were  readily  reconciled  to  a  change  of  government.  In 
October,  1778,  the  Virginia  Assembly  erected  the  conquered 
'territory  into  the  County  of  Illinois.  This  County  embraced 
all  the  region  north-west  of  Ohio,  and  five  large  states  have 
since  been  formed  from  it.  Colonel  Clarke  was  appointed 
military  commander  of  all  the  western  territory  north  and 
south  of  the  Ohio,  and  Colonel  John  Todd,  one  of  Clarke's 
soldiers,  who  next  to  Clarke  had  been  the  first  man  to  enter 
Fort  Gage,  was  appointed  lieutenant-commander  of  Illinois. 
In  the  spring  of  1779,  Colonel  Todd  visited  Kaskaskia,  and 
made  arrangements  for  the  organization  of  a  temporary 
government.  Many  of  the  French  inhabitants  of  Kaskaskia, 
Prairie  du  Rocher,  and  the  other  settlements,  readily  took 
the  oath  of  allegiance  to  Virginia.  Colonel  Todd  was  killed 
at  the  famous  battle  of  Blue  Licks,  in  Kentucky  August, 
1782,  and  Timothy  deMontbrun,  a  Frenchman,  succeeded 
him  as  commandant  of  Illinois  County.  Of  his  administra- 
tion but  little  is  known. 

THE  "COMPACT  OF  1787." 

In  1632  Illinoi?  became  a  possession  of  the  French  crown, 
a  dependency  of  Canada,  and  a  part  of  Louisiana.  In  17C5 
the  English  flag  was  run  up  on  old  Fort  Chartres,  and 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARD,  LAWRENCE  AND   WARASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


Illinois  was  counted  among  the  treasures  of  Great  Britain. 
In  1779  it  was  taken  from  the  English  by  Col.  George 
Rogers  Clark :  this  man  was  resolute  in  nature,  wise  in  coun- 
cil, prudent  in  policy,  bold  in  action,  and  heroic  in  danger. 
Few  men  who  have  figured  in  the  early  history  of  America 
are  more  deserving  than  he.  Nothing  short  of  first-class 
ability  could  have  rescued  "  Vincins  "  and  all  Illinois  from 
the  English,  and  it  is  not  possible  to  over-estimate  the  in- 
fluence of  this  achievement  upon  the  republic.  In  1779, 
Illinois  became  a  part  of  Virginia.  It  was  soon  known  as 
Illinois  county.  In  1784  Virginia  ceded  all  this  territory 
to  the  general  government  to  be  cut  into  states,  to  be  republi- 
can in  form,  with  "  the  same  right  of  sovereignty,  freedom 
and  independence  as  the  other  states." 

In  1787  it  was  the  object  of  the  wisest  and  ablest  legisla- 
tion found  in  any  merely  human  records.  No  man  can 
study  the  secret  history  of  The  Compact  of  1787  and  not 
feel  that  Providence  was  guiding  with  sleepless  eyes  these 
unborn  states.  The  ordinance  that  on  July  13, 1787,  finally 
became  the  incorporating  act,  has  a  most  marvelous  history. 
Jefferson  had  vainly  tried  to  secure  a  system  of  government 
for  the  north-western  territory.  He  was  an  emancipationist 
of  that  day,  and  favored  the  exclusion  of  slavery  from  the 
territory  Virginia  had  ceded  to  the  general  government, 
but  the  south  voted  him  down  as  often  as  it  came  up.  In 
1787,  as  late  as  July  10,  an  organizing  act  without  the 
anti-slavery  clause  was  pending.  This  concession  to  the  south 
•was  expected  to  carry  it  Congress  was  in  session  in  New 
York  city.  Oi  July  5,  Rev.  Dr.  Manasseh  Cutler,  of 
Massachusetts,  came  into  New  York  to  lobby,  on  the  north- 
western territory.  Everything  seemed  to  fall  into  his  hands. 
Events  were  ripe :  the  state  of  the  public  credit,  the  growing  of 
southern  prejudice,  the  basis  of  his  mission,  his  personal 
character,  all  combined  to  complete  one  of  those  sudden  and 
marvelous  revolutions  of  public  sentiment  that  once  in  five 
or  ten  centuries  are  seen  to  sweep  over  a  country  like  the 
breath  of  the  Almighty.  Cutler  was  a  remarkable  man  ;  a 
graduate  of  Yale,  he  had  studied  and  taken  degrees  in  the 
three  learned  professions,  law,  divinity  and  medicine,  Har- 
vard had  given  him  his  A.  M.,  and  Yale  had  honored  herself 
by  adding  his  D.  D.  He  had  thus  America's  best  literary 
indorsement.  He  had  published  a  scientific  examination  of 
the  plants  of  New  England.  His  name  stood  second  only  to 
that  of  Franklin  as  a  scientist  in  America.  He  was  a  courtly 
gentleman  of  the  old  style,  a  man  of  commanding  presence, 
and  of  inviting  face.  The  southern  members  were  captivated 
by  his  genial  manners,  rare  and  profound  abilities.  He 
came  representing  a  company  that  desired  to  purchase  a 
tract  of  land  now  included  in  Ohio,  for  the  purpose  of  plant- 
ing a  colony.  Government  money  was  worth  eighteen  cents 
on  the  dollar.  This  Massachusetts  company  had  collected 
enough  to  purchase  1,500,000  acres  of  land.  Other  specu- 
lators in  New  York  made  Dr.  Cutler  their  agent ;  on  the 
12th  he  represented  a  demand  for  5,500,000  acres.  This 
would  reduce  the  national  debt.  Jefferson  and  Virginia 
were  regarded  as  authority  concerning  the  land  Virginia 
had  just  ceded.  Jefferson's  policy  wanted  to  provide  for  the 
publio  credit,  and  this  was  a  good  opportunity  to  do  some- 


thing. Massachusetts  then  owned  the  territory  of  Maine, 
which  she  was  crowding  on  the  market.  She  was  opposed 
to  opening  the  north-western  region.  This  fired  the  zeal  of 
Virginia.  The  South  caught  the  inspiration,  and  all  exalted 
Dr.  Cutler.  The  English  Minister  invited  him  to  dine  with 
some  of  the  Southern  gentlemen.  He  was  the  centre  of  in- 
terest; the  entire  South  rallied  around  him.  Massachusetts 
could  not  vote  against  him,  because  many  of  the  constituents 
of  her  members  were  interested  personally  in  the  western 
speculation  ;  thus  Cutler,  making  friends  with  the  south,  and 
doubtless  using  all  the  arts  of  the  lobby,  was  enabled  to 
command  the  situation.  True  to  deeper  conviction,  he 
dictated  one  of  the  most  compact  and  finished  documents  of 
wise  statesmanship  that  ever  adorned  any  human  law  book ; 
he  borrowed  from  Jefferson  the  term  "  Articles  of  Compact," 
which  preceding  the  federal  constitution,  rose  into  the  most 
sacred  character.  He  then  followed  very  closely  the  constitu- 
tion of  Massachusetts,  adopted  three  years  before, — its  most 
marked  points  were : 

1st.  The  exclusion  of  slavery  from  the   territory  forever. 

2d.  Provision  for  public  schools,  giving  one  township  for 
a  seminary,  and  every  section  numbered  16  in  each  town- 
ship ;  that  is,  one  thirty-sixth  of  all  the  land  for  public 
schools. 

3d.  A  provision  prohibiting  the  adoption  of  any  consti- 
tution, or  the  enactment  of  any  law  that  should  nullify 
pre-existing  contracts. 

Be  it  forever  remembered  that  this  compact  declared 
that  "  Religion,  morality,  and  knowledge  being  necessary 
to  good  government  and  the  happiness  of  mankind,  schools 
and  means  of  education  shall  always  be  encouraged."  Dr. 
Cutler  planted  himself  on  this  platform  and  would  not  yield. 
Giving  his  unqualified  declaration  that  it  was  that  or  nothing 
— that  unless  they  could  make  the  land  desirable  they  did 
not  want  it — he  took  his  horse  and  gig  and  started  for  the 
Constitutional  Convention  in  Philadelphia.  On  July  13, 
1787,  the  bill  was  put  upon  its  passage,  and  was  unanimously 
adopted,  every  Southern  member  voting  for  it,  and  only  one 
man,  Mr.  Yates  of  New  York,  voting  against  it,  but  as  the 
States  voted  as  States,  Yates  lost  his  vote,  and  the  compact 
was  put  beyond  repeal.  Then  the  great  States  of  Ohio,  In- 
diana, Illinois,  Michigan,  and  Wisconsin — a  vast  empire, 
the  heart  of  the  great  valley — were  consecrated  to  freedom, 
intelligence,  and  honesty.  In  the  light  of  these  ninety-five 
years,  it  is  evident  to  all  that  this  act  was  the  salvation  of 
the  republic  and  the  destruction  of  slavery.  Soon  the  south 
saw  their  great  blunder,  and  tried  to  repeal  the  compact. 
In  1803  Congress  referred  it  to  a  committee,  of  which  John 
Randolph  was  chairman.  He  reported  that  this  ordinance 
was  a  compact,  and  opposed  repeal.  Thus  it  stood  a  rock 
in  the  way  of  the  on-rushing  sea  of  slavery.  With  all  this 
i  timely  aid  it  was,  after  all,  a  most  desperate  and  protracted 
!  struggle  to  keep  the  soil  of  Illinois  sacred  to  freedom.  It 
was  the  natural  baltlc  field  for  the  irrepressible  conflict.  In 
the  southern  end  of  the  State  slavery  preceded  the  compact. 
It  existed  among  the  old  French  settlers,  and  was  hard  to 
eradicate.  The  southern  part  of  the  State  was  settled  froni 
1  the  slave  States ;  and  this  population  brought  their  laws, 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  W ABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


customs,  and  institutions  with  them.  A  stream  of  popula- 
tion from  the  North  poured  into  the  northern  part  of  the 
State  These  sections  misunderstood  and  hated  each  other 
perfectly.  The  Southerners  regarded  the  Yankees  as  a  skin- 
ning, tricky,  penurious  race  of  peddlers,  filling  the  country 
with  tinware,  brass  clocks,  and  wooden  nutmegs.  The 
Northerner  thought  of  the  Southerner  as  a  lean,  lank,  lazy 
creature,  burrowing  in  a  hut,  and  rioting  in  whisky,  dirt 
and  ignorance.  These  causes  aided  in  making  the  struggle 
long  and  bitter.  So  strong  was  the  sympathy  with  slavery 
that  in  spite  of  the  ordinance  of  1787,  and  in  spite  of  the 
deed  of  cession,  it  was  determined  to  allow  the  old  French 
settlers  to  retain  their  slaves.  Planters  from  the  slave 
States  might  bring  their  slaves,  if  they  would  give  them  a 
chance  to  choose  freedom,  or  years  of  service  and  bondage 
for  their  children  till  they  should  become  thirty  years  of  age. 
If  they  chose  freedom  they  must  leave  the  State  in  sixty 
days  or  be  sold  as  fugitives.  Servants  were  whipped  for 
offences  for  which  white  men  are  fined  ;  each  lash  paid  forty 
cents  of  the  fine.  A  negro  ten  miles  from  home  without  a 
pass  was  whipped.  These  famous  laws  were  imported  from 
the  slave  States,  just  as  they  imported  laws  for  the  inspec- 
tion of  flax  and  wool  when  there  was  neither  in  the  State. 
These  black  laws  are  now  wiped  out.  A  vigorous  effort  was 
made  to  protect  slavery  in  the  State  Constitution  of  1818  ;  it 
barely  failed.  It  was  renewed  in  1826,  when  a  convention 
was  asked  to  make  a  new  constitution.  After  a  hard  fight  the 
convention  was  defeated ;  but  slaves  did  not  disappear  from 
the  census  of  the  State  until  1850.  There  were  mobs  and 
murders  in  the  interest  of  slavery.  Lovejoy  was  added  to 
the  list  of  martyrs— a  sort  of  first  fruits  of  that  long  line  of 
immortal  heroes  who  saw  freedom  a3  the  one  supreme  desire 
of  their  souls,  and  were  so  enamored  of  her  that  they  pre- 
ferred to  die  rather  than  survive  her. 

LAND   TENURES. 

The  early  French  settlers  held  the  possession  of  their  land 
in  common.  A  tract  of  land  was  fixed  upon  for  a  Common 
Field,  in  which  all  the  inhabitants  were  interested. 

Besides  the  Common  Field,  another  tract  of  land  was  laid 
off  on  the  Commons.  All  the  villagers  had  free  access  to 
this  as  a  place  of  pasturage  for  their  stock.  From  this  they 
also  drew  their  supply  of  fuel. 

Indiv  :dual  grants  were  likewise  made.  Under  the  French 
system,  the  lands  were  granted  without  any  equivalent  con- 
sideration in  the  way  of  money,  the  individuals  satisfying 
the  authorities  that  the  lands  were  wanted  for  actual  settle- 
ment, or  for  a  purpose  likely  to  benefit  the  community.  The 
fir.-t  grant  of  land,  which  is  preserved,  is  that  made  to  Charles 
Danie,  May  10th,  1722.  The  French  grants  at  Kaskaskia 
extended  from  river  to  river,  and  at  other  places  in  the  Bot- 
tom they  commonly  extended  from  river  to  bluff.  Grants  of 
land  were  made  for  almost  all  the  American  Bottom,  from 
the  upper  limits  of  the  Common  Field  of  St.  Phillip's  to 
the  lower  line  of  the  Kaskaskia  Common  Field,  a  distance 
of  nearly  thirty  miles. 

The  British  commandants,  who  assumed  the  government 
on  the  cession  of  the  territory  by  France,  exercised  the  pri- 


vilege of  making  grants,  subject  to  the  approval  of  his  Ma- 
jesty, the  King.  Colonel  Wilkins  granted  to  some  merchants 
of  Philadelphia  a  magnificent  domain  of  thirty  thousand 
acres  lying  between  the  village  of  Kaskaskia  and  Prairie  du 
Kocher,  much  of  it  already  coven  d  by  French  grants  pre- 
viously made.  For  the  better  carrying  out  their  plans,  the 
British  officers,  and  perhaps  their  grantees,  destroyed,  to 
some  extent,  the  records  of  the  ancient  French  grants  at 
Kaskaskia,  by  which  the  regular  claim  of  titles  and  convey- 
ances was  partly  broken.  This  British  grant  of  thirty 
thousand  acres,  which  had  been  assigned  to  John  Edgar, 
was  afterward  patented  by  Governor  St.  Clair  to  Edgar  and 
John  Murray  St.  Clair,  the  Governor's  son,  to  whom  Edgar 
had  previously  conveyed  a  moiety  by  deed.  Although  much 
fault  was  found  with  the  transaction,  a  confirmation  of  the 
grant  was  secured  from  the  United  States  government. 

When  Virginia  ceded  Illinois,  it  was  stipulated  that  the 
French  and  Canadian  inhabitants,  and  other  settlers,  who 
had  professed  allegiance  to  Virginia,  should  have  their 
titles  confirmed  to  them.  Congress  afterwards  authorized 
the  Governor  to  confirm  the  possessions  and  titles  of  the 
French  to  their  lands.  In  accordance  with  this  agreement, 
Governor  St.  Clair,  in  1790,  issued  a  proclamation  directing 
the  inhabitants  to  exhibit  their  titles  and  claims  of  the  lands 
which  they  held,  in  order  to  be  confirmed  in  their  possession. 
Where  the  instruments  were  found  to  be  authentic,  orders  of 
survey  were  issued,  the  expense  of  which  was  borne  by  the 
parties  who  claimed  ownership.  The  French  inhabitants 
were  in  such  poverty  at  this  time  that  they  were  really  una- 
ble to  pay  the  expenses  of  the  surveys,  and  a  memorial 
signed  by  P.  Gibault,  the  priest  at  Kaskaskia,  and  eighty- 
seven  others,  was  presented  to  Governor  St.  Clair,  praying 
him  to  petition  Congress  for  relief  in  the  matter.  In  1791, 
Congress  directed  that  four  hundred  acres  of  land  should  be 
granted  to  the  head  of  every  family  which  had  made  improve- 
ments in  Illinois  prior  to  the  year  1788.  Congress  had  also 
directed  that  a  donation  be  given  to  each  of  the  families  then 
living  at  either  of  the  villages  of  Kaskaskia,  Prairie  du 
Rocher,  Cahokia,  Fort  Chartres,  or  St.  Phillips.  These  were 
known  as  the  "  bead-right "  claims. 

At  an  early  date,  speculation  became  active  in  the  land 
claims  of  different  kinds;  bead-rights,  improvement  rights, 
militia  right',  and  fraudulent  claims  were  produced  in  greet 
numbers.  The  French  claims  were  partly  unconfirmed, 
owing  to  the  poverty  of  that  people,  and  these  were  forced 
on  the  market  with  the  others.  Tne  official  report  of  the 
commissioners  at  Kaskaskia,  made  in  1810,  shows  that  eight 

|  hundred  and  ninety  land  claims  were  rejected  as  being  ille- 
gal or  fraudulent.  Three  hundred  and  seventy  were 
reported  as  being  supported  by  perjury,  and  a  considerable 

j  number  were  forged.  There  are  fourteen  names  given  of 
persons,  both  English  and  French,  who  made  it  a  regular 
business  to  furnish  sworn  certificates,  professing  an  intimate 
knowledge,  in  every  case,  of  the  settlers  who  had  made  cer- 
tain improvements  upon  which  claims  were  predicated  and 
when  and  where  they  were  located.  A  Frenchman,  clerk 
of  the  parish  of  Prairie  du  Rocher,  "  without  property  and 
fond  of  liquor,"  after  having  given  some  two  hundred  -depo- 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


sitions  iii  favor  of  three  land  claimant  speculators,  "  was 
induced,''  in  the  language  of  the  report,  "  either  by  compen- 
sation, fear,  or  the  impossibility  of  obtaining  absolution  on 
any  o<her  terms,  to  declare  on  oath  that  the  said  depositions 
were  false,  and  that  in  giving  them  he  had  a  regard  for 
something  beyond  the  truth." 

The  report  of  the  commissioners  raised  many  doubts  in 
regard  to  the  validity  and  propriety  of  a  number  of  confir- 
mations by  the  Governors,  and  much  dissatisfaction  among 
the  claimants  ;  and  in  consequence,  Congress  in  1812,  passed 
an  act  for  the  revision  of  these  land  claims  in  the  Kaskaskia 
district.  The  commissioners  under  this  law  were  Michael 
Jones,  John  Caldwcll,  and  Thomas  Sloo.  Facts  damaging 
to  persons  who  occupied  positions  of  high  respectability  in 
the  community,  were  disclosed.  They  reported  that  the 
English  claim  of  thirty  thousand  acres  confirmed  by  Gover- 
nor St.  Clair  to  John  Edgar  and  the  Governor's  son,  John 
Murray  St.  Clair,  was  founded  in  neither  law  or  equity  ;  that 
the  patent  was  issued  after  the  Governor's  power  ceased  to 
exist,  and  the  claim  ought  not  to  be  confirmed.  Congress, 
however,  confirmed  it. 

For  a  period  of  several  years,  emigration  was  considerably 
retarded  by  the  delay  in  adjusting  laud  titles.  The  act  of 
Congress  passed  in  1813,  granting  the  right  of  pre-emption 
to  settlers,  was  influential  in  bringing  the  public  lands  into 
market.  Emigrants  poured  into  the  country,  and  improve- 
ments were  rapid'y  made. 

PHYSICAL   FEATURES   OF   THE   STATE. 

In  area  the  State  has  55,410  square  miles  of  territory.  It 
is  about  150  miles  wide  and  400  miles  long,  stretching  in 
latitude  from  Maine  to  North  Carolina  It  embraces  wide 
variety  of  climate.  It  is  tempered  on  the  north  by  the  great 
inland,  saltless,  tideless  sea,  which  helps  the  thermometer 
from  either  extreme.  Being  a  table-land,  from  690  to  1,600 
feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea,  one  is  prepared  to  find  on  the 
health  maps,  prepared  by  the  general  government,  an  almost 
clean  and  perfect  record.  In  freedom  from  fever  and  mala- 
rial diseases  and  consumptions,  the  three  deadly  enemies  of 
the  American  Saxon,  Illinois,  as  a  State,  stands  without  a 
superior,  '  She  furnishes  one  of  the  essential  conditions  of  a 
great  people — sound  bodies;  we  suspect  that  this  fact  lies 
back  of  that  old  Delaware  word,  Illini,  superior  men.  The 
great  battles  of  history  have  been  determinative;  dynasties  and 
destinies  have  been  strategical  battles,  chiefly  the  question  of 
position  ;  Thermopylae  has  been  the  war-cry  of  freemen  for 
twenty-four  centuries.  It  only  tells  how  much  there  may  be 
in  position.  All  this  advantage  belong  to  Illinois.  It  is  in 
the  heart  of  the  greatest  valley  in  the  world,  the  vast  region 
between  the  mountains — a  valley  that  could  feed  mankind 
for  a  thousand  years.  It  is  well  on  toward  the  centre  of  the 
continent.  It  is  in  the  great  temperate  belt,  in  which  have 
been  found  nearly  all  the  aggressive  civilizations  of  history. 
It  has  sixty-five  miles  of  frontage  on  the  head  of  Lake  Michi- 
gan. With  the  Mississippi  forming  the  western  and  south- 
ern boundary,  with  the  Ohio  running  along  the  south-eastern 
line,  with  the  Illinois  river  and  Canal  dividing  the  State 
diagonally  from  the  lake  to  the  Lower  Mississippi,  and  with 
the  Rock  and  Wabash  rivers  furnishing  altogether  2,000 


miles  of  water-front,  connecting  with,  and  running  through, 
in  all  about  12,000  miles  of  navigable  water.  But  this  is 
not  all.  These  waters  are  made  most  available  by  the  fact 
that  the  lake  and  the  State  lie  on  the  ridge  runnin<;  iuto  the 
great  valley  from  the  east.  Within  cannon-shot  of  the  lake 
the  water  runs  away  from  the  lake  to  the  gulf.  The  lake 
now  empties  at  both  ends,  one  into  the  Atlantic  and  one  into 
the  Gulf  of  Mexico.  The  lake  thus  seems  to  hang  over  the 
land.  This  makes  the  dockage  most  serviceable ;  there  are 
no  steep  banks  to  damage  it.  Both  lake  and  river  are  made 
for  use.  The  climate  varies  from  Portland  to  Richmond. 
It  favors  every  product  of  the  continent  including  the  tropics, 
with  less  than  half  a  dozen  exceptions.  It  produces  every 
great  nutriment  of  the  world  except  bananas  and  rice.  It 
is  hardly  too  much  to  say  that  it  is  the  most  productive  spot 
known  to  civilization.  With  the  soil  full  of  bread  and  the 
earth  full  of  minerals;  with  au  upper  surface  of  food  and  an 
under  layer  of  fuel;  with  perfect  natural  drainage,  and 
abundant  springs  and  streams  and  navigable  rivers;  half 
way  between  the  forests  of  the  North  and  the  fruits  of  the 
South  ;  within  a  day's  ride  of  the  great  deposits  of  iron,  coal, 
copper,  lead  and  zinc:  containing  and  controlling  the  great 
grain,  cattle-,  pork,  and  lumber  markets  of  the  world,  it  is 
not  strange  that  Illinois  has  the  advantage  of  position.  This 
advantage  has  been  supplemented  by  the  character  of  the 
population.  In  the  early  days  when  Illinois  was  first  admit- 
ted to  the  union,  her  population  were  chiefly  from  Kentucky 
and  Virginia.  But,  in  the  conflict  of  ideas  concerning  sla- 
very, a  strong  tide  of  immigration  came  in  from  the  East,  and 
soon  changed  this  composition.  In  1880,  her  now  native 
population  were  from  colder  soils.  New  York  had  furnished 
143,290:  Ohio  gave  172,623:  Pennsylvania  108,352:  the 
entire  South  gave  us  only  216,734.  In  all  her  cities,  and  in 
all  her  German  and  Scandinavian  and  other  foreign  colonies, 
Illinois  has  only  about  one-fifth  of  her  people  of  foreign 
birth. 

PROGRESS   OF    DEVELOPMENT. 

One  of  the  greatest  davelopments  in  the  early  history 
of  Illinois,  is  the  Illinois  and  Michigan  canal,  connecting  the 
Illinois  and  Mississippi  rivers  with,  the  lakes.  It  was  of  the 
utmost  importance  to  the  State.  It  was  recommended  by 
Governor  Bond,  the  first  governor,  in  his  first  message.  Two 
bright  young  engineers  surveyed  it,  and  estimated  the  cost 
at  $600,000  or  $700,000.  It  finally  cost  $8,000,000.  In 
1825,  a  law  was  passed  to  incorporate  the  canal  company, 
but  no  stock  was  s~ld.  In  1826,  upon  the  solicitation  of 
Daniel  P.  Cook,  ctmgress  gave  800,000  acres  of  land  on  the 
line  of  the  work.  In  1828,  another  law-commissioner  was 
appointed,  and  work  commenced  with  new  survey  and  new 
estimates.  In  1834-35,  George  Farquar  made  an  able 
report  on  the  whole  matter.  This  was,  doubtless,  the 
ablest  report  ever  made  to  a  western  legislature,  and  it  be- 
came the  model  for  subsequent  reports  and  action.  From 
this  the  work  went  on  until  it  was  finished  in  1848.  It  cost 

!  the  State  a  large  amount  of  money  ;  but  it  gave  to  the  indus- 
tries of  the  State  an  impetus  that  pushed  it  up  into  the  first 

j  rank  of  greatness.  It  was  not  built  as  a  speculation.  But 
it  has  paid  into  the  Treasury  of  the  State  an  average  annual 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


nett  sum  of  over  111,000.  Pending  the  construction  of  the 
canal,  the  land  and  town- lot  fever  broke  out  in  the  state,  in 
1834-35.  It  took  on  the  malignant  type  in  Chicago,  lifting 
the  town  up  into  a  city.  The  disease  spread  over  the  entire 
State  and  adjoining  States.  It  was  epidemic.  It  cut  up 
men's  farms  without  regard  to  locality,  and  cut  up  the  purses 
of  the  purchasers  without  regard  to  consequences.  There 
was  no  lack  of  buyers  ;  speculators  and  money  swarmed  into 
the  country.  This  distemper  seized  upon  the  Legislature  in 
1836-37,  and  left  not  one  to  tell  the  tale.  They  enacted  a 
system  of  internal  improvement  without  a  parallel  in  the 
grandeur  of  its  conception.  They  ordered  the  construction 
of  1,300  miles  of  railroad,  crossing  the  State  in  all  directions. 
This  was  surpassed  by  the  river  and  canal  improvements. 
There  were  a  few  counties  not  touched  by  either  railroad  or 
river  or  canal,  and  those  were  to  be  comforted  and  compen- 
sated by  the  free  distribution  of  $200,000  among  them.  To 
inflate  this  balloon  beyond  credence  it  was  ordered  that  work 
should  be  commenced  on  both  ends  of  each  of  these  railroads 
and  rivers,  and  at  each  river-crossing,  all  at  the  same  time. 
The  appropriations  for  the  vast  improvements  -were  over 
$12,000,000,  and  commissioners  were  appointed  to  borrow 
money  on  the  credit  of  the  State.  Remember  that  all  this  was 
in  the  early  days  of  railroading,  when  railroads  were  luxu- 
ries ;  that  the  State  had  whole  counties  with  scarcely  a 
cabin,  and  that  the  population  of  the  State  was  less  than 
400,000,  and  you  can  form  some  idea  of  the  vigor  with 
which  these  brave  men  undertook  the  work  of  making  a 
great  State.  In  the  light  of  history  it  appears  that  this  was 
only  a  premature  throb  of  the  power  that  actually  slumbered 
in  the  soil  of  the  State.  It  was  Hercules  in  the  cradle.  -  At 
this  juncture  the  State  bank  loaned  its  funds  largely  to 
Godfrey  Oilman  &  Co.,  and  other  leading  houses  for  the 
purpose  of  drawing  trade  from  St.  Louis  to  Alton.  Soon 
they  failed,  and  took  down  the  bauk  with  them.  In  1840, 
all  hope  seemed  gone.  A  population  of  480  000  were  load- 
ed with  a  debt  of  $14,000,000.  It  had  only  six  small  cities, 
really  only  towns,  namely :  Chicago,  Alton,  Springfield, 
Quincy,  Galena  and  Nauvoo.  This  debt  was  to  be  cared 
for  when  there  was  not  a  dollar  in  the  treasury,  and  when 
the  State  had  borrowed  itself  out  of  all  credit,  and  when 
there  was  not  good  money  enough  in  the  hands  of  all  the 
people  to  pay  the  interest  of  the  debt  for  a  single  year.  Yet 
in  the  presence  of  all  these  difficulties  the  young  State 
steadily  refused  to  repudiate.  Gov.  Ford  took  hold  of  the 
problem  and  solved  it,  bringing  the  State  through  in  triumph. 
Having  touched  lightly  upon  some  of  th$  most  distinctive 
points  in  the  history  of  Illinois,  let  us  next  briefly  consider 
the 

MATERIAL    RESOURCES   OF    THE   STATE. 

It  is  substantially  a  garden  four  hundred  miles  long  and 
one  hundred  and  fifty  wide.     Its  soil  is  chiefly  a  black  sandy 
loam,  varying  from  six  inches  to  six  feet  thick.     On  the 
American  Bottoms  it  has  been  cultivated  for  over  .one  hun- 
dred and  fifty  years  without  renewal.     About  the  old  French    ! 
towns  it  has  yielded  corn  for  a  century  and  a  half  without   • 
rest  or  help.    It  produces  nearly  everything  green  in  the  tet 
perate  and  tropical  zones  ;  she  leads  any  of  the  other  Stat 


in  the  number  of  acres  actually  under  plow.  Her  products 
from  25,000,000  acresare  incalculable.  Her  mineral  wealth 
is  scarcely  second  to  her  agricultural  power.  She  has  coal, 
iron,  lead,  copper,  zinc,  many  varieties  of  building  stone, 
fire  clay,  cuma  clay,  common  brick  and  tile  clay,  sands  of 
all  kinds,  gravel,  mineral  paint,  everything  needed  for  a 
high  civilization.  Left  to  herself,  she  has  the  elements  of 
all  greatness.  The  single  item  of  coal  is  too  vast  for  an 
appreciative  handling  in  figures.  We  can  handle  it  in  gene- 
ral terms,  like  algebraical  signs  but  long  before  we  get  up 
into  the  millions  and  billions,  the  human  mind  drops  down 
from  comprehension  to  mere  symbolic  apprehension.  Nearly 
four-fifths  of  the  entire  State  is  underlaid  with  a  deposit  of 
coal  more  than  forty  feet  thick  on  the  average,  including  all 
strata  (now  estimated  by  recent  surveys,  at  seventy  feet 
thick).  You  can  get  some  idea  of  its  amount,  as  you  do  of  the 
amount  of  the  national  debt.  There  it  is,  41,000  square 
miles,  one  vast  mine  into  which  you  could  bury  scores  of 
European  and  ancient  empires,  and  have  room  enough 
all  round  to  work  without  knowing  that  they  had  been 
sepulchered  there.  Put  this  vast  coal-bed  down  by  the 
other  great  coal  deposits  of  the  world,  and  its  importance 
becomes  manifest.  Great  Britain,  has  1 2,000  square  miles 
of  coal;  Spain  3,000;  France  1,719;  Belgium  578;  Illi- 
nois about  twice  as  many  square  miles  as  all  combined. 
Virginia  has  20,000  square  miles;  Pennsylvania,  16,000; 
Ohio,  12,000;  Illinois  has  31,000  square  miles  ;  one-seventh 
of  all  the  known  coal  on  this  continent  is  in  Illinois. 

Could  we  sell  the  coal  in  this  single  State  for  one-seventh 
of  one  cent  a  ton  it  would  pay  the  national  debt.  Great 
Britain  uses  enough  mechanical  power  to-day  to  give  each 
man,  woman  and  child  in  the  kingdom  the  help  and  service 
of  nineteen  untiring  servants.  No  wonder  she  has  leisure 
and  luxuries.  No  wonder  the  home  of  the  common  arfisan 
has  in  it  more  luxuries  than  could  be  found  in  the  palace  of 
good  old  King  Arthur.  Think,  if  you  can  conceive  of  it,  of 
the  vastarmy  of  servants  that  slumber  in  Illinois,  impatient- 
ly awaiting  the  call  of  genius  to  come  forth  to  minister  to 
our  comfort.  At  the  present  rate  of  consumption  England's 
coal  supply  will  be  exhausted  in  250  years.  At  the  same 
rate  of  consumption  (which  far  exceeds  our  own)  the  deposit 
of  coal  in  Illinois  will  last  120,000  years.  Lst  us  now  turn 
from  this  reserve  power  to  tho 

ANNUAL   PRODUCTS 

of  the  State.  We  shall  not  bo  humiliated  in  this  field.  Here 
we  strike  the  secret  of  our  national  credit.  Nature  provides 
a  market  in  the  constant  appetite  of  the  race.  For  several 
years  past  the  annual  production  of  wheat  in  Illinois  has 
exceeded  30,000,000.  That  is  more  wheat  than  was  raised 
by  any  other  State  in  the  Union ;  with  corn,  she*  comes  for- 
ward with  140,000,000  bushels,  twice  as  much  as  any  other 
State,  and  one-sixth  of  all  the  corn  raised  in  the  United 
States.  She  harvested  2,767,000  tons  of  hay,  nearly  one- 
tenth  of  a. 1  the  hay  in  the  Republic.  It  is  not  generally 
appreciated,  but  it  is  true,  that  the  hay  crop  of  the  country 
is  worth  more  than  the  cotton  crop ;  the  hay  of  Illinois  equals 
the  cotton  of  Louisiana. 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  W ABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


The  valuation  of  her  farm  implements  is  8230,000,000, 
and  the  value  of  her  livestock,  is  only  second  to  the  great 
State  of  New  York.  She  raises  from  25,000,000  to  30,000,- 
000  hogs  annually,  and  according  to  the  last  census  packed 
about  one  half  of  all  that  were  packed  in  the  United  States. 
This  is  no  insignificant  item.  Pork  is  a  growing  demand  of 
the  old  world.  Illinois  marked  $64,000,000  worth  of 
slaughtered  animals ;  more  than  any  other  State,  and  one- 
seventh  of  all  the  States. 

Illinois  is  a  grand  and  wonderful  State,  peerless  in  the  fer- 
tility of  her  soil,  and  inexhaustible  resources.  She  is  fast 
marching  on  towards  her  predestined  place  as  first  among  the 
sisterhood. 

We  subjoin  a  list  of  the  things  in  which  Illinois  excels  all 
other  States. 

Depth  and  richness  of  soil ;  per  cent,  of  good  ground  ; 
acres  of  improved  land ;  large  farms — number  of  farmers  ; 
amount  of  wheat,  corn  oats,  and  honey  produced  ;  value  of 
animals  for  slaughter;  number  of  hogs;  amount  of  pork; 
and  number  of  horses. 

Illinois  excels  all  other  States  in  miles  of  railroads  and  in 
miles  of  postal  service,  and  in  money  orders  sold  per  annum, 
and  in  the  amount  of  lumber  sold  in  her  markets.  She  pays 
a  larger  amount  of  internal  revenue  to  the  general  govern- 
ment than  any  other  state. 

Iilinoisas  only  second  in  many  important  matters.  This 
sample  list  comprises  a  few  of  the  more  important: 

Permanent  school  fund  (good  for  a  young  State) ;  total 
income  for  educational  purposes ;  number  of  publishers  of 
books,  maps,  papers,  etc. ;  value  of  farm  products  and  im- 
plements, and  of  live  stock  ;  in  tons  of  coal  mined. 

The  shipping  of  Illinois  is  only  second  to  New  York.  Out 
of  one  port  during  the  business  hours  of  the  season  of  navi- 
gation she  sends  forth  a  vessel  every  ten  minutes.  This  does 
not  include  canal  boats,  which  go  one  every  five  minutes. 
No  wonder  she  is  only  second  in  number  of  bankers  and 
brokers  or  in  physicians  and  surgeons. 

She  is  third  in  colleges,  teachers  and  schools ;  cattle,  lead, 
hay,  flax,  sorghum,  and  beeswax. 

She  is  fourth  in  population  ;  in  children  enrolled  in  public 
schools,  in  law  schools,  in  butter,  potatoes,  and  carriages. 

She  is  fifth  in  value  of  real  and  personal  property,  in  theo- 
logical seminaries  and  colleges  exclusively  for  women,  in 
milk  sold,  and  in  boots  and  shoes  manufactured,  and  in  book- 
binding. 

She  is  only  seventh  in  the  production  of  wood,  while  she  is 
the  twelfth  in  area.  She  now  has  much  more  wood  and 
growing  timber  than  she  had  thirty  years  ago. 

A  few  leading  industries  will  justify  emphasis.  She  man- 
ufactures $210,000,000  worth  of  goods,  which  place  her 
nearly  equal  to  New  York  and  Pennsylvania. 

In  the  number  of  copies  of  commercial  and  financial  news- 
papers issued,  she  is  only  second  to  New  York,  and  in  her 
miles  of  railroads  she  leads  all  other  States.  More  than  two- 
thirds  of  her  land  is  within  five  miles  of  a  railroad  and  less 
than  two  per  cent,  is  more  than  fifteen  miles  away. 

The  Religion  and  Morals  of  the  State  keep  step  with  her 
productions  and  growth.  She  was  born  of  the  missionary 


spirit.  It  was  a  minister  who  secured  her  the  ordinance  of 
1787,  by  which  she  has  been  saved  from  slavery,  ignorance, 
and  dishonesty.  Rev.  Mr.  Wiley,  pastor  of  a  Scotch  congre- 
gation in  Randolph  County,  petitioned  the  Constitutional 
Convention  of  1818  to  recognize  Jesus  Christ  as  King  and 
the  Scriptures  as  the  only  necessary  guide  and  book  of  law. 
The  Convention  did  not  act  in  the  case,  and  the  old  cove- 
nanters refused  to  accept  citizenship.  They  never  voted 
until  1824,  when  the  slavery  question  was  submitted  to  the 
people.  But  little  mob  violence  has  ever  been  felt  in  the 
State.  In  1817  the  regulators  disposed  of  a  band  of  .horse 
thieves  that  infested  the  territory.  The  Mormon  indignities 
finally  awoke  the  same  spirit.  Alton  was  also  the  scene  of  a 
pro-slavery  mob,  in  which  Lovejoy  was  added  to  the  list  of 
martyrs.  The  moral  sense  of  the  people  makes  the  law 
supreme,  and  gives  the  State  unruffled  peace.  With  about 
823,000,000  in  church  property,  and  4,321  church  organiza- 
tions, the  State  has  that  divine  police,  the  sleepless  patrol  of 
moral  ideas,  that  alone  is  able  to  secure  perfect  safety.  Con- 
science takes  the  knife  from  the  assassin's  hand  and  the  blud- 
geon from  the  grasp  of  the  highwayman.  We  sleep  in  safety 
not  because  we  are  behind  bolts  and  bars — these  only  de- 
fend the  innocent ;  not  because  a  lone  officer  sleeps  on  a 
distant  corner  of  the  street;  not  because  a  sheriff  may  call 
his  posse  from  a  remote  part  of  the  county;  but  because  con- 
science guards  the  very  portals  of  the  air  and  stirs  in  the 
deepest  recesses  of  the  public  mind.  This  spirit  issues  within 
the  State  9,500,000  copies  of  religious  papers  annually,  and 
receives  still  more  from  without.  Thus  the  crime  of  the 
State  is  only  one-fourth  that  of  New  York  and  one-half'that 
of  Pennsylvania. 

Illinois  never  had  but  one  duel  between  her  own  citizens. 
In  Belleville,  in  1820,  Alphonso  Stewart  and  William  Ben- 
nett arranged  to  vindicate  injured  honor.  The  seconds 
agreed  to  make  it  a  sham,  and  make  them  shoot  blanks. 
Stewart  was  in  the  secret.  Bennett  mistrusted  something, 
and,  unobserved,  slipped  a  bullet  into  his  gun  and  killed 
Stewart.  He  then  fled  the  State.  After  two  years  he  was 
caught,  tried,  convicted,  and,  in  spite  of  friends  and  political 
aid,  was  hung.  This  fixed  the  code  of  honor  on  a  Christian 
basis,  and  terminated  its  use  in  Illinois.  The  early  preachers 
were  generally  ignorant  men,  who  were  accounted  eloquent 
according  to  the  strength  of  their  voices.  Gov.  Ford  says, 
"  Nevertheless  these  first  preachers  were  of  incalculable  ben- 
efit to  the  country.  They  inculcated  justice  and  morality. 
To  them  are  we  indebted  for  the  first  Christian  character  of 
the  Protestant  portion  of  the  people." 

In  Education,  Illinois  surpasses  her  material  resources.  The 
ordinance  of  1787  consecrated  one  thirty-sixth  of  her  soil  to 
common  schools,  and  the  law  of  1818,  the  first  law  that  went 
upon  her  statutes,  gave  three  per  cent,  of  all  the  rest  to  Educa- 
tion. The  old  compact  secures  this  interest  forever,  and  by  its 
yoking  together  morality  and  intelligence  it  precludes  the 
legal  interference  with  the  Bible  in  the  public  schools.  With 
such  a  start  it  is  natural  that  we  should  have  about  11,500 
schools,  and  that  our  iliteracy  should  be  less  than  New  York 
or  Pennsylvania,  and  about  one-half  of  Massachusetts.  What 
a  grand  showing  for  so  young  a  State.  These  public  schools 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  W ABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


soon  made  colleges  inevitable.  The  first  college,  still  flour- 
ishing, was  started  in  Lebanon  in  1828,  by  he  M.  E.  Church, 
aud  named  after  Bishop  McKendree.  Illinois  college  at 
Jacksonville  followed  in  1830,  supported  by  the  Presbyterians. 
In  1832  the  Baptists  built  Shurtleff  college  at  Alton,  and 
Knox  college  at  Galesburg  followed  in  1838,  and  Jubilee 
college  at  Peoria  in  1847,  and  the  good  Catholic  missionaries 
long  prior  to  this  had  established  in  various  parts  of  the  State, 
colleges,  seminaries  and  parochial  schools.  After  these  early 
years  colleges  have  rained  down.  A  settler  could  hardly 
encamp  on  the  prairie  but  a  college  would  spring  up  by  his 
wagon.  The  State  now  has  one  very  well  endowed  and 
equipped  university,  namely  the  North-western  University, 
at  Evanston,  with  six  colleges,  ninety  instructors,  over  one 
thousand  students,  and  $1,500,000  endowment.  Rev.  J.  M. 
Peck  was  the  first  educated  Protestant  minister  in  the  State. 
He  settled  at  Rock  Spring,  St.  Clair  County,  about  1820,  and 
has  left  his  impress  on  the  State.  He  was  a  large  contribu- 
tor to  the  literature  of  that  day  in  this  State  ;  about  1837  he 
published  a  Gazetteer  of  Illinois.  Soon  after  John  Russell, 
of  BlufTdale,  published  essays  and  tales  showing  genius. 
Judge  James  Hall  published  the  Illinois  Monthly  Magazine 
with  great  ability,  and  an  annual  called  The  Western  Sou- 
venir, which  gave  him  an  enviable  fame  all  over  the  United 
States.  From  these  beginnings,  Illinois  has  gone  on  till  she 
has  more  volumes  in  public  libraries  even  than  Massachu- 
setts, and  of  the  44,500,003  volumes  in  all  the  public  libra- 
ries of  the  United  S:ates,  she  has  one-thirteenth. 

In  1860  she  had  eighteen  colleges  and  seminaries ;  in  1870 
she  had  eighty. 

That  is  a  grand  advance  for  the  war  decade.  Her  growth 
in  the  last  ten  years  has  been  equally  marvellous. 

This  brings  us  to  a  record  unsurpassed  in  any  age. 

THE   WAR   RECORD   OF   ILLINOIS. 

We  hardly  know  where  to  begin,  or  how  to  advance,  or 
what  to  say,  as  we  can  at  best  give  only  a  broken  synopsis 
of  her  gallant  deeds.  Her  sons  have  always  been  foremost 
on  fields  of  danger.  In  the  war  of  1812  she  aided  in  main- 
taining national  sovereignty.  In  1831-32,  at  the  call  of 
GJV.  Reynolds,  her  sons  drove  Blackhawk  over  the  Missis- 
sippi. 

When  the  Mexican  war  came,  in  May,  1846,  8,370  men 
offered  themselves  when  only  3,720  could  be  accepted.  The 
fields  of  Buena  Vista,  Chapultepec  and  Vera  Cruz,  and  the 
storming  of  Cerro  Gordo,  will  perpetuate  the  bravery  and 
the  glory  of  the  Illinois  soldier.  But  it  was  reserved  till 
our  day  for  her  sons  to  find  a  field  and  a  cause  and  a  foe- 
man  that  could  fitly  illustrate  their  spirit  and  heroism. 
Illinois  put  into  her  own  regiments  for  the  United  States 
government  256,000  men,  and  into  the  army  through  other 
states  enough  to  swell  the  number  to  290,000.  This  far  ex- 
ceeds all  the  soldiers  of  the  federal  government  in  all  the 
war  of  the  revolution.  Her  total  years  of  service  were 
600,000.  She  enrolled  men  from  eighteen  to  forty-five 
years  of  age  when  the  law  of  Congress  in  1864— the  test 
time — only  asked  for  those  from  twenty  to  forty-five.  Her 
enrollment  was  otherwise  excessive.  Her  people  wanted  to 


go  and  did  not  take  the  pains  to  correct  the  enrollment. 
Thus  the  basis  of  fixing  the  quota  was  too  great,  and  then 
the  quota  itself,  at  least  in  the  trying  time,  was  far  above 
any  other  State.  Thus  the  demand  on  some  counties,  as 
Monroe,  for  example,  took  every  able-bodied  man  in  the 
county,  and  then  did  not  have  enough  to  fill  the  quota. 
Moreover,  Illinois  sent  20,844  men  for  ninety  or  one  hundred 
days,  for  whom  no  credit  was  asked.  When  Mr.  Lincoln's 
attention  was  called  to  the  inequality  of  the  quota  compared 
with  other  states,  he  replied,  "  The  country  needs  the  sacri- 
fice. We  must  put  the  whip  on  the  free  horse."  In  spite 
of  these  disadvantages  Illinois  gave  to  the  country  73,000 
years  of  service  above  all  calls.  With  one-thirteenth  of 
the  population  of  the  loyal  States,  she  sent  regularly  one- 
tenth  of  all  the  soldiers,  and  in  the  peril  of  the  closing 
calls,  when  patriots  were  few  and  weary,  she  then  sent  one- 
eighth  of  all  that  were  called  for  by  her  loved  and  honored 
son  in  the  White  House.  HeT  mothers  and  daughters  went 
into  the  fields  to  raise  the  grain  and  keep  the  children  to- 
gether, while  the  fathers  and  older  sons  went  to  the  harvest 
fields  of  the  world.  What  a  glorious  record  there  is  treas- 
ured up  in  the  history  of  this  great  country  for  the  patriotic 
Illinois  soldier.  Her  military  record  during  the  Rebellion 
stands  peerless  among  the  other  States.  Ask  any  soldier 
with  a  good  record  of  his  own,  who  is  thus  able  to  judge, 
and  he  will  tell  you  that  the  Illinois  men  went  ui  to  win. 
It  is  common  history  that  the  greater  victories  were  won  in 
the  West.  When  everything  else  was  dark,  Illinois  was  gain- 
ing victories  all  down  the  river,  and  dividing  the  confederacy, 
Sherman  took  with  him  on  Lis  great  march  forty-five  regi 
ments  of  Illinois  infantry,  three  companies  of  artillery,  and 
one  company  of  calvary.  He  could  not  avoid  going  to  the 
sea.  Lincoln  answered  all  rumors  of  Sherman's  defeat  with 
"  It  is  impossible ;  there  is  a  mighty  sight  of  fight  in.  100,- 
000  Western  men."  Illinois  soldiers  brought  home  300 
battle-flags.  The  first  United  States  flag  that  floated  over 
Richmond  was  an  Illinois  flag.  She  sent  messengers  and 
nurses  to  every  field  and  hospital,  to  care  for  her  sick  and 
wounded  sons.  When  individuals  had  given  all,  then  cities 
aud  towns  came  forward  with  their  credit  to  the  extent  of 
many  millions,  to  aid  these  men  and  their  families.  Illinois 
gave  the  country  the  great  general  of  the  war — Ulysses  S. 
Grant— since  honored  with  two  terms  of  the  Presidency  of 
the  United  States. 

One  other  name  from  Illinois  comes  up  in  all  minds, 
embalmed  in  all  hearts,  that  must  have  the  supreme  place 
in  this  story  of  our  glory  and  of  our  nation's  honor :  that 
name  is  Abiaham  Lincoln,  of  Illinois.  The  analysis  of  Mr. 
Lincoln's  character  is  dilHcult  on  account  of  its  symmetry. 
In  this  age  we  look  with  admiration  at  his  uncompromising 
honesty.  And  well  we  may,  for  this  saved  us  thousands 
throughout  the  length  and  breadth  of  our  country  who  knew 
him  only  as  "Honest  Old  Abe,"  and  voted  for  him  on  that 
account;  and  wisely  did  they  choose,  for  no  other  man  could 
have  carried  us  through  the  fearful  night  of  the  war. 
When  his  plans  were  too  vast  for  our  comprehension  and 
his  faith  in  the  cause  too  sublime  for  our  participation, 
when  it  was  all  night  about  us,  and  all  dread  before  us, 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


and  all  sad  and  desolate  behind  us  :  when  not  one  ray  shone 
upon  our  cause  ;  when  traitors  were  haughty  and  exultant 
at  the  south,  and  fierce  and  blasphemous  at  the  North  ; 
when  the  loyal  men  here  seemed  almost  hi  the  minority ; 
when  the  stoutest  heart  quailed,  when  generals  were  defeat- 
ing each  other  for  place,  and  contractors  were  leeching  out 
the  very  heart's  blood  of  the  prostrate  republic:  when 
everything  else  had  failed  us,  we  looked  at  this  calm,  patient 
man  standing  like  a  rock  in  the  storm  and  said,  "  Mr.  Lin- 
coln is  honest,  and  we  will  trust  him  still."  Holding  to  this 
single  point  with  the  energy  of  faith  and  despair  we  held 
together,  and,  under  God,  he  brought  us  through  to  victory. 
His  practical  wisdom  made  him  the  wonder  of  all  lands. 
With  such  certainty  did  Mr.  Lincoln  follow  causes  to  their 
ultimate  effects,  that  his  foresight  of  contingencies  seemed 
almost  prophetic.  He  is  radiant  with  all  the  great  virtues, 
and  his  memory  shall  shed  a  glory  upon  this  age  that  shall 
fill  the  eyes  of  men  as  they  look  into  history.  Other  men 
have  excelled  him  in  some  points,  but  taken  at  all  points,  all 
in  all,  he  stands  head  and  shoulders  above  every  other  man 
of  six  thousand  years.  An  administrator,  he  served  the 
nation  in  the  perils  of  unparalleled  civil  war.  A  statesman, 
he  justified  his  measures  by  their  success.  A  philanthropist, 
he  gave  liberty  to  one  race  and  salvation  to  another.  A 
moralist,  he  bowed  from  the  summit  of  human  power  to  the 
foot  of  the  Cross,  and  became  a  Christian.  A  mediator,  he 
exercised  mercy  under  the  most  absolute  obedience  to  law. 
A  leader,  he  was  no  partizan.  A  commander,  he  was  un- 
tainted with  blood.  A  ruler  in  desperate  times,  he  was 
unsullied  with  crime.  A  man,  he  has  left  no  word  of  pas- 
sion, no  thought  of  malice,  no  trick  of  craft,  no  act  of 
jealousy,  no  purpose  of  selfish  ambition.  Thua  perfected, 
without  a  model  and  without  a  peer,  he  was  dropped  into 
these  troubled  years  to  adorn  and  embellish  all  that  is  good 
and  all  that  is  great  in  our  humanity,  and  to  present  to  all 
coming  time  the  divine  idea  of  free  government.  It  is  not 
too  much  to  say  that  away  down  in  the  future,  when  the 
Republic  has  fallen  from  its  niche  in  the  wall  of  time;  when 
the  great  war  itself  shall  have  faded  out  in  the  distance  like 
a  mist  on  the  horizon  ;  and  when  the  Anglo-Saxon  language 
shall  be  spoken  only  by  the  tongue  of  the  stranger,  then  the 
generation  looking  this  way  shall  see  the  great  President  as 
the  supreme  figure  in  this  vortex  of  hist  ry. 

CIVIL    ORGANIZATION. 

The  history  of  Illinois  has  been  traced  while  a  possession 
of  France,  and  when  under  the  British  government ;  and 
the  formation  of  Illinois  as  a  County  of  Virginia  has  been 
noted.  The  several  States  afterwards  agreed  on  the  adop- 
tion of  Articles  of  the  Confederation,  to  cede  their  claims  to 
the  western  land  to  the  General  government.  Virginia 
executed  her  deed  of  cession  March  1st,  1784.  For  several 
years  after,  there  was  an  imperfect  admistration  of  the  law 
in  Illinois.  The  French  customs  partly  held  force,  and 
affairs  were  partly  governed  by  the  promulgations  of  the 
British  commandants  issued  from  Fort  Chartres,  and  by  the 
regulations  which  had  subsequently  been  issued  bv  the  Vir- 
ginia authorities. 


By  the  ordinance  of  1787,  all  the  territory  north-west  of 
the  Ohio  was  constituted  into  one  district,  the  laws  to  be 
administered  by  a  governor  and  secretary ;  a  court  was  insti- 
tuted of  three  judges.  A  general  assembly  was  provided 
for,  the  members  to  be  chosen  by  the  people.  General 
Arthur  St.  Clair  was  selected  by  Congress,  as  Governor  of 
the  north-western  territory.  The  seat  of  government  was  at 
Marietta,  Ohio. 

In  the  year  1795,  Governor  St.  Clair  divided  St.  Clair 
County.  All  south  of  a  line  running  through  the  New 
Design  settlement  (in  the  present  County  of  Monroe)  was 
erected  into  the  County  of  Randolph.  In  honor  of  Edmund 
Randolph  of  Virginia,  the  new  county  received  its  name. 

Shadrach  Bond,  afterwards  the  first  Governor,  was  elected 
from  Illinois,  a  member  of  the  Territorial  Legislature  which 
convened  at  Cincinnati,  in  January,  1799.  In  1800  the 
Territory  of  Indiana  was  formed,  of  which  Illinois  consti- 
tuted a  part,  with  the  seat  of  government  at  Vincennes. 
About  1806,  among  other  places  in  the  West,  Aaron  Burr 
visited  Kaskaskia  in  an  endeavor  to  enlist  men  for  his 
treasonable  scheme  against  the  government.  In  1805, 
George  Fisher  was  elected  from  Randolph  County  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Territorial  Legislature,  and  Pierre  Menard  was 
chosen  member  of  the  Legislative  Council. 

By  act  of  Congress,  1809,  the  Territory  of  Illinois  was 
constituted.  Ninian  Edwards  was  appointed  Governor  of 
the  newly  organized  Territory,  and  the  seat  of  government 
established  at  Kaskaskia.  Nathaniel  Pope,  a  relative  of 
Edwards,  received  the  appointment  of  Secretary. 

For  nearly  four  years  after  the  organization  of  the  Terri- 
torial Government  no  legislature  existed  in  Illinois.  An 
election  for  representatives  was  held  on  the  eighth,  ninth, 
and  tenth  of  October,  1812.  Shadrach  Bond,  then  a  resi- 
dent of  St.  Clair  County,  was  elected  the  first  Delegate  to 
Congress  from  Illinois.  Pierre  Menard  was  chosen  -from 
Randolph  County  member  of  the  Legislative  Council,  and 
George  Fisher  of  the  House  of  Representatives.  The  Legis- 
lature convened  at  Kaskaskia  on  the  twenty-fifth  of  Novem- 
ber, 1812. 

In  April,  1818,  a  bill  providing  for  the  admission  of  Illi- 
nois into  the  Union  as  a  sovereign  State  was  passed  by  Con- 
gress. A  Convention  to  frame  a  Constitution  assembled  at 
Kaskaskia  iu  the  following  July.  The  first  election  under 
the  Constitution  was  held  in  September,  1818,  and  Shadrach 
Bond  was  elected  Governor,  and  Pierre  Menard,  Lieutenant 
Governor.  Illinois  was  now  declared  by  Congress  admitted 
to  fhe  Union  as  on  an  equal  footing  iu  all  respects  with  the 
original  States.  The  Legislature  again  met  at  Kaskaskia  ia 
January,  1819.  This  was  the  last  session  ever  held  at  Kas- 
kaskia. Vandalia,  the  same  year,  was  selected  as  the  Capital 
of  the  State.  It  was  stipulated  that  Vandalia  was  to  be  the 
Capital  for  twenty  years.  At  the  end  of  that  period  it  was 
changed  to  Springfield.  Bjlow  we  give  list  of  governors 
and  staff  officers  of  Illinois. 

Illinois  was  constituted  a  separate  Territory  by  act  of  Con- 
gress February  3d,  1809.  The  boundaries  were  described 
as  follows : 


40 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


ILLINOIS  TERRITORY. 


FROM  1809, 


TO  1882. 


*  "  That  from  and  after  the  first  day  of  March  next,  all 
that  part  of  the  Indiana  Territory  which  lies  west  of  the 
Wabash  river  and  a  direct  linedrawn  from  the  said  Wabash 
river  and  Post  Vincennes  due  north  to  the  territorial  line 
between  the  United  States  and  Canada,  shall  for  the  purpose' 
of  temporary  government,  constitute  a  separate  territory,  and 
be  called 'Illinois.'" 

The  seat  of  government  was  fixed  at  Kaskaskia. 

The  territorial  government  was  continued  under  the  first 
grade  from  1809  until  1812,  when  by  a  vote  of  the  people 
the  second  grade  was  adopted. 

Under  the  first  grade,  the  Governor  and  Judges,  who 
received  their  appointment  from  the  President,  constituted 
the  Legislative  Council,  and  enacted  laws  for  the  govern- 
ment of  the  people.  The  Governor  possessed  almost  un- 
limited power  in  the  appointment  of  officers  ;  the  Secretary 
of  the  Territory  being  the  only  officer,  not  appointed  by  the 
Governor. 

Under  the  second  grade,  the  people  elected  the  Legisla- 
ture, which  was  composed  of  a  Legislative  Council  and  a 
House -of  Representatives.  The  Legislative  Council  was 
composed  of  five  members,  and  the  House  of  Representatives 
of  seven  members. 

The  Legislature  enacted  the  laws  for  the  government  of 
the  people,  but  the  Governor  was  possessed  of  the  absolute 
veto  power,  and  was  therefore  in  position  to  dictate  the  laws, 
if  he  chose  to  exercise  the  power. 

The  people  also  elected  the  Delegate  to  Congress  by  popu- 
lar vote. 

Territorial    Officer*. 

The  following  is  a  complete  roster  of  territorial  officers 
from  1809  until  the  organization  of  the  State  government 
in  1818: 

GOVERNORS. 

, March  7,  1809.    Declined. 

April  24,  1809,  to  December  6, 1818. 

appointment  was  two  years.    Governor  Edwards 
i  time,  as  his  term  expired,  and  served  through 


The  term  of  the  Governor's 
ros  re-appointed  from  time  t 
.he  entire  territorial  governr 


SECRETARIES. 
, March  7,1809,1 


•  is,  1816,  to  April,  1S1T. 
1817,  to  August,  1817. 
33,lSi;,toOetoberO,lSl£ 


AUDITORS   OF   PUBLIC   ACCOUNTS. 

IT.  II.  Maxwell 1812  to  1S16, 

Daniel  P.  Cook January  IX,  1 

i;iaukwell April  ;',, 

Elijah  C.  Berry August  88,1 

ATTORNEYS-GENERAL. 

Benjamin  II.  Doyle July  24  1809,  to  December,  1809. 

John  J.  Critteud'eM December  30,  1809,  to  April,  1810. 

Thomas  T.  Crittvnden April  7,  1»10,  to  October,  1810. 

Beiijamin  M.  Piatt Ootoh, -r  .".I,  isiu,  to  June.  1S13. 

William  Mears Iune23, 1813,  to  February  17, 1818. 

»  From  Legislative  Directory,  published  1881. 


John  Thomas 

I 

Shadrach  Bond 

Il.Mijamin  stcphenson 

Nathaniel  Pope 


Obadiah  Jones,  .................. 

Alexander  Stuart  .............. 

Jesse  B.  Thomas  ............... 


Thomas  Tow-lea 
Daniel  Cook.  (Wc»tern 
John  Wurno.'k.  (Wester 
John  McLean.  (Eastern 


TREASURERS. 

1812  to  1818. 

ELEGATES   TO   CONGRESS. 

December,  1812,  to  18 

~    itember  2 
!  to  1818. 

JUDGES. 
March  7,1809. 


.V.V."'.V.V.'.'.'...V.'.'.'......Ijuly  29,  lilia. 

October  -s,  'Sl.-i 


. 
El  las  Kent  Ka 


t.) February  17, 1818. 

u  iiii-i!M  .Mear-.     fl-.astern  circuit. I February  17,1818. 

Jeptha  Hardiu.    (Eastern  circuit.) Mareh  3,1818. 


ADJUTANTS-GENERAL. 


Elias  Rector 

Robert  Morrison 

Elias  Rector  


Mav  3,  1809,  to  July  18, 1809. 

lillv    IS,  IVM;,,  to  M'av2»,  1810. 

May  W,  1*1".,,,  October  •_>.%  181 


First  Territorial  Legislature—  1812. 

askaskia  on  the  25th  day  of  November,  A.  D.  1812.    Adjour 
' 


,    .     . 

nvened  and  adjourned 


Convened  at  Ka _ 

the  26th  day  of  December,  1812.    Second 
November  8,  A.  D.  1813. 

LEGISLATIVE  COUNCIL. 
OFFICERS. 

President Pierre  Menard. 

Secretary John  Thomas. 

Doorkeeper Thomas  Van  Swearingen. 

MEMBERS. 

Randolph.        Samuel  Judy Madis 

...(iallatin.        Thomas  Ferguson Johns 

...St.  Clair. 

HOUSE  OF  REPRESENTATIVES. 
OFFICERS. 


Pierre  Menard 

IVniiU.im  Tall»>tt 
William  Biggs 


Doorkeeper 

MEMBERS. 

George  Fisher Randolph.       Josh 

Alexander  Wilson Gallat-n.       Jaco 

.  Gallatin 
..Johnson 


. 

.  Greenu 
Van  Swe 


Pt.  flair 

.....  St.  Cl.ir 

Madron 


Second  Territorial  legislature     1814. 


FIRST   SESSION. 

;d  at  Kaskaskia  the  14th  day  of  November,  A. 
•  24,  A.  D.,  1814. 


D.   1814.    Adjourned 


LEGISLATIVE  COUNCIL. 

OFFICERS. 

President Pierre  Menard. 

Secretary John  Thomas. 

Doorkeeper Thomas  Stuart. 

MEMBERS. 

Pierre  Menard Randolph.        Samuel  Judy Madison. 

William  ISim?s «t.  Clair.       Thomas  Ferguson Johnson. 

Benjamin  Talbott Gallatin. 

HOUSE  OF  REPRESENTATIVF.S. 
OFFICERS. 

Sneaker Risdon  Moore. 

Clerk William  Mears. 

Doorkeeper Thomas  Stuart 

MEMBERS. 

Riadon  Moore St.  Clair.       Phillip  Trammel Gallatin. 

William  Rabh Madis,,,,.        Thomas  C.  Browne Oaltatln. 

James  Lemon,  Jr ft.  Clair.        Owe,,  Kvans Johnson. 

James  Gilbreath* Randolph. 

Second  Territorial  Legislature— 18   5. 

SECOND   SESSION 

,th  day  of  December,  A.  D.   1815. 

LEGISLATIVE  COUNCIL. 
OFFICERS. 

President Pierre  Mcnard. 

Secretary lohn  Thomas 

Enrolling  and  Engroiiwa  Clerk Wm.  C.  Greenup. 

MEMBERS. 

Pierre  Menard Randolph.        Willis 

Samuel  Judy Madison.       Thorn 

Benjamin  Talbott Gallatin. 

•  Expelled. 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARD,  LAWRENCE  AND   WADASH  COUNTIES,  1UANOIS. 


B 

OUSE  OF  REPRESENTATIVES. 

OFFICERS. 

Spcakfr  

Risdon  Moore. 

Under  t 

C'crk  
Vaorkccper  



Daniel  P.  Cook. 
Ezra  Owen. 

nor  and   I 

Enrolling  and  Enjr^ 

syutgfJUrk  

Wm.  C.  Greenup. 

election  re 

l:j  -'l-.n  Moore  

KEMBEB8. 

St.  Clair.        John  G.  Lofton.. 

Madison. 

the  Speak 

Phillip  Trammel  
Th  asC.    I-.rown,-".: 
Jarvis  Ilazelton  

(iallatin.        William  Ual.l..... 
Hallatin.         Jam.--    I..-m.-ii.  . 
Kan.l.ilph. 

Mudi-.ui. 
r  St.  Clair. 

open  and  j 
the  Gener 

•  .:_*    u_ii 

Third  Territorial  legislature— 181O-1T. 

FIRST    SESSION. 

Convened  at  Kaskaskia  the  2d  day  of  December,  A.  D.  1816.    Adjourned 
January  11,  A.  D.  1817.        LEGISLATIVE  COUNCIL. 


President.. 


I'ier 


iMenard. 


MEMBERS. 
HarmMenard Randolph.       John  Grammar John 


Thomas  C.  Browne  .................  Gallati 


,  G.Lofton Madison. 

Abraham  Amo.i St.  Clair. 

HOUSE  OF    REPRESENTATIVES. 

OFFICERS. 
Speaker T. Oeor^'1  i'i-h 


Doorkeeper 


Georco  Fisher  ....................  Randolph. 

C.  R.  Mathem-  .......................  St.  (flair. 

Win    II    l!r:idsliv  ..........  St.  Clair. 

Nathan  Davis  ........................  Jackson. 


.      . 
Ezra  Owen 


eph  Palmer  .....................  Johnson. 

i.Jard  ..............................  Edwards. 

iin.'l  oinelvcny  ........................  I'ope. 


A.   D.  1817.    Adjour 


..Ptoi 


Third  Territorial  Legislature— 

SECOSD    SESSIOX. 

rened  at  Kaskaskia  the.  1st  day  of  December, 
LEGISLATIVE  COUNCIL. 


'     •    winjGtort 

Ezra  Owen. 

5IEMBERS. 

Pierre  Menard Randolph.       John  G.  Lofton M 

Ai.rah.iin  AT.OS Monroe.       Thomas  C.  Browne G 

JolmGrimmar Johnson. 

HOUSE  OF  REPRESENTATIVES. 

OFFICERS. 
Speaker George  Fisher. 


:  • 

Doorkeeper 

MEMBERS. 
George  Fisher  .........................  Randolph        Wm.  H.  Bradsby 

M  itheny  ..................  St.  Clair.         Joseph  Pal 


CoOk. 

[J.    K.  MrLuii>_rlilm. 
Ezra  Owen. 


Wil 


nport 


First  Constitutional  Convention. 

CONVENTION  OF  1818. 

Assembled  at  Kaskaskia,  July  —  1818.     Adjourned    August  26, 
1818.     Thirty-three  delegates.     One  member  from  Washington  county 
ilird  during  the  sitting  of  the  convention  ;  name  unknow 
tion  mlopted   in   convention  without  being  submitted  to 
people.     Approved  by  Congress,  December  3,  1818. 

OFFICERS. 
President  ............................  ...........  Jesse  B.  Thomas. 

Secretary  .....................................    William  C.  Greenup. 

DELEGATES. 

St.  Glair—  Jesse  B  Tiiomas,  John  Mewinger,  James  Lemen,  Jr. 

(ieor-o  lusher,  Elias  Kent  Kane. 

Mu'limn—  Benjamin  Stephenson,  Joseph  Borough,  Abraham    Pri 
kett. 

-  -  Michael  Jones,  Leonard  White,  Adolphua  F.  Hubbard. 
•„,—  Hc'7.ekiah  West,  Win   MoKatridge. 
.!•   Srt.li  Gard,  Levi  Corapton. 
•/,'  illi*  Hargrave,  Win   McIIcnry. 
-Caldweli  Cams  Enoch  Moore, 
-Samuel  Omelveny,  Hamlet  Ferguson. 
..-Conrad  Will,  James  Hall,  Jr. 
.••./-Joseph  Kitchell,  Edward  N.  Cnllom. 
#«;»/  -Thomas  Kirk  patrick,  S;imm-l  G.  Morse. 

William  KrhokJohiiWhiteaker. 
Waihingtnn—  Andrew  Bankson. 
Franklin—  I»ham  Harrison,  Thomas  Roberts. 


EXECUTIVE  DEPARTMENT. 

Under  the  constitution  of  1S18  the  elective  officers  were  the  Gover- 
nor and  Lieutenant-Governor,  who  held  office  for  four  years.  The 
re  transmitted  by  the  returning  officers,  directed  to 
the  Speaker  of  the  House  of  Representatives,  whose  duty  it  was  to 
open  and  publish  them  in  the  presenca  of  a  majority  of  each  house  of 
l  Assembly.  In  case  of  a  lie,  the  choice  was  made  by  a 
joint  ballot  of  both  houses.  The  first  election  for  Governor  and 
Lieutenant-Governor  was  held  on  the  third  Thursday  of  September, 
A.  D.  1818.  Thereafter  the  eleclions  were  held  every  four  years 
on  the  first  Monday  of  August. 

The  Secretary  of  State  was  appointed  by  the  Governor,  with  the 
advice  and  consent  of  the  Senate. 

The  Auditor  of  Public  Accounts,  Treasurer  and  Attorney- General 
were  elected  by  the  General  Assembly,  and  held  office  for  two  years 
respectively. 

By  the  constitution  of  1848,  all  these  officers  were  made  elective  by 
the  people,  except  the  Attorney-General,  which  office  was  abolished . 
The  term  of  office  for  each  was  four  years,  except  the  Trcasn  n  r, 
which  was  two  years. 

The  office  of  Attorney-General  was  again  created  by  law,  in  1867, 
and  the  term  fixed  at  two  years.  The  office  was  first  filled  by 
appointment  by  the  Governor,  and  at  the  expiration  of  the  term  by 
election  by  the  people. 

The  constitution  of  1870  provides  that  the  Executive  Department 
shall  consist  of  a  Gorernor,  Lieutennnt-Governor,  Secretary  of  State, 
Auditor  of  Public  Accounts,  Treasurer,  Superintendent  of  Public  In- 
struction, and  Attorney-General,  who  shall  each,  with  the  exception 
of  the  Treasurer,  hold  office  for  four  years  from  the  second  Monday  in 
January  next  after  election.  The  Treasurer  holds  office  for  two  years, 
and  is  ineligible  for  re-election  until  the  expiration  of  two  years  next 
after  the  end  of  his  term.  The  first  election  under  the  constitution  of 
1870  was  held  November  5,  A.  D.  1872. 

By  a  law  passed  in  1849  the  Secretary  of  State  was  made  ex-officio 
State  Superintendent  of  Public  Schools.  In  1854  the  law  establish- 
ing a  system  of  free  schools  created  the  office  of  State  Superintendent, 
and  provided  for  the  appointment  by  the  Governor,  upon  the  taking 
effect  of  the  law,  of  some  person  to  hold  office  until  the  election  in 
1855,  when  a  State  Superintendent  should  be  elected,  and  every  two 
years  thereafter. 


..St.  Ciair. 

The  offices  of  Adjutant-General,  State   Geologist,  and  Entomolo- 

'..Gallatin] 

gist,  are  created  by  law,  and  filled  by  appointment  of  the  Governor. 

STATE  OF  ILLINOIS. 

igust    20, 

Coveriioro 

n  county 

tc  of  the 

When 

From    what 

Nsme.  ^ 

inaugurated. 

county 

Remarks. 

. 

Shadraeh  Bond  

Oct.  6,  1818  

St.  Clair  

tiup. 

1-Mwurd  Coles  

Dec.  &,  182.!.... 

Madison  

Ninian  Kdwur.ls  

Dec.  6,  1S2C... 

Ma.lis.M,  

John  Reynolds  

Dec.  9,  1830,... 

St.  Clair  

Re-iltneil    Nov.    IT,'    1834." 

n,  Jr. 

Win.  T,.  1).  Ewing  

NOT.  17,   1834.. 

K-.yrtt"  

Elected  ll.'p.  to  Congress. 
Vice  Reynolds. 

m    Pric- 

•          M-illl  

Thomas  Carlin  

Dee.  3,  1834  
Dec.  7,  1838  

iV,".^*"  

;"'z;!"z:;;!r;r7'.i::::::::. 

Thomas  Ford  

Dee.  8,  1842  

Ogle  '.'.'.'.'I 

ibbard. 

Augustus  C.  French  
Augustus  C.  Frenuli  

•Ian.  ,s,  Will  

Crawford  
Crawford  

iie-eiected  "under"con'st'ii 
of  1847. 

Jan.,      is:,.1!  

Will  

John  Wood.  '.'.".'.I..'.'.!!. 

Jim.  ll',  ls:,T.... 
Mar.  21,  180(1... 

4-temiw.'.".'.'.'.'. 

~n.'.'<v(l«'.lto  theoffice  vica 

Richard  Yates  

Jan.  14,1801... 

Morgan  

Bisaell 

Richard  .!.<  fleshy  
John  M.  Palm.-r  
Richard  J.  Oglesby  

John  L.  Bcverid.-e  

Jan.  lr.,  l.s.;:  
Jan.  11.  I8W... 

Jan.  13,    INT::... 
Jan  23,  1873... 

Ma.'.m  
Maeoiipin  ... 
Macon!  

Cook  

I'le.'tc.l  IT.  S.S.'irrtor. 
Succeeded    to  office,  rico 

Shelby  M.  Cullom  
SU.-li.y  M.  Cullom  

Jan     8.18T7... 
Jan.  10,  1881.... 

Sunj-umoil.'.'! 

Oglosby  resigned.  ' 

HISTORY  OF  EDWARD,  LAWRENCE  AND  W ABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


When 

Fr^m     what 

Name 

inaugurated 

county. 

Remarks. 

Pierre  Menard  
Adolphus,   F.  Hul.l.ard.. 

Oct.    6,  1818.. 
Dec.    6,  1822.. 

Randolph  

Oallatin  

rr--—  -:.=.: 

Zadok'casov"'  J  ""." 
Wm.L.D.  Ewing  

Dec!    9^  183(1.. 
Mar.    1,  1833.. 

Jefferson'.'.'.'.'.' 
Fayette  

Resigned'  March  "i,  TssS.  '" 
Presidentof  Senate  and  Act- 
ing  Lieut-Governor. 

Alex.  M.  Jenkins  

Dec.    5,  1834.. 

Jackson  

Resigned 

Wm.  H.  Davidson  

Dec.    9,  1836.. 

White  

President  of  Senate  and  Act- 

ing Lieut-Governor  

Stinson  H.  Anderson... 

Dec.   7,  1838.. 

Jefferson.... 

John  Moore  

Dec.    8.  1842.. 

McLean  

Joseph  B.  Wells  

Dec.    9,  1846.. 

Jan.     8,  1849.. 

John  Wood  !!'.".'.'.'."'. 

Jan.        1853.. 
Jan.  12,  1857.. 

ftja£[gir  

-<uoeeeded  to  ofnV-e  of  (n.v 

vice  Bissell    dec'd  Mar.  21, 

1860. 

Thomas  A.  Marshall  

Jan.    7,  1861..  Coles  

President  of  Senate  and  Act- 

ing Lieut-Governor. 

Francis  A.  Hoffman  

Jan.  14,  1861..  !Cook  

William  Bross  

Jan.  16,  18G5.. 
Jan    11    186') 

Cook  

Tnion 

••••'•"  •'••  

John  L.  Beverfd'ge  
John  Early  

Jan.  11,  1873.. 
Jan.  23,  1873.. 

Cook  
Winnebago.. 

Succeeded  to  ortiee  of  <iov. 
vice  Oglesbyelec'dU.S  Sen 
ft-esidentof  Senate  and  Act- 

Archibald A.  Glenn  Jan.    8,  1875.. 

Andrew  Shuman  IJan.    8,  1877. 
John  Hamilton  Jan.  10,  1S81.. 

Cook  
McLean  

ing  Lieut-Governor. 
President  of  Senate  and  Act- 
ing Lieut-Governor. 

Secretaries  of  State. 


Elias  Kent  Kane 

Samuel  L>.  Lnckwood.... 


Oct.  6. 
Do  •  18, 
\|.ril  2, 
Oct.  15, 

George  Forquer Jan.  17, 

Alexander  P.  Field ' 

Stephen  A.  Don-las 

Lyman  Trumbull >feo^27, 

Thompson  Campbell....  Mar.   4, 
Horaces.  CooK-v  Do.;  2'i 

Horaces.  Cooley !jan.    8, 

David  L.Grcggs April  10, 

Alexander  Starne Ian    In 

Ozias  M.  Hatch Ian.  12 

OziasM.  Hatch Ian.  14 

Shan.n  Tvndale.. 
Edward  Hummel 


1818..,Kaskaskia.. 
cteb.Z 


gamon... 

1828..|Union 

Win..  Morgan 

,8H..  St.  Clair 

1843..  JoDaviess ... 
Adams 


IS  If,. 


Adams 

Cook 

Pike 

Pike 

•lair!::::: 

Peoria 

Tazi-wi'll 


Resignoa  Dec.  16,  1822. 


U.-<ii_-ii,-,l  Jan.  15, 1825. 


Removed  MarrTi  4.  Isl'i. 


of  1848.  Died  April  2, 1850. 


Name. 

When 
qualified. 

From    what 
county. 

Remarks. 

Elijah  C.  Berry  Oct.    D,  1818.. 

Fayetto  

Elijah  C.  Berry  'April  6,  1819.. 
Jwnes  T.  B.  Stapp  Aug.  27,    Ml.. 
Levi  Davis  'Nov.  16,    835.. 
James  Shields  Mar.   4,    841.. 

Randolph'.'.'.'.' 

Wm.  D.  L.  Ewing  Mar.  26,    84:1.. 
Thomas  H.  Campbell...:Mar.  26,    816.. 
Thomas  H.  Campbell...  Jan.     7,    847.. 

Kdoiph'::: 

Died.  
Vice  Ewing,  deceased. 

Jcsso  K.  Dubois  [Jan.  12,    857.. 

Jesse  K.  Dubois  !  Jan.  14.    861.. 

Orlinll.  Miner  

(  hailes  E.  Lii.pinooti. 
Charles  E.  Lippincott. 

Dec.  1  !,    864.. 
Jan.  11,    869.. 
Jan.  11.    871.. 

sanKamon  ".:  i  .........  ;.v.v™.v.".v.v.".".™".;::".~  .. 

Cass  

Thomas  B.  Needles  !.Jan.    8,    877.. 
Charles  P.  Swigcrt  .Jan.  10,    881.. 

W;i8'iincton 

.::..:::.:.... 

Ninian  W.  Edwards M,-h.  -j|,  ls:,l..  Sancm.on...   \,,point,.,l  by  the  Governor 


Newton  Bateman Jan'y.   ,1871. 

Sam'l  M.  Etter ,J»n'y  11,  1876. 

Jawes  P.  Sladr Jan'y  13,  1879. 


Name. 

When 
qualified 

^cZnt^'i                 Remark 

Thomas 1818. 

R.  K.  McLaugnlin 'Aug.  2,  1819. 

Abner  Field Jan.  14,1821. 

James  Hall 'Feb.  12.  1827. 

John  Dement IFeb.  5,  1831. 

ry 'Dec.     5,  1836. 

side Meh.    4,  1837. 

ter !Mch.    6,  1841. 

lAllg.  14  1848. 

John  Moore Dec.  16,  1850. 

James  Miller Sjan.  12,  18S7. 

William  Ilutler jSept.  3,  18M, 

William  Butler Jan.  14,  1801. 

Alexander  Starne 'Jan.  12,  1863. 

James  H  Beveridge jjan.  9,  1865. 

George  W.  Smith Jan.  10,  1867. 

Erastus  N.  Bates Jan.  11,  1869. 

Erastus  N.  Bates jNov.  8,  1870. 

Edward  Kutz |jan.  13,1873. 

Thos.  S.  Ridgeway Jan.  11,  1875. 

Edward  Rutz iJan.  8,  1877. 

I  Jan.  13,  1879, 

|Jan.  10,  1881, 


Bamiltoi 


nted  vice  G'arpent/i 


Attorneys-General. 


Daniel  Pope  Cook 

William   Mears 

Sam'l  D.  Lockwood 

James  Turney 


Ninian^ 

"  Iwards.. 
Jesse  B.  Thomas,  Jr.... 

Walter  B.  Scales 

Usher  F.  Linder 

George  W.  Ulney 

Wiekliffe    Kitehell 

Josiali  hamborn 

.lames  A.  Mrliounall.... 

David  ii.    Campbell 

Robert  G.  Ingersoll  .  ... 
Washington  lluslmoll.. 

James  K.  Edsall 

James  K.  Edsall 

James  McCartney 


Dec.  21,  1846..  Sangamon... 

Feb.  28,  1867..  Pooria 

Jan'y.  11, 1873..  LaSalle 

Jan'y  13,  1873..  Lee 

Jan'y.  8,  1877..     " - 

Jan'y.  10, 1881..  Wayne 


Resigned  March  5,  1 


Resigned  Dec'.'3,"i832.' 

iiosign'ed'FebVTVis'a!"" 
Resigned  Jan'y  8,  183G. 

liesi.nned  D.-c.  2ii,  ls:!i;. 
Resigned  Juno  11, 1838. 


Api>ointed'b'y''G'o'v'.'ogiesby. 


D  B.Walsh !June  11,  lsr,7..  Itock  Island 

Wm.   LoKarnm April    2,  187(1..  Kane 

Cyrus  Thomas \pril  M,  l«7»-  Jackson ' 


ah  C.Berrv  ................  .June  11    1821.. 

ios  W.  11,-rrv  ..............  I»i-e.    19,1828.. 

es  K.  Anderson  .......  Dec.   in,  i.s:::>.. 

Kim™  I'.,  liui'knor  ..........  \i>ril    3,  ls:.7.. 

Wm.c;.   Kennoy  .............  \<l:     :>,  ls:,7.. 

Thomas  S.  Math.-,.  .........  not.    2S.  ls:.s.. 

Allen  C.  Killlor  .................  Nov.    II.   lsi;l. 

Ishani  X.  Hiwni.i  ...........  .lan'v  1C,   ISiir... 

Kdwanl  P.  Nilos  ....................  .'  .....  .  ......... 


i^H                Remttrk3' 
dolph..... 


Uesigiii'd  .Nov7i'i','i839." 


Uexamler... 

Hubert  DilKc-r Meh.  21,  lxi.ii..  Sali'-am.m".'.'. 

Ivlwiti  I.    HI--M,- .l.mV.l,  1ST:!.. 

Edwin  L.  HiRstins 'July      1,1874.. 


Hiram  HillianL.^'Z.'^  .InlV     •>',  is::...  c,...k 

1 Inly      2,  1877..      "      


Hiram  Hilliard 


ice  Kinney,  deceased. 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARD,  LAWRENCE  AND    WABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


POPULATION  OF 


Stat-mont  showing  the  population  of  the  State  of  Illinois  by  Counties,  according  to  the  United  States  census,  from  the  year  1800  to  the  year  1S80, 
of  organization  and  name  o/County  Seat:  . 


Counties.                             1800.  j  1810.  |  1820.  j    1830. 

1840. 

1850. 

1860. 

1870. 

1880.      |      When  organized. 

County  Seats. 

Adams  
Alexand,  r  

......... 

2,186 
1,390 

14,  476 
313 

26,  508 
484 

41,323 
4,707 

56,  362 
10,564 

69,  1481  January  13,  1825  
14,80!)  March  4,   1819  

Qu.injT  

Bond  

tfO\ 

060 
705 
183 

144 
19S 

9,815 
11,  67f 

13  152 
12,942 

12,2(1- 

14,  S73  January  4,  1317  - 
11,527  March   4,1837  
13,044'February  1,  1839  

(/roenvme!!777777 

Hell-idem   
Ml.  Sterling  

Bureau"".'"'  777..77777  777  777  777! 
Calhoun  
Carroll  
Cass  !  

&fi"::.:::::::::z::::::::::::::::::::  :::::::::::::::.. 

Clark  

""'931 

ijogb 
'75.1 

2,330 

,007 

'  475 
878 
453 
228 
718 

231 
586 
2,13 
619 
203 
532 
,280 

26,'426 
6,141 
11,733 
11,325 
14,  629 
10,  492 
11,987 
9,336 
10,941 

34;  415 

6,  562 
16,705 
11,580 
32,  737 
20,  363 
18,719 
15,  875 
16  285 

33,189 
7,471 

i^M 
40,  869 
28,232 
21,900 
16195 
18,718 

February  28,  1837  Princeton  
January  10,182'  Hardin  
Febuarv22,  1839  Mt,  Carroll  
March  3,  1817  -,  Virginia  
February  20,  18'tt  Urbana  
February  15,  1.3:1:1  Tavlorville  
March  22,  1.319  Marshall  
December  23,  1324  Louisville  „... 
December  27.  1.3-21  carlvle  

o8iw.77!.\7!7...7.!.7.777!.7.777  777  7.77  

616 

14,  203 

25  235 

27  01.1  December  2.1,  18311  

Charleston  

Cook  

1     2'Jl 

4:  '  :;7 

144,9.14 

349966 

607,719  January  11,  1J3I  

Chicago  

Crawford  j  '  2,999 
Cumberland  j  !  

3,117 

ru 

11,551 

8,311 

13  889 
12  223 

16,190  December  31,  1816  

Robinson  
Majority  Point  

DeKalb  !  

097 
247 

540 
002 

19,086 
10,  820 

2:1,,-,:, 
14.76S 

--,i7:i  March  4,  183777777!  Sycamore  
17  OulMarch  1,1839  CJinton  

D°,F|^  ::;;::  !  

535 

290 

7,140 
14,701 

15.S.17  February  ri,1317  TusenU  
19  is?  February  9.  1*1!)  Wheaton  

^^577.77.7777777777777  777  "3,444 

Ktfingham  

t:;!!:' 

221 

1 

10,  WS 

5,454 

7   316 

2l!  45? 

7,565 
1.1,05:1 

2jio04  January's,  1823  

1>  Novem1,er23,1sl4  
IM^Fobruaryll,  IR31  

Paris  

Sam7777!77. 

Favette  ,       2,704 

J32S 

075 

11,  !89 

19,613 

23,213  February  14,  1821  

Vandalia  

Ford  

1,979 

9,  103 

15  101  F,.bni..,rV.17,  13.19    

Kir±  ::::::::::::=::..:::::..:::::::::::::::::•.  .^ 

Gallatin  ]  3155 

4,083 
1,841 
7,40,1 

iis-i 

1      112 
1     760 

'tis' 

i508 
4  is 

II 

12,  612 
33,291 
11,134 

16  i-.,,.  January  '2,  1818  
41,219  January  23,  1823  
12,  si;--  September  14,  1312  

Lewisto  \vn77.7.7.777 
Shawneetown  

Greene  

7,674 

1     951            429 

16,093 

20,277 

23,014  January  2;i,  1821  

Carrollton  

Hancock.  !7777777777.7.77777!  777  777 

'483 

941 
946 
378 

362 

r.,12 
887 

10,379 
9,  915 
29  061 

9    v!" 

14,938 
13,  014 

16,  7.1.8  February  17,  1841  
16,712  February  8,  1821.1  
35  31  >  January  18,  1825  
r,  o,l  March'2,  1839  

Morris  
MeLeansboro  

S±fc^!7777 

Henderson  '  '....  :  

612 

12!  ,132 

10,755 

January  20,  1841  

Oquawka  

807 

January  n,  182.1  

C  mbridge  

Iroquois  ,           
Jackson  l,142j       1,828 

69.1 
500 
472 

149 
862 
220 

12^  325 
9589 
8,364 

2.%  782 

ass 

|| 

I'Ybrilary  26,1833  
January  in,  1816  
•-elirnaryll,  1831  

Watseka!.  

702 

109 

12,  965 

17,864 

Iar<-h!iii,]S19  

Mt.WVern'on"77777.7 

jersey...7777777.7777777  777  777  :  

535 

354 

12,051 

15,  054 

IS)  548 

February  28,  18:1!)  

Jerseyville  

Johnson  

Mil        1.596 

626 

114 

9,  342 

11,248 

13,  079 

September  H,  1^2  

Kane  

501 

703 

30,  062 

39,091 

44|  956 

annarv  li1.,  1836  

Kankakee  

15.  412 

2  1!  3.12 

24,  901 

1  1.  ls.11  

Kankak'e'e  'cit7-.7!!7.7. 



73 

13.  074 

12,399 

13,08l!Fehruary19,'l841_  

Yorkville  ".  

274 

(160 

279 

28,  663 

39,122 

Galesburg  

654 

226 

18,257 

21,014 

21^299  March  I,  i>  :• 

Waukegan  

LaSaiie777.  777777.77777.  77!!!  !!!!!!'.'.'.' 

348 

815 

48.332 

60,792 

70,420  January  H.  1831.~~__ 

'  Mtan.l  

Livinjorton  !.... 

777;  Y" 

092 
035 
759 

121 
292 
552 

9,214 
17,651 
11,637 

12,533 
27,171 
31,471 

13,663 

27'  194 
38,450 

January  16.  1821  Xawrenceville  
February  27,  183!)  Dixon  
February.27,  1837  Pontiae  

Logan  

:::!!!:::  ::::7:::::!:: 

333 

128 

14,  272 

23,053 

25,041 

February!),  183!)  

,:        1.122 

039 

988 

13,  738 

26,481 

30,  071 

Janna-y  19,  1829  

Decatur  

Madisopn!..7...'.......'....!'.7.!7.'.7...!.!.7!7!!!!!!!  !!!  ih',"™     6/221 

.326 
1     433 

355 
441 

21,60-2 
31,  351 

32,  726 
44  131 

37,705 
60.141 

January  17,  1329  
September  14,1812  

Carlinville  

E,lwardsville  

&EEEEEEEEEE  E  =  ^. 

742 
849 

12,  739 
13,437 

20,622 

23,091 
15,030 

January  24,   1823  

Salem  
Lacon  

Mason  1  

i!  921 

10,931 

K,  184 

Havana...  

1  

09 

6213 

9581 

10,'  443  j  February  £  1843.777! 

McHenry  7.7.77.777777.77  777  !!!!!!!!. 

ITS 

616 

978 

20,069 

22,  OS,, 

26,509 

23,  762 

24^914 

Ianuary25,  1828  

lanuary  16,183i;  

WooTtoc'k  

16.1 

163 

28,  772 

63,968 

m  115 

1)  mher  -. 

Bloomington7'.!!!7.7!.7 

Mena?d.777:7.7.7.!77.7.7!777  777  7"7!  

431 

349 

9,584 

11,  -:;r. 

13  028 

February  15,  1«39  

Petersburg  

Mercer  
Monroe  
Montgomery  1  
Morgan  
Moultrie  

......... 

1*7  14 

aat 

,481 
1  ,'547 

240 

1 

234 

15,042 
12,832 
13,979 
22,112 
6,  385 

1*71* 
12,932 
25,314 
28  463 
10,3.85 

li 

28,  016 

s$ 

January  13,  1825  
June  1,1816.  „  

February  12,  1821  
January  31,  1823  
February!  i,  1843  

Aledo  
Waterloo  
Hillsboro  „  
Jacksonville  
Sullivan  

Ogle  i         479 

021 

22,888 

27,49? 

29,946 

January'  16,  1836  

Oregon  

Peoria  

153 

1.2).i;           222 

547 
278 

47.640 
13,723 

16',008 

Januar'y  13,  1821  
January  29.  1827  

pike  77777777.7.'  '."  777  77.7  7.7."  ii.wi  'i  728 

KtoEEEE     77:77777  7;::::::  7m....  (:!:4 

Putnam  mo,           13 
Randolph  1,101,7,275     3.-I92I        4429            944 

60C 

sin 

97: 
264 

m 

071 

.6I'?27 
a',  943 

£S 

21)'  855 

15,'  583 
33,761 
13,2,56 
9,507 
IS  555 
25;  691 

January  27,  1841  Monticello  
January  31,  1821  Piltsfield  
April    1,  1816  (Jolcouda  
March  3,  1843  Mound  City  
January  13,  1825  Hennepin  
April  28,  1809  .Chester  

Riebland  

^^!-"77777777!77!7  ::::::::!  7!7!7::77 

Bpngamon  

s-huyier  ;;:;::..;  77; 

2,95!) 

'liiV 

972 

01? 

rls's 

22S 
573 

9,711 
21,005 
9,  331 
32,274 
14,684 

12.  803 
29,  733 
12,714 
46,  352 
17,419 

15,  546 
38,314 
15,  9» 

52,  902 
16,249 

February  24,  1S41  

February  9,  1831  
February  21,  1847  
January  3o,  1821  
January  13,  1325  

Olney  

Itoek  Maud  
Harrisburg  
Springfield  

ftofoiy  

2,972 

21.1 
669 

914 
807 

9,069 
14,  613 

10,  530 
25,  476 

10,74.1  February  16,  1839  
30,282  January  23,1827  

Wincnester!.'.'!!!!!!  777.7 
Shelhyville  

573 

71< 

9,004 

10,  751 

ll,20!i  March  2,1839  

*st.  ciaYr7'7777777!7.7777j"i^55y'v;o7T'5,248 

7  07s 

1     631 

37,694 

61  068 

f.1,850  April  28,  1809  

Belleviii'e".""".'.'.!!!"'."."." 

Stephenson  '  

777 

""4,716 
3,239 

m 

fcii 

m 

25,112 
21,  470 

30,608 
27,  903 
16,  518 

31,  97n  March  4,  1837  
M.U79  January  31,  1827  
18,UKl  January  2.  1818  

Freeport  
Pckin  
Jonesboro  

vermniiion'77.'.7.'.77.:  .7.777.7  :;;;7::  :;  ..::... 

Wabash  
Warren 

5,336 
2,710 
308 

!2ir 
739 

492 
690 
176 

7',  313 
18,336 

ao*sn 

8,841 
23,  174 

41,'  600  January  IS,  1326  
9,  94o|December27,  1824  
22,9to  January  13,  1825  

Danville  
Mt.   Carmel  

\Va»him;t,'ii  

i''i'n 

1,075 
2,553 

810 
133 

953 
825 

13.731 
12,223 

17,  M9 
19,758 

21,117 

21,297 

January  2,  1818  
Mareh'26.1819  

Fairfield  .7.!'.7.'.'.V.V.'7!!.' 

whi,"77777  77.':.'."  !!"!  !7:7  

.i's  - 

6.091 

919 

92T 

12  403 

16,846 

23,089 

December  9,  1815  

Wniteside.                 ..........  7                      ' 

will  ;..!  777.7.77777  777  ..7.7  777  77.77 

tt'illiam-on  
Wmn,  -i,a';o  1  

.1  -1             361 
1     167            703 
457            216 
61  CJ            773 

18,  7S7 
29,321 
12,205 
21  491 

27,503 
43,  013 
17,329 
29,  301 

30,'  838 
53,  424 
19.  32f 
30,  518 

January  16,1836  
January  12,  1ST;  
February  28,  1839  
18.   1836  

M^ison.'.".!...... 
.Toilet  

Rockfor'd.!'.'.'.".'.'!'.'..'.'.'.!.'.....' 

Woodford 

41.1 

$20 

18.95C 

21,  630  February  27,  1841 

Aggregate  '    2,318  12.  ?82  55,162    157,445'  476,  183    851,470 

1,711,911     2,539,  S91 

3,078,63,1 

*  St.  Clair  county  was  organized  April  27th,  1790,  by  Arthur  St.  Cla  r,  then  Governor  and  Commander-in-chief  of  "  The  territory  of  t 
west  of  the  Ohio  river,  '  re-organized  after  Illinois  had  been  established  as  a  Territory,  April  28th,  1809. 

-tales  north- 

MISCELLANEOUS   INFORMATION 


Presidents. 

Secretaries  of  State. 

Secretaries  of  War. 

Postmasters-General 

NO.                       NAME.                             QUALIFIED. 

NO.                      NAME.                                   APPOINTED 

NO.                                HAM*.                   APPOINTED. 

NO.                             NAME.                       APPOINTED. 

1  George  Washington  A  (ml  30, 

7vi 
79! 

17  John  C.  Calhoun  Mar. 

IX  James  Buchanan  Mar. 

XII 

22  William  L.  Marcy  Mar.      0,  1845 
2:;  George    -».  Crawford..  .  Mnr.      8,1849 

4  Gideon  Granger  Nov.    28 
•'          Mar 

sill 

2  John  Adams  .'.'.'..Mar.'    4^ 

7M7 

19  John  M.  Clayton  Mar. 

sei 

24  diaries   M.  Conrad  Am.'.     15,  IS5O 

"              "                          Mar' 

3  Thomas  Jellerso  i  Mar      4, 
Mar.    4, 
4  James  Madisoa  Mar.    4, 

8(15 
809 

Daniel  Webst-r  July   2 
20  Edward  Everett  Nov. 
21    William  L.  Marev  Mar. 

I860 

1X52 
863 

2.-,  .lelterson  Davis  Mar.      5,  1853 
20  John  B.FIovd  Mar.      0.1857 
27  Joseph  Holt  Jan.     18,  1801 

6  Return  J.  Meigs,  Jr  Mar!    1 

1X14 
817 

XI 

22  Lewis  Cass  Mar. 

s:,7 

28  Sim.,,1  i  am.-ron  Mar.      5,  1801 

G  John  McLean  '.......Iiine   2 

6  James  Monroe...'.:'.:::::::::^!.;:  4_; 

M7 
821 

23  Jeremiah  S.  Black  Dec.  1 
24  William  H.  Si-ward  Mar. 

800 
861 

2:i  K'Uun  M.  Staiilon  Ian.     15,    802 
"         Mar.       4,    Xi  5 

7  William  T.  Barry'.'.'.'..'.'.'.'..Mar'.      i 

is 

6  John  Qiiinev  Adams  !!!!  Mar!    '4, 

x-25 

"        April    15,    si;:, 

••      Mar. 

7  Andrew  Jackson.......  ....Ma,     4, 

April  1 
25   E.  B.  Wa-hburne  Mar. 

Sill! 

U.S.  Grant,  ad  infm«i...Anir.     12,    S07 
L  Thomas,      -        "       ...Feb.     21,    xiix 

8  Amos   Kendall  Mav 
Mar 

ii 

8  Martin  Van  Bnreri  '.'.'.'.'.'.'..Marl    4' 
9  Win.  ll.-nrv  Harii-on....Mar.    4, 

X37 
-  II 

•20  Hamilton  fish  Mar.  1 
"    Mar. 

873 

in  John  M.  Sehofield  Mav     2s,    xox 
II  John  A.  Kawlim  .Mar.     11,    si!!) 

9  John  M.  Kiles  May    2 
10  Francis  Granger  Mar. 

Is  1,1 

lo  John  Tvler  April    0, 

sll 

27  William  M.  Evarts  Mar.  1 

12  Wm.  W.   I'.elkliap  Oet.       25,     si,9 

'•               "        Apiil 

lsl[ 

*l  James  K.  Polk  Mar.    4, 

12  Zaeharv  T.ivlor  Mar.     5, 
13  Millard  Filimore  July  In, 

xl'l 

s-,0 

2*  .lamesti.  Blaine  Mar. 
29  Frelinghuysen,  F.  T  Dec., 

xx  i 

881 

Mar.       4,    873 
;::  MphousoTaft  Mar.      8,1870 

:\  .lames   D.  Cameron  Mav      22,  1X70 

llChas.  A.  Wieklifle  Sept.    1 
12  Cave  Johnson  Mar 
13  Ja-'ob  Collamer  Mav. 

1X11 

si:, 
Is  1:1 

14  Franklin  Piei-.-e  Mar.    4, 

s:/t 

',:,  Geo.  W.  McCrary  Mar.     12,  1877 

14  Nathan  K.  Hall  July    23 

1',  James  lliieiiamm  Mar.     4, 

857 

30  Alexander  Kunsev.  Deo.     In,  1H79 

15  Sam'l  T).  Hubbard  Aug     3 

Is'  2 

16  Abraham  Lincoln  .Mar.    4, 

861 

Secretaries  of  the  Treasn 

37  Robert  T.  Lincoln  Mar.      4,  1881 

10  James  Campbell  Ma?' 
17  Aaron    V    Brown              M-ir 

17  Andrew  Johnson,  Auril  1% 
18  Ulysses  S.  Grant  Mar.    4, 

s.';, 

s'':,) 
873 

1  Alex.  Hamilton  Sept.  1 
2  Oliver  Wolcott...'.'.'.'.'.'..'.'.'.'..Feb. 

7..!' 

Secretaries  of  the  Navy. 

IX  Joseph  Holt  Mar.    1 
In  Horatio  Kini:  Feb     1 
20  Montgomery  Blair  Mar. 

S..I 

19  Rutherford  R.  Hayes  ....Mar.     5, 
20  James  A.  GaHield  Mar.     4, 

xx  ! 

"           "       Mar. 
Samuol  Dexter  Jan. 

707 

8ul 

1  Benjamin  Stoddert  -May    21,  1798 

*                !'         '..'-  Mar:      < 

Is!'-! 

21  Chester  A.  Arthur  Sept.  20, 

ss| 

Albert  GaHatin  May  1 

-el 

2.  RobertSmiih  I'.'.'.'.'.'.'.jn'lv    ir,\  ixol 

22  Alex.  W.  Randall  ".'.'.'.'.'."  July'   L 

!m 



d         t(      ^J;|r-   \ 

813 

3.  .1.  Croivnin-hiold  .Mai-.       3,  1SU5 

23  John  A.  J.  Cresswell  Mar. 

is.,, 

Geo.  W.  Carnpbeii'."!"!"!Feb] 

si  ( 

4  Paul   llamilt  m  Mar.       7,  Mill 

Mar. 

1873 

Vice-Presidents. 

Alexander  J    Dallas  Get 
Wm.  H.  Crawford  Oct.  22 

|s|  1 

1816 
817 

5  Wi  Ham  Jones  Ian.      12,  1813 
"            "              ..        Alar       4  1X13 

24  Marshall  Jewell  Aug     •> 
25  James  X.  Tvner  Julv     1 
-20  David  M.-K  Kev  Mar.    1 

1x74 
1x70 

1  John  Adams  Tune    3, 

7s  ' 

0  B.  W.  Orowninshield  Dee.     19,  181  1 

"       Dec.    2, 
2  Thomas  Jefferson  Mar.    4, 
3  Airon  Burr    Mar.    4, 

793 
sol 

Richard  Rush    ...'"..'.'.'."  .Mar 
Samuel  D.  In^ham  Mar. 

821 
823 

1820 

Mar.      4,  1817 
7  Smith  Thompson  Nov.      9,  1818 
Mar.      5,1X21 

•27  Horace  Mavnard  June 
28  Thomas  L.'  James  Mar. 
29  Timothy  O.  Howe  Dec., 

ix'o 

lss| 
IsXl 

4  Goorce  Clinton  Mar.    4, 

1     Louis  M,  'Lane           Aug 

8  Samuel  L.  Southard  Sept.    lo.  Is2:s 

"              "                     Mar    4 
5  Eldridge  Gerry  "'.""'.'...'.'.'Mar.'    4, 
*John  Gaillard  Nov.  25, 

SII'J 
Sll 
si  1 

1     William  J.  Diiane  May  2 
1     Roger  B.  Tanoy  Sept.  23 
1     Lovi  Woo.lbnrv                 Juno! 

x:>  ; 
1833 
1834 

Mar.      4.  182"> 
9  John  Branch  Mar.      9,1829 
in  Lovi  Woo.lbiiry  May     23,  lx:il 

6  Daniel  D.  Tompkins  Mar.    4, 

xl7 

"       '  .'  Mar. 

1837 

"               '•          Mar,      4,  1x33 

Mar.    5, 

XM 

14  Thomas  En  ing  Mar. 

11  Malilon  Diokerson  lime   :io,  ix.il 

7  John  C.  Calhoun  Mar.    4, 

s.,, 
833 
837 

sll 

IS  11 

1843 

is  II 

12  James  K.  Paul  ding".'.".'.'.  June   25,'  1838 
13  Georue  10.  Badger  Mar.      5,  1841 
«•        April      G,  1841 

8  Martin  Van  Buren  Mar.    4, 
9  Kiehard  M.  Johnson  Mar.    4, 

10  John  C.  Spen.  -or  Mav. 
7  George  M.  Bibb  luue  1 

1  Edmund  Randolph  Sept.    2fi 

789 

10  John  Tyler  Mar.    4, 
*Samne'l  L.  Sou-hard  Auril  0, 

841 

sll 

x  Kobert  J.  Walker  Mar. 
19  Wm.  M.  Meredith  Mar. 

1X15 
1849 

14  Abel  P.  Upshur  Sept.    l:;,]sll 
15  David  Hensliaw  Inly    21,  IS43 

2  William  Bradford....'.'.'.'.'.'  Jan'     2 

3  Charles  Lee  Dec. 

7M 

*Willie  P.  Mangum  Mav  31, 

-12 

20  Thomas  Corwin  July  2 

1850 

10  Thomas  W.  (;i  mer  I'Vb.     15,1844 

11  George  M.  Dalla<  Mar.    4, 
12  Millard  Fillinonl  Ma'.    R, 
*William  H.  King  July  11, 
13  William  K.King  Mar.    4, 
*David  R.  Atohison  April  is, 

xr, 
848 

893 

BUS 

-21  .James  Gutlinc  Mar. 
22  llowellCobb  Mar. 
23  Philip  F.  Thomas  Dec.  1 
24  John  A.  Dix  Jan.  1 
2.i  Salmon  P.  Chase  Mar. 

1853 

1  s:,7 
son 

S',1 

1801 

17  John  Y.  Mason  Mar.     14,  1S-U 
is  Geo  ire  Bancroft  Mar.     Ill,  1X45 
Johu'V.  .Mason  Sept.      !i,  1X40 
19  Uiiliuii    11.  Preston  Mar.       8,1841) 
20  William   A.  Graham  Tilly     22,1850 

4  Theophilus  Parsons  !".".'  Feb.'     2 

5  Levi  I.ineoln  Mar 
0  Kobert  Smith  Mar. 
7  John  Breekiuridge  Aug. 
8  ucsar  A.  liodney  Jan. 

sn;, 

*.lesse  D.  Bright     Dee.    5, 
14  John  C.  Breckinriilge...  Mar.    4, 
i:,  Il.-iiinibal  llamlin...'.  Mar.    4, 
16  Andrew  Johnson  Mar.    4, 

*l.afave-te  S.  Foster  April  15, 
*B.-niamin  F.  Wade  Mar.    2, 
17  Sehuvl-r  Col  fax   Mar.    4, 
18  Henry  Wilson  Mnr.    4, 
•Thomas  W.  Ferry  Nov.  22 
19  William  A.  Wheeler  Mar.    5, 
20  Chester  A   Arthur  Mar.    4, 

857 

si;l 

ST, 

set 

S09 

873 

877 
881 

20  Wm.  Pin  Fessenden  lulv 
27  Hugh  MeCalloeh  Mar. 
April  1 
2S  George  R.  Boutwell  Mav.  1 
29  Wm.  A  liichavdson  Mar  1 
30  Bcnj.  II.  Bristow  June 
31  Lot  M.  Mori-ill  luly 
32  John  Sherman  Mar. 
33  William  Wi  -mom  Mar. 
34  Chas.  G.  Folger    Dec., 

864 
805 

1869 
1"73 

1.-7I 
1870 

1877 

ss| 

21  John  P.  Kenne  Iv  Inly     22,  ls:>2 
22  .lam.-s  C.  Dobbin  Mar.      7,1853 
23  Isaac   Toueey  Mar.      o,  1857 
21  Gideon   Welles  „  Mar.      5,1801 
"       Mar.       4,  1S05 
'•       April    15,  is,;-, 
25  A.lolph   E.  Borie  Mar.      5,  IHiil 
2,  Ceo.   M.  Kobeson  June     25,  ISi-.ll 
"          Mar.       4    1X73 

27  b'ieh.  w.  Thompson  Mar.    12,  1x77 
M  Nathan  Gofl;  Jr.  ton.      6,1881 

9  William  Pinkney'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.Dec.'    1 

10  Kiehard  Uush  '.'.'..'.."'.>"£    1 
11  WilMam  Wirt.'.'.".'.'..V.'.'.'.'.'.':Nov:    1 

"      .......  ......Mar.' 

12  John  M.  Jierrien  Mar 
13  Roger  B.  Taney  July    2 

XI  N'I 

s|4 
-17 
S17 
S2I 

828 

Sl-l 

S3] 
s    'i 

.21  David  Davis  Oct.    13,  1881 

'  

2:1  W.  H.  Hunt  .Mar.      4,  1881 
30  W.  E.  Chandler  April,         1882 

11  Benjamin  F.  Bufier!~!Ijio£     1 

883 

'Acting  Vice-Presidcnt  and  PreFident 

Secretaries  of  War. 



i-  F  ,r"    C        d        "     ^'I'- 

s.;, 

pro  tern  of  the  Senate. 

Secretaries  of  the  Interior. 

ll!  Henry  'D.  Gifpi[V...'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.!JaZ'    1 

s'io 



1  Henry  Knox  ..Sept. 

1780 
1703 

1  Thomas  Ewing  Mar.      8,  1849 

April 

sll 
XII 

Secretaries  of  State. 

TimothyPjckerin'g'':::.'.'.'jan.' 
James  MeHenry  Jan^,     2' 

17:'-' 
17:i_. 

2  Alex.  H.  Stuart  Sept.    12,  1X50 
3  Robert  MeClellaud  Mar.       7    Is;,:; 

18  JJugh  S.  Legare  Sept. 
19  John  Nelson  July 
"u  John  V   Mason                 Mar 

1 

1  Thomas  Jefferson  Sept.  20,  1789 
Mar.     4,  17W 

Samuel  Dexter  May     ]: 
Uoger  Griswold  Feb. 

IS   '] 

5  Caleb  B.  Smith  Mar.      5,  1X01 
0  John  P.  Usher  Jan.       8,  1803 

•21  Nathan  Clifford  (let. 
22  Isaae  Toueey  lime 

sir, 
848 

2  Edmond  Randolph  Ian.     2   1791 
3  Timothy  Piekering  Dor.  lo,  I7'.r> 

4  John  Marshall  .'.".'.'.'.'.May  13,'  1800 
B  James  Madison  Mai-.    5,  ixm 

Henry  Dearborn  ..Mar. 

William  Eustis...'..".'..'....".Mar'. 
John  Armstrong  Jan. 
Mar. 

ISiil 

1-", 

1809 
Is!-: 
1813 

7  James  Harlan  .'.'.'.'.'.'..  .'.'.'..'."Mav     i\  I8H 
8  0.  H.  Browning  Julv     27.lxoo 
11  Jacob  D.  Cox..!  Mar.      6,  1809 

2::  Itever.lv  Jonnson  Mar. 
John  J  Crittenden  July 
-21  Caleb  Cu.hing  Man 
25  Jeremiah  8.  Slack  Mar. 
20  Edwin  M.  Slanton  Dec. 

MB 

s  ,3 
S'io 

Mar.    4,  1805 
G  Robert  Smith  Mar.    6,  1809 

9  James  Monroe  Sept. 
10  Win.  H.  Crawford  Aug. 

l  -1  1 
Is]., 

M  Columbus  D.-hino  Nov.      1,1870 
41                  *•      Mar.      4,  1873 

27  Kdward  Bates  Mar. 
T.  J.  Coffey.  nd  int  June 

.'.1 

7  James  Monroe  April  2,  1S11 
"       Mar.    4,  1813 
8  John  Quiney  Adams  Mar.    fi,  1817 

11  George  Graham  nd  Inter 
12  John  C.  Calhoun  Oct. 
"                    "        Mav. 

1817 

1-  :l 

11  Zachariah  Chandler  Oet.      I:>.  1X75 
I2<3arl  Seburz  Mar.    12,1877 
13  Samuel  .  I.  Kirkwood  Mar.      4,    sxl 

28  James  Speed  Dee. 
"      '.'.'..'.'.'.'..'.'.'.'.'.'.  April    1. 

| 

s,::, 

"           "          •'        Mar.    5]  1x21 
9  Henry  Clay  Mar.    7,  1825 

13  James  Barlx.ur  Mav. 
14  Peter  B.  P.uter  Mav 

1  128 

14  Henry  M.  Teller  \pril,        1882 

20  llenrv  Stanberv  lulv 
3'i  William    M    lOvarts  July 

s,:,; 

sis 

11  Martin  Van  Huron  Mar.     0,  1X211 

5  John  H.  Eaton  Mar. 

1829 

31  E.  lioi-kwood   Iloa-  .Mar. 

11    Edward  Livingston  Mav  21,  lx:ll 
12  Louis  Mr-Lane  Mav  29    1833 
13  John  Forsyt.h  June  27,  Is:;-, 
Mar.    4    is::7 
14  Daniel  Weh.ter  Mar.    5,  1*41 

0  Lewis  Cass  Aug. 

18S1 
1841 

|sll 

Postmasters-General. 

32  Amos  T.  Akerman  June 
33  George  it.  Williams  liee.     1 

31  Edward  Pi'-rropont...'.'..Aiiri'l    2t 
35  Alphonso  Taft  Mav 

870 
871 

B7« 
876 

17  Joel  R  Poius  It  Mar. 
18  John  Bell  Mar. 
"     April 

1  Samuel  Gsgood  Sept.    26,  1789 
2Timolhy    fiokering  Ujg.      12.1791 
"          Mar       4,  1793 

April    fi,  1*11 

19  John  C.  Spencer  Oct. 

IM1 

3  Joseph  Habersham  F.  b.    25,  17;i:> 

30  Charles  Devens  Mar 

m 

5  Hugh  S.  Legare  Mav    21,    S!:' 
•0  Abel  P.  Upshnv  Ju:v  21.    si: 

20  James  M.  PO-UT  Mar. 
21  William    Willdns,  Feb.     1 

i  -i:: 

Mar.      4.  1797 
Mar.      4.  1S01 

37  Wavue  Mat'Vengh  Mar 

! 

SPEAKERS  OF  THE  HOUSE  OF  REPRESENTATIVES. 


F.  A.  Muhl.nberg  Pennsylvania  
Jonathan  Trumbull  |  Connecticut  
F.  A.  Milhlenberg  Pennsylvania  

1st  C  -ngress  

2d  Congress....  

April  1,  1789,  to  March  4,  1791  

October  24,  1791.  to  March  4,171)3  
December  2,  1711.1,  to  March  4,  17D.1  

17.50 

1740 

1801 
1809 

Jonathan  Dayton  

New  Jersey  
Massaehusetts'.'.!!!!'.!'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.!'.'!!!!!'.' 

4th  Congress  
5thCon|res,  

lieeetnl.er  7,  179,1  ,  t"  .March  4,  1797  
.Mav  i:>,  171)7,  t"  March  :i,  1799  
December  •_'.  1791),  to  March  4,  Isol  

1760 

1823 

Nathaniel  Macon  

North  Carolina  

sth  Connress  

December  7.  lx"l.  to  March  4,  L8U3  
October  17,  Iso:;,  to  -Mar.-h    1,  lso.1  
December  2.  Iso:,,  i,,  .March  1.  INC  

17,17 

1837 

Joseph  B.  Varnum  
Henry  Clay  '.'.'.!!!' 

Langdon  Cheves!!  !....! 
Henry  Clay  

Massachusetts  
Kentucky  ^^"VZZZ 

10th  Congress  
IHli  Congress  
12tli  Congress  
l:!th  Congress  
13th  Congress  
11th  Cotiuress  
15th  Congress  _  

1-07,  t.,  March  4,  ismi  
Mav  22.  1  si  in,  to  .March  4,  isll  
November  4,  1811.  to  March  4,  1813  
May  24,  isl.  i,  t.,  .human-  19.1x14  
lanuaiv  19,  Ixl  1,  to  -Mai'vh   1,  ixl.1  
December  4,  l.sl.1,  to  M-rch  I,  181.1  
ember  1,  lsl7,  to  March  4,  1819  

1750 

i'fn 

1821 
1852 

i's'iV 

Philip  P.  Barbo'u'r'."!.!'.  '.  '.  !...'.'.'.'.'.'.!!. 
Homy  Clay  
John  W.  Taylor  

S^EEEEEE 

Virginia  

10th  Congress  
17th  Coiinres*  
18th  Congress  
lath  Congress  
2(lth  Congress  
21st  Connress  
2-'d  Congress  

November  15.  I8a>,  t"  Mar.-h  4,  1821  
December  4,  1x21.  to  March  4.  1823  
December  1,  1x2:1,  to  March  4.  1825  
Dec.  inbi'l-5.  1x2.1,  I"  March  4.  1x27  
December  :i,  1x27,  t"  Mar,  h  4,  ]XL:'  
December  7,  1x29,  to  March  4.  lx:il  
December-.,  lx:n.  to  March  -li  lx:;:i  

1784 

1783 

1784 

as 

1857 

John  Bell  '."".'.'.'.'.'.'.!'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'."."'.'!!!.".!!!!. 
James  K.  Pol  i  

Tennessee,  2d  Session  

23d  congress..'.'.'.'..!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

_'4th   Conmvss  
2.1th  Congress  

1  i.-ce  or  L',  ix:;:i.  to  June  :>.  IK'A  
June  2,  1834,  to  Mar.  h  4,  is:!:,  
December  7,  18:::,,  to  Maivh  4,  lx:;7  
September.',,  18:',-.  to  March  4,1X39  

1797 
1795 

1869 
1849 

Robert  M.  T.  Hunter  

Virginia  

December  In.  l.vls,  to  .Maivh  4,  1841  

1809 

John   Woite  

Kciilucky  

Mav  31    1841,  to  March  4.  Isl:!  

1846 

Jol,n\V.  Jones  
John   \V.   Davis  

Virginia..  
ndiana  

,'Sth  Congress  
«)th  Congress  

December  4,  1x1:1,  to  March  4.  Isl:.  
December  1,  1x4.1.  to  March  4,  1x17  

1805 
1799 

1848 

Robert  C.  \Vinthro|.  ft  

UMsaohQBeiu  

December  0,  1817.  to  March  1.  1x41)  

1809 

Howeil  C.,l,l,  
Linn  lioyd  

Georgia  
Kentucky  

H-t  Congress  
!2.l  CJongress  

!:id  Congress  

Dcc«mb,r22,  1,819.  to  M,.r,  1,4,1851  
December  1,  ls:i,  to  Mar.-h  4.  1  8.1:1  
December  5,  I8S3,  to  March  1,  1-55  

IMS 
1800 

1808 
1859 

Nathaniel  P.  Hanks  Massachusetts  

Febril.-irv  2    Ix.lo,  10  Jla-ch  4,  1x57  

1816 

James  L.  Orr  South   Carolina  

),  mber7,  lx.17,  to  .Maivh  4,  ls.19  

1873 

Wra.  Pennington  New  Jersey  
Galusha  A.  Grow  Pennsylvania  
Bohuyler  Colfax  Indiana  

)0th  Congress  
17th  C  ngress  -. 
i8th  Congress  

February  1,  Ism,  t»  Maivh  4,  1801  
illy  4,  isr.l,  to  March  4,  Is.;.!  
lecetnber  7,  Isi  :i,  to  Maivh  4,  Isr:,  

171)6 
18-23 
1823 

1862 

Kith  Congress  

ilarch  4,  18(17,  t.,  March  4,  IMHI  

James  G.  Elaine  

Maine  

larch  4,  18011,  to  March  4,  1871  

1830 

March  -I,  1871,  to  Mai'.-h  1,  1x73  



Michael  C.  Kerr  
Samuel  J.  Ramlall  

In.liana  
Pennsylvania,  2d  Session  

44th  Congress  „  
44th  Congress  

December  0,  1875,  to  August  20,  1870  
>e,'.cmbcr4.  Is7n,  to  March  4,  1877  
Ictober  1.1.  1x77,  to  March  1,  1879  

its 

1876 





46th  Congress  

March  18,  1879,  to  



POPULATION   OF  THE  UNITED  STATES  AT  EACH  CENSUS,   FROM  1790  TO  188O,   FROM  THE  OFFICIAL  CENSUS. 
»nd  Territories.  1790.  1800.    I     181O.         1820.        1830.    ] 


Wyomi 

The  Territories 

Total  Population 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


CHAPTER  III. 


GEOGRAPHY,   AGRICULTURAL    RESOURCES 
RAILROAD  FACILITIES. 


EDWARDS    COUNTY. 


AXD 


stone,  as  may  be  seen  from  the  outcroppings  along  the 
banks.  Between  two  seams  of  sandstone  shale  low  vein 
of  coal  appears,  and  in  an  early  day  was  taken  out  in 
small  quantities  by  the  blacksmiths  for  their  forges  at 
Albion. 

Soil  and  Agriculture. — The  soil  on  the  rolling  upland 
is  a   chocolate-colored  clay  loam,    well   charged   with 
HE  county  of  Edwards  was  erected  in  1814,  j  humus  from  decomposed  vegetable  matter,  and  is  very 
and  was  the  sixth  county  formed  in  what  is  I  productive,  being  specially  adapted  to  the  culture  of  the 

best  quality  of  wheat,  of  oats,  and  the  grasses.  The 
bottom  lands  along  Bonpas  creek  are  heavily  timbered, 
but  when  cleared  and  brought  into  cultivation  are  very 


now  the  State  of  Illinois.      At  its  organi- 
zation it  embraced  nearly  all  the  eastern 
portion  of  the  territory  of  Illinois,  and  a  part  of  the 


territories   of  Wisconsin   and   Michigan, 
boundary  extending    to   Upper   Canada. 


one  of    the  smallest  counties 


ts   northern  I  productive,  and  constitute   the  best  corn  lands  in  the 
southern  part  of  the  State.     At  this  time  wheat  is  the 


the    State,  and   is 


staple  product  of  the  county.     In  an  early  day,  corn 


bounded  as  follows :  On  the  north  by  Richland,  east  stood  at  the  head  of  the  list  in  acreage.  A  little  later, 
by  Wabash,  south  by  White  and  west  by  Wayne  \  pork  became  the  leading  product,  and  furnished  the 
county.  It  is  about  twenty-one  miles  from  north  J  greater  revenue  to  the  farming  community.  It  should 
to  south,  and  is  eleven  miles  in  width,  and  contains  be  noticed  here  that  horticulture  is  among  the  leading 

industries.     Both  the  soil   and  climate  are   admirably 
adapted  to  the  culture  of  all  kinds  of  fruit. 

Hydrography —On  account  of  most   of   the   surface 


141,280  acres   of  land,  about  five-eighths  of  which  is 
under  cultivation. 

Population. — The  population  of  the  county  is  com- 
posed mainly  of  people  of  English  descent,  and  according  j  being  more  or  less  undulating,  the  natural  drainage  of 


to  the  census  of  1880,  numbered  as  follows : 


Albion, 

West  Salem, 

Shelby,. 

French  Creek  and  Dixon, 


.  3,301 
.  1,857 
.  1,521 


Albion,  the  capital  of  the  county,  is  situated  a  little 
south  of  the  centre,  on  the  Louisville,  Evansville,  and 
St.  Louis  railway,  and  about  four  miles  west  of  the  line 


the  county  is  necessarily  good.  The  main  water  course  is 
|  the  Bonpas,  extending  along  the  entire  eastern  boundary. 
In  an  early  day.it  formed  a  means  of  transit  for  many  of 
the  products  of  Edwards  and  Wabash  counties.  Flat 
boats  have  been  floated  down  this  creek  from  as  far 
north  as  west  Salem ;  and  in  about  1840,  as  many  as 
twenty  boats,  within  a  year,  have  passed  through  the 
Bonpas,  and  thence  down  the  Wabash  and  other  rivers 
to  the  southern  markets.  The  other  streams  of  lesser 
note  are  the  little  Wabash  in  the  northwest,  Big  creek 


of  the  Peoria,  Decatur,  and  Evansville  road.  It  is  nicely  j  in  the  southwest,  French  creek  in  the  south,  and  Bear 


located  on  high  rolling  ground,  and  the  surrounding 
country  is  among  the  best  in  southern  Illinois.  At  this 
writing,  it  contains  a  population  of  about  one  thousand 
inhabitants. 

Topography. — The  surface  of  the  uplands  is  quite 
rolling,  but  there  are  some  limited  areas  of  rather  flat 
timbered  lands  above  the  level  of  the  creek  bottoms, 
forming  what  is  known  as  terrace  lands.  Originally 


creek  in  Shelby  precinct.  The  latter  discharges  its 
waters  into  the  little  Wabash.  Sugar  creek,  and  the 
head  waters  of  Fox  river  are  also  important  factors 
of  the  drainage  system  iu  the  northwest  part  of  the 
county.  One  point  that  the  farmers  of  Edwards  have 
not  fully  realized  the  value  of,  is  that  of  surface  drain- 
age by  tiling.  Experience  has  taught  those  who  have 
tried  it,  that  it  matters  not  how  much  nature  may  have 


the  main  surface  was  covered  with  heavy  timber,  but  [  done  in  the  way  of  draining  the  soil,  if  one  would  reap 
interspersed  here  and  there  with  prairie  patches,  ranging  !  the  greatest  benefits  from  the  farm,  he  must  have  it  well 
iu  area  from  one  section  to  four  or  five  square  miles  iu  j  underlayed  with  tile,  which  has  the  effect  of  keeping  the 
surface.  The  largest  of  these  is  the  Bold nghouse  Prairie,  j  surface  porous,  warm,  and  alive.  There  is  but  little  if 
situated  a  little  south  and  west  from  Albion.  A  peculi-  I  any  land  in  the  county  not  susceptible  of  improvement, 
arity  of  some  of  these  prairies  is,  that  the  soil  is  cold  and  I  and  fine  farms  and  farm  buildings  are  seen  on  every 
somewhat  unproductive.  The  principal  kind  of  timber  j  hand,  forming  a  picture  pleasant  to  behold, 
on  the  uplands  is  the  white  oak,  but  when  once  cleared  j 
from  the  laud  the  black  oak  takes  its  place.  On  the  low 
grounds,  near  the  streams,  may  be  found  in  large 
abundance  the  water-oak,  sweet  gum,  ash,  soft  maple, 
and  other  varieties.  There  is  but  one  point  in  the 
county  where  the  surface  rises  to  anything  like  high 


LAWRENCE   COUNTY 


was  organized  in  1821,  and  was  originally  a  part  of 
Edwards.  It  embraces  an  area  of  upwards  of  280  square 
miles,  or  183,526  acres.  The  following  is  taken  from 


bluffs,  and  this  is  on  the  Little  Wabash  in  Shelby  pre-  j  the  assessor's  report  for  1882.  Acres  of  wheat,  40,413  ; 
cinct.  Here  the  banks  are  quite  steep  and  rise  to  the  I  corn,  36,046  ;  oats,  5,903 ;  meadow,  10,596 ;  other  prod- 
height  of  about  sixty  feet.  This  is  underlaid  with  sand-  I  ucts,  2,443.  Acres  inclosed  in  pasture,  24,076  ;  in  or- 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


chard,  2,516;  of  woodland,  61,533,  showing  a  total  of 
183,526  acres. 

The  county  is  bounded  on  the  north  by  Crawford 
county,  on  the  east. by  the  Wabash  river,  south  by 
Wabash  county,  and  west  by  Richland  county.  It  lies 
nearly  equidistant  from  St  Louis  and  Indianapolis,  the 
distance  being  about  one  hundred  and  twenty-five  miles,  j 
and  forms  one  of  the  eastern  tier  of  the  counties. 

The  Population  is  composed  of  various  nationalities, 
and  according  to  the   census  of  1880,  was  numbered 
13,633.     The  county  is  divided  into  nine  townships,  viz.,  j 
Christy,  Lawrence,  Allison,  Denison,  Lukin,  Bridgeport, 
Petty,  Bond,  and  Russell. 

Lawreneeville,  the  county  seat,  is  situated  on  or  near  the 
west  shore  of  the  Embarras  river,  and  is  centrally  located. 
The  Wabash,  St.  Louis,  and  Pacific  railway  extends 
through  its  territory  from  north  to  south,  and  the  Ohio 
and  Mississippi  road  passes  about  three-fourths  of  a  mile 
south  of  town. 

Land  Surface. — The  greater  portion  of  the  county  j 
was  originally  covered  with  heavy  timber,  though  there 
are  a  few  small  prairies  in  the  south  and  northwest. 
The  surface  is  generally  rolling,  but  in  no  part  is  it 
sufficiently  broken  to  be  unfit  for  cultivation.  The  ele- 
vation above  the  water  courses,  is  nowhere  very  great; 
on  the  uplands  its  altitude  will  range  from  fifty  to  one 
hundred  feet.  The  most  elevated  lands  are  the  Perkin's 
hills,  situated  in  the  north  part  of  Christy's  township. 

Drainage  and  Climate. — The  principal  water  courses,  j 
besides  the  Wabash,  are  the  Embarras  river,  traversing 
the  northeast  with  its  affluents,  Brushy  Fork  and  Indian 
creek,  which  drain  the  north  and  central  portion,  and 
Raccoon  creek  and  the  eastern  fork  of  the  Bonpas; 
which  drain  the  south.  East  of  Lawreneeville,  and 
situated  between  the  Embarras  and  Wabash  riversj 
there  is  an  extensive  marsh  from  to  two  to  four  milts  in 
width,  and  about  ten  miles  in  length,  called  Purgatory 
swamp.  On  the  east  and  north  of  this  low  belt,  there  is 
quite  an  area  of  bottom  prairie ;  the  northern  or  upper 
portion  is  known  as  Allison's  prairie,  and  the  lower  por- 
tion as  Russellville  prairie.  The  climate  is  healthful  and 
pleasant,  being  a  happy  medium  between  the  extremes 
of  heat  and  cold,  and  thus  well  adapted  to  the  culture  of 
fruits  and  the  various  kinds  of  cereals. 

Soil  and  Timber.— The  Wabash  and  Embarras  rivers 
are  skirted  with  broad  alluvial  bottoms  and  level 
table  lands,  ranging  from  two  to  four  miles  in  extent,  j 
Some  portions  of  the  latter  are  quite  sandy,  and  con^ti- 
tute  the  terrace  prairies  between  the  Wabash  and  Pur- 
gatory swamp.  During  the  seasons  of  high  water,  this 
portion  of  the  county  is  more  or  less  inundated ;  the 
cultivation  of  the  land  is  thus  impeded,  and  the  farms 
are  therefore  of  less  value  in  the  market.  The  uplands 
are  generally  rolling,  and  in  a  state  of  nature,  were 
heavily  timbered,  though  at  this  time  much  of  the  land 
has  been  brought  under  a  good  state  of  cultivation. 
The  principal  products  are:  wheat,  barley,  corn,  oats, 
and  the  grasses. 


Perennial  Springs  and  artificial  mounds  are  found  in 
different  parts  of  the  county.  At  the  foot  of  the  Perkin's 
hills  there  are  several  of  these  springs,  that  furnish  an 
abundance  of  excellent  water.  J.  C.  Foster,  who  resides 
in  section  27,  Petty  township,  utilizes  them  by  convey- 
ing the  water  through  pipes  to  his  house  and  farm,  situ- 
ated one-half  mile  away.  One  of  these  springs  forms 
quite  a  branch,  and  when  united  with  the  wa  er  that 
flows  from  the  surrounding  springs,  the  discharge  is 
borne  away  into  Paul's  creek.  At  what  was  known  sev- 
eral years  ago  as  the  "  clay-banks,"  east  of  the  Embarras, 
in  Lawrence  township,  there  are  also  numerous  springs, 
besides  several  Indian  mounds,  relics  of  a  pre-historic 
race  ;  by  excavating,  it  is  found  that  the  earth  forming 
these  mounds  is  of  an  entirely  different  composition  to 
that  of  the  land  surrounding  them,  proving  beyoi.d 
question  that  the  mound-builders  once  inhabited  this 
region. 

WABASH  COUNTY. 

Was  created  in  1824,  having  formed  a  part  of  the 
great  territory  of  Edwards  county,  and  received  its 
name  from  the  river  washing  its  eastern  boundary.  In 
area,  number  of  population,  and  products,  it  closely  re- 
sembles the  present  county  of  Edwards,  being  bounded 
as  follows:  on  the  north  by  Lawrence  and  Richland 
counties ;  on  the  east  and  south  by  the  Wabash  river ; 
and  west  by  Edwards  county,  Bon  pas  creek  forming  the 
boundary  line  between  the  two  counties.  It  has  an  area 
of  upwards  of  140  000  acres  of  land,  about  half  of  which 
is  under  cultivation.  The  general  outline  of  the  county 
is  in  the  form  of  a  V ;  its  greatest  length  from  north  to 
south  is  twenty-two  miles,  and  from  east  to  west,  sixteen 
miles.  It  embraces  two  full,  and  thirteen  fractional  parts 
of  congressional  townships,  and  is  divided  for  political 
purposes  into  seven  voting  precincts,  known  as  Wabash, 
Frieudsville,  Lancaster,  Lick  Prairie,  Bellmout,  Mt. 
Carmel,  and  Coffee.  ^ 

Population. — According  to  the  census  of  1880,  the 
population  of  the  county  numbered  9,908,  composed  of 
persons  of  English,  German,  IrUh,  French,  and  African 
descent ;  the  English  element  largely  predominating. 
Mt  Carmel,  the  county  seat,  situated  on  the  Wabash 
liver,  is  the  largeSt  town,  having  a  population  of  2,040 
in  1880.  Bellmout,  next  in  size,  numbered  350 ;  Allen- 
dale,- 290. 

Topography. — The  surface  of  the  country  is  somewhat 
varied,  and  for  general  description  may  be  readily  divi- 
ded into  the  uplands  and  the  bottoms  ;  the  former  con- 
stitute about  two-thirds  of  the  area.  By  looking  on  the 
map  of  Wabash  county,  it  will  be  seen  that  the  territory 
is  nearly  included  or  surrounded  by  two  considerable 
water  courses,  the  Wabash  river  and  Bonpas  creek  ;  each 
of  these  streams  are  embraced  by  a  large  body  of  bottom 
land,  including  nearly  one-third  the  area  of  the  county- 
These  uplands  are  more  or  less  undulating,  while  there 
are  small  areas  of  rather  flat  timbered  land  above  the 
level  of  the  river  bottoms,  forming  a  second  bottom  or 
terrace  land.  At  Mt.  Carmel  there  are  quite  prominent 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  W ABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


bluffs,  the  city  being  situated  about  one  hundred  and 
forty  feet  above  the  level  of  the  river. 

Hydrography. — The  county  is  well  supplied  with  water 
courses,  the  whole  eastern  and  southern  boundaries  being 
washed  by  the  Wabash,  and  the  entire  western  portion 
drained  by  Bonpas  creek  and  its  tributaries.  Raccoon 
creek  empties  into  the  Wabash  from  the  northeast,  and 
the  Little  Bonpas  discharges  its  waters  into  the  Bonpas 
from  the  northwest.  Besides  the  foregoing,  there  are 
several  smaller  branches,  the  principal  of  which  are : 
Coffee,  Greathouse,  Crawfish,  and  Jordan  creeks. 

Soil  and  Agriculture. — In  the  vicinity  of  the  Wabash 
bluffs  the  clayey  soil  peculiar  to  the  uplands  is  modified 
by  the  sandy  marls  of  the  Loess  upon  which  it  rests;  yet 
these  soils  are  quick  and  productive,  yielding  large  crops 
of  all  the  cereals  cultiva'ed  in  this  climate.     The  soil  of 
the  uplands  is  of  a  chocolate-colored  clay  loam,  similar 
in  all  respects  to  the  upland  soil  of  Edwards  county,  and  : 
it  is  upon  this  land  that  the  best  quality  of  wheat  is  | 
produced.     In  a  state  of  nature  it  was  but  meagerly  j 
covered  with  timber,  and  was  therefore  not  considered 
valuable,  but  by  good  cultivation  it  has  been  found  to  | 
be,  fur  certain  agricultural  purposes,  the  best  land  in  ; 
the  county.     The  bottom  lands  along  the  Wabash  and 
Bonpas  are  tracts  of  heavy  timber,  the  land  being  a  deep 
alluvial   soil,   with   sandy   subsoil ;   when   cleared   and  ; 
placed  under  good  cultivation,  it  is  the  most  productive 
land  in  the  county,  yielding  most  bountiful  crops  of 
maize,  oats,  and  gras;es. 

Transportation  Facilities. — The  first  means  employed 
for  transportation  of  the  surplus  products  of  this  part  of  I 
the  country  were  rafts  and  rudely-constructed  flat-boats, 
on  the  Wabash,  along  the  eastern  boundary  of  the  then  1 
Edwards  county.    The  first  steamboat  that  navigated  the 
Wabash  as  fjr  north  as  Mt.  Carmel  was  the  ':  Commerce," 
in  about  1819.   It  came  from  Cincinnati,  and  was  comman- 
ded by  Jacob  Strader ;  its  farthest  passage  north  w  s  to 
Terre  Haute.     Only  now  and  then  did  steamers  navigate 
the  Whba&b,  until  1832,  when  steam-boating  on  the  river 
was  conducted  with  much  regularity.     Prior  tot!  is,  one 
boat  during  the  year   was  about  the  extent  of  steam 
navigation.     From  1832  until  1856  the  river  traffic  was 
quite  active,  but  as  soon  as  the  railroads  commenced  op-  I 
erations,  the  business  fell  off,  the  railroads  having  almost  ! 
the  entire  monopoly  as  common  carriers. 

Railroads. — Railroading  is  comparatively  a  new  in- 
dustry ;  many  centuries  have  adrled  their  contributions 
to  science,  yet  during  only  about  fifty  years  have  rail- 
roads been  known.  Scientists  of  all  ages  have  grappled 
with  the  various  problems  of  government  and  political 
economy,  social  life,  and  questions  of  demand  and  supply, 
and  left  the  records  of  their  labors  for  our  instruction  ; 
the  accumulated  wisdom  of  centuries  furnishes  much 
material  from  whence  we  can  draw  such  knowledge, 
but  railroads  are  institutions  of  to-day — this  is  the  "  Iron  j 
Age,"  wherein  distance  is  virtually  wiped  out  and  "push"  ! 
has  become  the  watch-word  of  the  nineteenth  century.  '* 

The  first  railway  constructed  in  the  Mississippi  valley 


was  in  1837,  and  WJS  known  as  the  Illinois  and  St.  Louis 
railroad;  it  was  built  by  Governor  Reynolds,  Vital 
Jarrot  and  a  few  others,  and  extended  from  the  Missis- 
sippi bluffs  on  the  east,  at  the  old  town  of  Pittsburg,  to 
East  St.  Louis — a  distance  of  about  six  miles.  It  was 
constructed  with  a  wooden  rail,  and  the  cars  were  moved 
by  horse-power.  It  was  only  used  for  conveying  coal 
from  the  mines  at  Pittsburg  to  the  St.  Louis  markets. 

In  1837,  under  the  popularly  so-called  Internal  Im- 
provement scheme  of  Illinois,  grading  was  commenced 
from  Mt.  Carmel,  in  Wabash  county/westward, 'simul- 
taneously with  like  work  from  Alton,  eastward,  along 
the  proposed  line  of  the  Illinois  Southern  cross  road, 
which  recognized  Alton  and  Mt.  Carmel  as  its  termini, 
by  Messrs.  Bonham,  Shannon,  and  Goforth,  who  had 
the  contract  from  Mt.  Carmel  to  Albion.  They  subse- 
quently associated  with  themselves  in  this  work  John 
Brisenden,  Sr.  They  employed  in  all  nearly  four  hundred 
hands.  West  from  Albion,  and  in  the  limits  of  Edwards 
county,  like  work  was  done  under  a  contract  let  to 
Messrs.  Hall  and  Kiuner. 

The  grading  of  near  twenty  miles  of  road  was  com- 
p'eted  in  1839,  and  then  the  work  was  dropped.  Ou 
the  third  of  June,  1849,  under  act  of  the  Legislature  of 
the  preceding  session,  the  roadway  was  sold  to  the  high- 
est bidder.  General  William  Pickering  bought  it  for 
the  insignificant  sum  of  three  hundred  dollars.  It  was 
not  until  1871  that  the  property  again  attracted  atten- 
tion, and  became  the  route  of  the  present  Air  Line.  Iii 
February,  1872, }  the  first  train  crossed  the  Little 
Wabash  into  Edwards  county,  and  a  few  weeks  after- 
wards they  were  running  into  Albion,  the  county  seat. 

What  wonderful  progress  has  been  made  in  railroad  fa- 
cilities and  transportation  since  that  time.  In  all  parts 
of  our  land  may  now  be  heard  the  shrill  whistle  of  the  iron 
horse,  but  Illinois,  the  great  Prairie  State,  leads  the  van  in 
the  number  of  miles  of  rail  in  this  age  of  improvement. 

Wabash,  St.  Louis  and  Pacific,  more  widely  and  com- 
monly known  as  "The  Wabash,"  has  a  greater  number 
of  miles  of  track  in  these  counties  than  any  other 
railroad.  Through  a  system  of  consolidation,  unpar- 
alleled in  America,  it  has  become  the  giant  among 
railroads.  This  consolidation,  it  is  estimated,  has  added 
over  $50,000,000  to  the  value  of  bonds  and  shares  of  the 
various  companies  now  incorporated  in  the  Wabash  sys- 
tem. The  road  takes  its  title  from  the  river  which 
forms  the  eastern  boundaries  of  Lawrence  and  Wabash 
counties.  The  road  extended  through  the  above  counties 
U  now  a  part  of  the  great  Wabash  system  The  follow 
ing  is  a  brief  history  of  this  branch  of  the  road.  The 
northern  portion  was  first  known  as  the  Paris  and  Dan- 
ville road,  and  was  chartered  March  23,  1869.  It  was 
put  in  operation  from  Danville  to  Paris,  Illinois,  in  Sep- 
tember, 1872;  from  Danville  to  Robinson,  August, 
1*7.5;  from  Danville  to  the  Ohio  and  Mississippi  junc- 
tion, May,  1876.  It  commenced  running  passenger 
trains  to  Vincennes,  over  the  O.  &  M.  railway  track  in 
May,  187(5 ;  commenced  running  freight  trains  from  the 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WAS  ASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


O.  &  M.  Junction  to  St.  Francisville,  over  the  St.  F.  &  | 
L.  road,  in  April  1880,  and  commenced  running  all 
trains  into  Danville,  over  the  Wabash  railway  track,  ( 
from  Tilton  Junction  to  Danville,  August  1,  1879.  In 
August,  1875,  a  receiver  was  appointed,  it  operating  un- 
der said  management  until  June,  1879.  October  of  the 
same  year  it  passed  into  the  hands  of  the  Danville  and 
Southwestern  Railroad  Company.  The  southern  portion 
of  this  branch  of  the  road,  now  in  the  hands  of  the  Wa-' 
bash,  was  originally  called  the  Cairo  and  Vincennes  rail- 
road, and  was  organized  under  an  act  of  the  General 
Assembly  of  Illinois,  approved  March  6,  1867,  which 
was  amended  by  act  approved  February  9,  1869,  grant- 
ing further  powers  to  the  corporation.  The  main  line 
from  Cairo  to  Vincennes,  was  opened  for  business  De- 
cember 26,  1872.  It  was  subsequently  sold— 1880.  A 
traffic  agreement  between  the  purchasers  and  the  D.  &  S. 
and  St.  F.  &  L.  railways,  was  entered  into  May  1, 1880, 
for  operation  of  the  St.  F.  &  L.  railroad,  extending 
from  St.  Francisville,  on  the  C.  &  V.  road,  (o  a  junction 
with  the  D.  &  S.  railway  at  Lawrenceville,  a  distance 
often  miles.  This  was  the  status  of  these  roads  until 
within  the  last  eighteen  months  the  roads  have  been 
consolidated,  and  become  a  part  of  the  Wabash,  St. 
Louis  and  Pacific  system.  In  the  three  counties  it  con- 
tains more  than  fifty  miles  of  main  track,  passing  through 
the  towns  ofGrayville,  Mt.  Carmel,  St.  Francisville  and 
Lawrenceville,  besides  several  smaller  towns. 

Ohio  and  Mississippi.— This  roid  extends  from  east 
to  west  nearly  on  an  air  line  through  the  central  part  of 
Lawrence  county,  passing  through  Alison,  Lawrence, 
Bridgeport  and  Christy  township.  The  principal  stations 
are  Summer  and  Bridgeport. 

In  1848  the  Legislature,  of  Indiana,  passed  an  act  in- 
corporating the  Ohio  and  Mississippi  railroad,  empow- 
ering it  to  locate,  construct  and  maintain  a  road  leading 
from  Lawrenceburg,  on  the  Ohio  river,  to  Vincenne.3,  on 
the  Wabash,  and  contemplating  an  eastern  extension  to 
Cincinnati,  Ohio,  and  a  western  arm  to  East  St.  Louis, 
as  soon  as  the  States  of  Ohio  and  Illinois  would  grant 
the  right-of-way.  In  1849  the  Ohio  Legislature,  and  in 
1851  the  Illinois  Legislature  extended  the  contemplated 
aid  by  acts  of  their  respective  bodies,  and  in  1857,  the 
entire  length  of  the  road  was  opened  through  for  busi- 
ness. 

The  panic  of  that  year  greatly  affected  the  pros- 
perity of  the  road,  so  that  in  1858,  creditors  brought 
suit  for  foreclosure  of  mortgages  and  sale  of  property, 
pending  which,  a  receiver  was  appointed,  under  whose 
directions  the  road  was  maintained  until  its  reorganiza- 
tion was  effected.  Parties  desiring  the  establishment  of 
the  road  on  a  firmer  basis  bought  largely  of  its  stock, 
organized  a  new  company,  and  held  control  until  1874, 
when  it  again  became  embarrassed,  and  after  much  liti- 
gation, was  placed  in  the  hands  of  a  receiver,  John 
King,  Jr.,  vice  president  of  the  Baltimore  and  Ohio 
railroad,  acting  in  that  capacity.  Under  its  present 
management,  the  road  has  been  put  in  excellent  condi- 


tion ;  the  credit  of  the  company  has  been  maintained, 
and  the  floating  debt  has  been  materially  reduced. 

Louisville,  Evansville  and  St.  Louis. — This  railroad  ex- 
tends across  the  counties  of  Edwards  and  Wabash,  nearly 
central  from  west  to  east,  the  principal  stations  being 
Albion,  Bro'wns,  (cr)  Bellmont,  and  Mt.  Carmel.  The 
length  of  track  in  the  counties  is  estimated  to  be,  includ- 
ing sidings,  about  twenty-five  miles.  It  is  the  consoli- 
dation of  two  divisions  of  road,  known  as  the  Indiana 
and  Illinois  divisions.  This  was  among  the  first  con- 
templated railroads  in  the  State  of  Illinois,  and  first 
bore  the  name  of  the  Alton,  Mt.  Carmel,  and  New  Al- 
bany Railroad  Company.  It  first  presented  itself  in 
1857,  and  the  county  of  Edwards  took  steps  toward  ap- 
propriating their  swamp  lands  to  aid  in  constructing  the 
road.  About  this  time  a  portion  of  the  road-bed  was 
made,  but  for  the  lack  of  funds  and  co-operation,  on  the 
part  of  the  company,  the  road  was  abandoned.  It  is 
said  that  General  Pickering  came  into  possession  of  it  at 
one  time  for  the  sum  of  a  few  hundred  dollars. 

The  Indiana  division  was  organized  under  the  general 
laws  of  the  State,  February  4,  1869,  by  the  name  of  the 
New  Albany  and  St.  Louis  Air  Line  Railroad  Company, 
and  on  the  first  of  July,  1870,  its  name  was  changed  to 
the  Louisville,   New  Albany  and  St.  Louis   Air  Line 
Railroad  Company.     The  Illinois  division  was  organized 
July  14,  1869,  under  a  special  act,  and   known  as  the 
St.  Louis,  Mt.  Carmel  and  New  Albany  Railroad  Com- 
pany.    Said  two  companies  were  consolidated  July  24, 
1872,  under  the  name  of  the  Louisville,  New  Albany 
and  St.  Louis  Railroad  Company.     Both  divisions  were 
,  subsequently  sold  under  foreclosure.     They  again  reor- 
j  gauized,  the  Indiana  division  in  February,  1877,  under 
:  the  name  of  the  Louisville,  New  Albany  and  St.  Louis 
Railroad  Company.     The  Illinois  division  reorganized 
in  January,   1873,  by  the  name  of  the  St.  Louis,  Mt. 
1  Carmel  and  New  Albany  Railroad  Company.     August 
15,  1878,  these  companies  again  consolidated  under  the 
name  of  the  Louisville,  New  Albany  and  St.  Louis  Rail- 
j  road  Company,    At  this  writing  it  is  called  the  Louis- 
ville,  Evansville   and   St.   Louis   Railroad   Company, 
which  name  it  assumed  about  eighteen  months  ago,  but 
I  is  more  fajniliarly  known  as  the  Air  Line  Railway. 
j      Peoria,  Decatur  and  Evansville. — This  road  extends 
j  through   Edwards  county  from    north  lo  south,  passing 
j  through  the  towns  of  West  Salem,  Browns  and  Grayville. 
I  It  has  a  length  of  track  in  the  county,  including  switches, 
1  of  about  twenty-eight  miles. 

The  history  ot  this  road  is  briefly  as  follows :     About 
the  year  1867,  the  Pekin,  Lincoln  and  Decatur  Rail  road 
Company  was  organized.     A  preliminary  survey  was  at 
once  made,  and  in  1869,  the  line   was   located,  and  a 
contract   made  for  its  construction.     Work   was   com- 
menced late  in  1869,  and  the  line  from  Pekin  to  Decatur 
'  completed  by  October,  1871,  at  which  time  the  Toledo, 
Waba  h  and   Western  Railway  Company  commenced 
I  to   operate  it  under  a  lease.     August  1,  1876,  it  was 
taken  out  of  the  hands  of  the  above  road,  on  account  of 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


the  non  payment  of  iaterest,  and  ths  corporation  name 
chauged  to  Pekin,  Lincoln  and  Decatur  Railroad  Com- 
pany. ID  September,  1879,  the  company  made  arrange- 
ments to  run  into  Peoria  over  the  Peoria,  Prkin  and 
Jacksonville  railroad  track.  November  17,  1879,  it 
consolidated  with  the  Decatur,  M#ttoon  and  Southern 
Railroad  Company.  In  February,  1880,  it  leased  the 
Grayville  and  Mattoon  road,  and  the  July  following 
bought  said  road.  Since  which  time  the  line  has  been 
completed  to  Evansville,  Indiana.  Much  of  the  road  has 
recently  been  supplied  with  new  steel  rail,  and  all  the 
equipments  are  of  a  character  to  indicate  that  it  is  in  a 
prosperous  condition,  and  that  the  managers  propose  to 
make  and  maintain  it  a  first-class  road. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

GEOLOGY* 

IN  account  of  the  similarity  of  the  general  for- 
mations and  characteristics  of  Edwards 
and  Wabash  counties,  we  have  seen  fit  to 
class  them  together  in  their  surface  descrip- 
tion and  economical  geology.  They  lie  contiguous  to 
each  other,  and  are  among  the  smallest  counties  in  the 
State,  their  aggregate  area  being  about  four  hundred 
and  twenty-five  square  miles.  Both  counties,'  originally, 
were  covered  with  heavy  timber,  with  small  prairies 
interspersed  within  their  territory.  The  surface  of  the 
uplands  is  generally  rolling,  but  there  are  some  limited 
areas  of  flat  timbered  lands  above  the  river  bottoms, 
which  form  what  may  be  termed  terrace  lands. 

EDWAEDS    COUNTY. 

The  outcrops  of  rock  in  this  county  are  few  and  wide- 
ly separated.  The  prevailing  rocks  are  the  sand-tones 
and  shales  intervening  between  coal  strata  Nos.  11  and 
13.  At  the  railroad  cut  near  Albion,  and  on  the  small 
creek  that  intersects  the  town,  the  following  beds  may 
be  seen : 

Feet.     Inches. 

8hal»  and  shaly  sandstone  with  pebbly  bed 20  to  25 

Sandstone,  locally  hard  and  concretionary 8  to  12 

Streak  of  bituminous  shale 0    3 

Hard  nodular  limestone 2 

'Shale,  with  bands  of  argillaceous  iron  ore 4  to   6 

Hard  shaly  sandstone 3  to   4 

The  main  quarry  rock  here  is  concretionary  sandstone, 
and  it  is  sometimes  quite  hard  and  affords  a  very  dura- 
ble material  for  foundation  wall  purposes.  Above  this 
there  are  some  layers  of  even  bedded  sandstone,  that 
when  first  quarried  are  of  a  soft  nature,  but  harden 
after  exposure,  and  thus  become  fair  building  stone. 

On  the  west  bank  of  Bonpas  creek,  about  four  miles 
north  of  Grayville,  the  bluff  rises  to  an  elevation  of 
about  a  hundred  feet.  In  this  is  found  a  thin  vein  of 

*  For  much  of  the  data  of  this  chapter  we  are  indebted  to  the  State 
Geological  Export  of  Professor  A.  U.  Worthou,  its  editdr. 


coal  at  an  elevation  of  about  thirty-six  feet  above  the 
bed  of  the  creek,  which  is  underlaid  by  sandy  shales  and 
sandstone.  The  coal  is  about  eight  inches  thick,  of  good 
quality,  and  is  underlaid  by  a  light-colored  fire-clay 
The  sandstone  and  shale  below  this  coal  are  the  same  as 
the  beds  above  the  fossiliferous  shale  in  the  Grayville 
section,  and  the  fossil-bed  of  that  locality  would  no 
doubt  be  found  here  a  little  below  the  creek  bed.  The 

|  thin  vein  of  coal  found  here  has  also  been  met  with  in 
sinking  wells  in  the  upper  part  of  the  town  of  Grayville. 

|  The  same  beds  outcrop  again  about  a  half  mile  above, 
and  on  the  same  side  of  the  Bonpas.  At  the  base  of  the 
bluff  there  is  from  ten  to  twelve  feet  of  blue  shales, 
which  passes  upwards  into  a  sandy  shale  and  sandstone 
twenty  feet  in  thickness,  with  a  partial  outcrop  of  thin 
coal  and  bituminous  shale  still  higher  up.  This  coal 
probably  corresponds  to  the  ten-inch  seam,  No.  15,  of 
the  Coffee  creek  section. 

A  coal  vein  was  opened  many  years  ago  on  Mr.  Nail- 
or's  farm,  six  miles  northwest  of  Grayville,  which  was 
successfully  worked  for  some  time,  the  coal  being  used 
to  supply  the  local  demand.  This  is  undoubtedly  the 
same  vein  that  is  worked  southwest  of  Mount  Carmel. 
It  is  said  to  be  about  thirty  inches  thick,  and  the  coal 
is  very  hard,  partaking  of  the  block  character. 

At  the  ford,  on  the  little  Wabash,  northwest  of  Albion, 
on  the  S.  W.  qr.  of  section  7,  may  be  found  an  outcrop 
of  this  coal  associated  with  the  following  beds: 

Feet.      In. 
Brown  ferruginous  clay  shales  ...........  II 

Brash  coal  ..................... 

Clay  shale*  .................... 

Brash  soil  .................... 

Shale  with  hands  of  iron  ore  ............ 

Gray  sandy  shale  ................. 

7.  Iron  conglomerate  ................. 

The  shale  of  No.  5  of  the  above  contains  considerable 
'  clay  iron  ore  of  fair  quality,  amounting  to  nearly  one- 
;  half  the  thickness  of  the  bed.     If  the  quantity  of  iron 
in  this  shale  should  prove  continuous  for  some  distance 
into  the  bluff,  it  would,  perhaps,  justify  the  establishing 
I  an  iron  furnace  in  the  vicinity.     About  a  mile  further 
up  the  river,  at  another  ford,  the  same  outcropping  of 
coal  may  be  seen.     This  is  found  in  connection  with  a 
thin  bed  of  nodular  argillaceous  limestone  of  a   light 
gray  color,  turning  to  a  yellowish-brown  when  exposed 
to  the  weather. 

The  following  section  may  be  found  on  the  northwest 
qr.  of  section  22,  T.  1  S.,  R.  10  E  ,  about  five  miles 
northwest  of  Albion. 


Sandy  shale  and  thin-bedded 
Bituminous  shale 
Nodular  argillaceous  li 


Feet.    In. 
andstone  .  10  to  12 

1  to    1    6 

2  to   3 


Gray  sandy  shale  with  bands  of  ironstone  ......    3  to   4 

Thin-bedded  sandstone  has  been  quarried  here  for 
wall  purposes,  and  it  has  proven  to  be  excellent  material 
for  such  uses. 

On  the  east  side  of  the  town  of  Albion,  at  Hartman's 
mill,  a  boring  for  oil  was  made  some  years  ago.  The 
following  is  a  reported  section  : 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  W ABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


The  following  section  at  Seal's  mill  on  Blockhouse 
creek,  in  the  east  part  of  the  county,  is  reported  by  Prof. 
Cox: 


Drift 

Gray  shale  with  clay  iron  ore  .  . 

Silicious  iron  ore 

Blue  argillaceous  shale 

Black  bituminous  shale 

Impure  limestone 

Coal  in  the  bed  of  the  creek  .  . 


All  the  beds  represented  by  the  foregoing  sections 
belong  between  coals  Nos.  10  and  13,  and  do  not  attain 
an  aggregate  thickness  to  exceed  two  hundred  feet. 


WABASH  COUNTY. 

The  geological  formations  of  this  county  belong  to  the 
Quaternary  and  upper  Coal  Measures.  The  former  is 
more  fully  developed  along  the  bluffs  of  the  Wabash 
than  elsewhere,  and  consist  of  the  buff  and  yellow 
marly  sands  and  clays  of  the  Loess,  and  a  moderate 
thickness  of  the  gravelly  clays  of  the  Drift  formation. 
In  the  vicinity  of  Grayville,  and  in  some  of  the  valleys 
of  the  smaller  streams,  stratified  clays  appear  at  the 
lowest  levels  known,  which  may  belong  to  an  older  de 
posit  than  the  Drift.  A  heavy  bed  of  this  kind  is  re- 
ported to  have  been  passed  through  in  boring  southwest 
of  Mt.  Carmel,  but  it  was  found  to  be  overlaid  with 
sandstone,  and  as  no  rock  of  this  kind  is  known  in  the 
county  of  more  recent  age  than  the  Coal  Measures,  the 
theory  is  placed  in  the  scale  of  doubt.  It  is  not  impro- 
bable, however,  that  there  are  valleys  along  the  Wabash, 
as  well  as  the  Mississippi  and  Ohio,  that  were  filled, 
originally,  with  Tertiary  or  Cretaceous  deposits,  some  of 
which  still  remain,  and  are  now  hidden  by  the  more 
recent  accumulations  of  Loess  and  Drift.  For  more 
than  two  hundred  miles  above  St.  Louis,  evidences  may 
be  found  to  verify  this  theory.  Indications  of  the  exis- 
tence of  such  beds  have  been  found  on  the  Ohio  as  far 
north  as  Louisville,  and  on  the  Mississippi  as  above 
stated.  The  reported  sandstone  above  the  clay  in  the 
boring  for  coal,  is  most  probably  a  Coal  Measure  bed, 
and  the  clay  beneath  it  may  be  a  soft  clay  shale  of  the 
same  age. 

At  Mt.  Carmel  the  loess  and  drift  clays  are  about 
thirty  feet  in  thickness,  being  about  the  average  depth 
in  the  vicinity  of  the  river  bluffs,  while  on  the  uplands, 
remote  from  the  river,  their  average  thickness  is  not 
more  than  fifteen  or  twenty  feet,  and  at  points,  much 
leas.  In  Edwards  county,  the  Quaternary  beds  present 
the  same  general  character,  and  are  considerably  thicker 
in  the  bluffs  on  the  lower  course  of  the  Bonpas,  than  in 
the  central  and  western  portions  of  the  county,  where  is 
found  from  ten  to  twenty  feet  of  buffer  brownish  gravel- 
ly clays  overlying  the  bed  rock.  Near  the  town  of 


Grayville,  the  creek  banks  show  outcrops  of  five  to  ten 
feet  of  stratified  clays  of  various  colors,  and  seemingly 
derived  from  the  decomposition  of  the  clay  shales  of  the 
Coal  Measures,  and  above  these  are  found  twenty  to 
thirty  feet  of  loess,  covering,  possibly,  a  nucleus  of 
gravelly  drift  clay.  f  To  the  north  and  west  the  loess  is 
not  conspicuous,  and  in  well-digging,  the  bedrock  is 
found  after  passing  through  ten  or  fifteen  feet  of  brown 
drift  clays. 

Coal  Measures— la  the  bluffs  of  the  Wabash,  at  Mt. 
Carmel,  there  is  an  outcrop  of  sandstone  forming  the 
lower  portion  of  the  bluff,  underlaid  by  a  blue  clay  shale, 
but  partially  exposed. 

Feet. 

Loess  and  drift  clays 30 

Soft,  shaly,  micaceous  sandstone 13 

Massive  sandstone,  partly  concretionary 20 

Blue  clay  shale,  partial  exposure 3to6 

Springs  of  water  issue  from  the  base  of  this  sandstone, 
indicating  the  impervious  character  of  the  underlying 
beds.  The  base  of  the  above  section  is  some  fifteen  or 
twenty  feet  above  the  low  water  level  of  the  river,  and 
the  intervening  beds  of  which  are  probably  shales,  are 
not  exposed.  The  following  table  of  beds  passed  through 
in  boring  for  coal  was  given  to  the  State  Geologist  by 
Mr.  J.  Zimmerman.  The  bore  was  commenced  just 
above  the  low  water  level  of  the  river,  and  about  fifteen 
I  feet  below  the  base  of  the  foregoing  section. 


No. 


ndstone  . 


nd  sandstone  . 


Shale 

Sandstone 

Clay  shale 

Sandstone 

Micaceous  sandstone  .  .  . 
Hard,  fine  sandstone  .  .  . 

^Fireclay? 

Coal  and  bituminous  shale 
Fire  clay  .  . 
No.  10.  Argillaceous 
No.  11.  Blue  shale*  , 
No.  12.  Fire  clay  .  . 
No.  13.  Calc.  shale  i 
No.  14.  Calc.  shale,  with  black  str 

No.  15.  Blue  clay  shale 

No.  16.  Blue  fire  clay 

No.  17.  Coal 

ire  clay 

rgillaceous  limestone  . 
ard  sandstone,  pa-ting  . 
ard  gray  limestone  .  . 
ard  gray  limestone  .  . 
ry  hard  limestone  .  . 

No.  24.  Calcareous  shale 

No.  25.  Band  of  ironstone  .... 
No.  26.  Variegated  shale  .... 
No.  27.  Hard  gray  limestone  .  .  . 

No.  28.  Variegated  shale 

No.  29.  Hard  gray  limestone  .  . 
No.  3».  Variegated  shale  .... 
No.  31.  Hard  gray  limestone  .  .  . 


No.  19. 

No.  21. 
No.  22. 


This  boring  was  commenced  near  the  horizon  of  No. 
11  coal,  and  the  beds  passed  thorough  probably  extend 
nearly  to  No.  7.  The  following  is  the  report  of  a  well 
sunk  for  oil,  one  mile  and  a  half  southwest  of  the  court- 
house, commencing  in  a  creek  valley  ; 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  W ABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


Feet.  In. 

At  Mr.  Reed's  place,  on  section  8,  tp.  1  S.,  range  12, 

No. 

Sandstone  

blue  limestone  at  the  foot  of  the  hill,  one  foot  thick,  un- 

Clay?   

derlaid  by  a  thin   coal.     Bluish  shale  and   sandstone  is 

No. 
No. 

Sandstone  
Bituminous  shale  

found  in  the  hill,  forty  feet  above.     The  well  at  the 

No. 

Sandstone  

6 

house  passed  through  soil  and  drift  ten  feet,  clay  shale 

No. 

No. 

x  Bituminous  shale  
Sandstone  

6 

four  feet,  sandstone  twenty-nine  feet. 

No. 

Bituminous  shale  

At  Little  Rock,  on  the  Wabash,  sec.  19,  tp.  1  N., 

No. 

Sandstone  

No. 

Bituminous  shale  

range  11  VV.  : 

No. 
No. 
No. 

Sandstone  
Bituminous  shale,  showing  oily  soot  

4 

Shale  and  covered  slope  81) 
Sandstone.solid  bed  •  30 

No. 

Very  hard  limestone  

The  sandstone  of  this  section  is  probably  the  same 

No. 
No. 

Bituminous  shale  
Sandstone  

strata  as  that  found  at  St.  Francisville,  in  Lawrence 

No. 

Coal  No.  9  

county. 

No. 
No.  2* 

Limestone     

The  following  beds,  one  mile  and  a  quarter  north  of 

No  21    Sandstone 

Friendsville,  are  reported  by  the  state  geologist  from 

No.  22.  Mixture  of  sand  and  limestone  
No.  23.  Yellow  shale  

memoranda  furnished  by  Mr.  J.  Zimmerman  : 

Ft.    In. 

No.  24.  Sandstone  t  

No.  25.  Clay  shale,  with  pyrite  

Soil  and  clay  18 
Impure  coal-probably  bituminous  shale  2 

No.  27.  Bituminous  shale  

Clay  shale,  with  iron  nodules  3 

No.  23.  Sandy  shale  

Gray  sandstone,  in  even  beds,  four  to  eight  inches  thick    15 

No.  30.  Micacious  sandstone    
No.  31.  Coal,  No.  7.  ?  

Sandy  shales  11 
Hard  sandstone  in  two  layers  2      8 
Dark  bituminous  shale  3 

No.  34.  Compact  limestone  

Coal,  said  to  be  good  2 

No.  35.  Bituminous  shale  

The  above  section,  is  made  from  the  sinking  of  Mr. 

No.  40.  Bituminous  shale  

McNair's  well.     Another  well  sunk  in  the  same  neigh- 

By  comparing  this  section,  with  that  made  for  the 
coal,  it  will  be  seen  that  there  is  a  wide  discrepancy  in 
the  descriptions  given  of  the  strata  passed  through  in 
each.  The  oil  well  boring,  was  sunk  to  the  depth  of 
about  seven  hundred  feet,  yet  no  coal  was  reported 
below  the  three  foot  seam  found  at  the  depth  of  four 
hundred  and  fifty-five  feet,  which  probably  repr.sents 
coal  No.  7  or  8  of  the  general  section.  The  sandstone 
No.  2  of  the  oil  well  boring  may  be  the  same  as  No.  4 
in  the  other,  but  there  is  very  little  correspondence  in 
the  lower  strata,  considering  that  the  distance  between 
the  two  points  is  scarcely  two  miles. 

A  few  miles  northeast  of  Mt.  Carmel,  at  Hanging-rock, 
there  is  an  outcrop  of  massive  sandstone  similar  to  that 
at  the  town,  which  projects  into  the  bed  of  the  river  at 
low  water,  and  rises  above  it  to  the  height  of  35  feet. 

An  abandoned  coal  shaft,  about  three  miles  southwest 
of  Mt.  Carmel,  on  Mr.  Simond's  place,  was  reported  to 
have  a  seam  of  coal  averaging  three  feet  in  thickness, 
and  located  from  30  to  35  feet  below  the  surface.  The 
following  is  the  reported  section  : 

Drift  clay  and  soil  .  .  .    • 5      6 

Argillaceous  shale • 30 


The  following  is  reported  by  Prof.  Cox  : 

"On  sec.  5,  tp.  10,  range  12,  there  is  a  bed  of  light 
blue  clay,  very  plastic,  exposed  in  the  bank  of  Crawfish 
creek,  as  the  following  section  shows  : 


Soil,  calcareous  shale  and  limestone 

Coal 

Blue  Clay 

Sandstone  in  the  bed  of  the  creek 


borhood,  after  reaching  the  same  strata  of  coal,  a  boring 
of  nine  feet  below  the  coal  was  made,  when  a  material 
of  milk-white  substance  resembling  fire-clay  was  ob- 
tained. 

The  following  section  is  reported  at  Hamiker's  old 
mill  on  the  Bonpas,  a  little  north  of  west  from  Allen- 
dale: 

Feet. 

Soft,  thin-bedded  sandstone  and  shales 15 

Ferruginous  conglomerate 3  to  4 

Hard  black  shale 2  to  3 

No  coal  is  reported  as  laying  beneath. 

Since  the  last  report  was  made  by  the  state  geologist  a 
shaft  has  beeu  sunk  about  five  miles  west  from  Mt. 
Carmel,  on  the  Air  Line  railway.  The  depth  of  shaft 
is  forty  feet,  and  the  thickness  of  the  vein  is  four  feet. 
Through  the  kindness  of  Mr.  J.  Zimmerman,  who  is  one 
of  the  Coal  Company  and  a  practical  geologist,  we  are 
furnished  the  following  interesting  facts  relating  to 
the  coal  deposits  in  Wabash  county.  He  says:  "In 
addition  to  the  coal  seam  above  mentioned,  there  are 
others  which  indicate  a  possible  great  future  for  the 
mining  interests  of  the  county  whenever  energy,  enter- 
prise and  capital  shall  be  directed  to  their  development. 
An  outcrop  of  twenty  inches  of  coal  (one  half  cannel- 
splint,  the  residue  cubical),  a  short  distance  below 
the  Wabash  railway  crosing  at  Sugar  creek,  thickens  up 
within  a  half  mile  westward,  to  forty-two  inches.  This 
seam  underlies  most  of  the  county,  but  the  dip  of  rocks 
being  in  that  vicinity  twenty-eight  feet  per  mile  south- 
westward,  it  will  be  found  only  at  considerable  depths 
over  most  of  the  county.  A  boring  for  petroleum,  near 
Mt.  Carmel,  commenced  geologically  below  both  these 
seams,  disclosed  at  a  depth  of  420  feet,  a  seam  of  three 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  W ABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


53 


feet  thickness,  and  at  569  feet  a  seam  of  coal  twelve  feet 
in  thickness.  In  same  boring,  at  325  feet,  salt  water  was 
found,  and  another  stratum  of  the  same,  a  short  distance 
above  the  twelve  feet  vein  of  coal.  It  has  been  flowing 
ever  since." 

ECONOMICAL   GEOLOGY. 

Coal. — From  the  state  geological  survey  we  glean  the 
following:  The  upper  coal  seam  in  the  Coffee  creek 
section  was  the  only  outcrop  in  either  of  the  fore, 
going  counties  that  promised  to  be  of  value  for  practical 
coal  mining.  The  coal  in  this  seam  ranges  from  thirty 
inches  to  three  feet  in  thickness,  and  probably  underlies 
a  considerable  portion  of  the  south  part  of  Wabash 
county  and  the  southwestern  part  of  Edwards.  Sev- 
eral shafts  have  been  sunk  about  three  miles  south, 
west  of  Mt.  Carmel,  where  coal  was  obtained  from  thirty 
to  thirty  five  feet  below  the  surface.  This  coal  strata 
affords  a  hard,  splinty  or  semi-block  coal  of  fair  quality. 
The  roof  seems  to  be  good,  and  if  the  thickness  of  the 
vein  should  prove  to  be  uniform,  there  is  no  reason  why 
it  might  not  be  sucessfully  mined.  This  is  probably  the 
same  vein  worked  in  the  southeast  part  of  Edwards  j 
county  several  years  since,  for  the  supply  of  Albion  and  ; 
adjacent  region.  To  reach  No.  7,  the  lower  seam,  a  j 
depth  of  probably  from  two  to  three  hundred  feet  will 
have  to  be  attained.  Although  these  counties  have  not 
developed  this  vein,  time  will  undoubtedly  prove  that  it 
can  be  made  a  paying  investment. 

Building  Stone — As  indicated  in  the  sections  hereto- 
fore given,  it  will  be  sfeen  that  a  fair  quality  of  building 
stone  may  be  obtained  from   the  sandstone  outcropping 
in  various  portions  of  these  counties.     The  best  is  pro-  ! 
bably  that  from  the  even -bedded  sandstone  above  No.  j 
11  coal,  that  is  found  in  the  central  and  northern  portion 
of  Edwards  and  north  and  northwest  of  Wabash.     In  | 
the  latter  county,  in  the  vicinity  of  Oriole,  quarries  have 
been  opened  where  a  good,  evenly-bedded  rock  is  ob- 
tained, the  thin  layer  affording  a  good   flag-stone,  and 
the  thicker  beds  utilized  for  foundation  walls,  etc.    This  j 
ledge  probably  underlies  all  the  highlands  and  ridges  in 
the  northwest  part  of  the  county.     These  will  be  de-  | 
veloped  as  the  demand  for  building-stone  increases.   The 
ledge  in  the  river  bed  at  Rochester  has  been  but  slightly 
quarried,  and  at  Walden's   place   quarries   have  been  I 
worked  between  this  place  and  Mt.  Carmel,  where  a  fair 
quality  of  sandstone  has  been  obtained  from  a  bed  that, 
in  appearance,  resembles  the  ledge  in  the  Mt.  Carmel 
bluff. 

Sandstone  of  a   fair  quality   is  obtained   at  several  j 
points  in  the  vicinity  of  Albion,  some  of  which  is  con-  j 
cretationary  and  very  hard,  yielding  a  durable  stone. 
No  lime-stone  suitable  for  building  purposes  is  found  ! 
in  either  county,  although  that  obtained  at  Rochester 
Mills,  and  at  Mr.   Reel's  place,  north  of  Mt.  Carmel, 
has  been  used  to  some  extent  in  the  neighborhood  of  the 
outcrops. 

Iron  Ore. — Bands  of  Argillaceous  iron  ore  are  found 
disseminated  more  or  less  throughout  many  of  the  shale 


beds,  in  these  counties,  but  in  such  limited  quantities 
that  it  can  prove  of  but  little  value.  Eight  miles  north- 
west of  Albion,  at  the  ford,  on  the  S.  W.  qu.  of  Sec.  7, 
T.  1  S.,  R.  10  E.  there  is  a  better  showing  for  this  ore 
than  found  elsewhere  in  this  region.  The  shale  bed  is 
four  feet  thick,  and  about  one-half  of  this  thickness  is  a 
clay  iron  ore  of  a  fair  quality.  At  the  foot  of  the  bluff 
several  tons  of  ore  may  be  collected  from  the  debris, 
where  it  has  been  washed  out  of  the  shale  by  the  river 
current.  Twenty  inches  of  coal  of  fair  quality  overlies 
ferruginous  shale. 

Potter's  Clay  is  found  in  the  bank  of  Greathouse  creek, 
near  Mt.  Carmel.  This  is  said  to  be  of  fair  quality,  and 
could  be  worked  with  success.  Good  brick  clay  is 
abundant  in  nearly  all  localities,  while  sand  suitable  for 
all  building  purposes  is  found  in  the  river  bluffs  and 
creek  valleys. 

LAWRENCE    COUNTY. 

This  county  contains  an  area  of  about  three  hundred 
and  sixty-two  square  miles.  The  surface  is  generally 
rolling,  and  is  thus  well  prepared  for  natural  drainage. 
Originally  it  was  mainly  covered  with  heavy  timbers, 
interspersed  here  and  there  with  small  prairie  belts. 
The  elevation  above  the  water  courses  is  nowhere  very 
great,  the  uplands  ranging  from  fifty  to  about  a  hundred 
feet  in  altitude. 

Loess  and  Drift. — At  various  places  along  the  Wabash 
river  may  be  found  beds  of  brown  clay  and  yellowish 
marly  sands,  averaging  from  ten  to  twenty  f>-et  in  thick- 
ness. These  probably  represent  the  age  of  the  Loess. 
They  are  underlaid  by  gravelly  clays  intermingled  with 
small  boulders,  ranging  in  size  from  an  inch  to  a  foot  or 
more  in  diameter.  Away  from  the  river  bluffs,  on  the 
uplands,  there  may  be  found  these  gravelly  clays  from 
fifteen  to  twenty  feet  above  the  bed  rock ;  and  in  sink- 
ing wells,  especially  in  the  northern  portions  of  the 
county,  a  sufficient  supply  of  water  can  only  be  reached 
by  goicg  from  ten  to  upwards  of  forty  feet  below  the 
Drift  clays  into  the  shales  or  sandstone  beneath.  In  the 
vicinity  of  Lawrenceville  there  is  usually  from  five  to 
six  feet  of  brown  gravelly  clay  resting  upon  the  btd 
rock  ;  but  before  reaching  this  you  pass  through  a  strata 
of  brown  or  buff-colored  clay,  quite  free  from  gravel, 
and  about  twelve  feet  in  thickness. 

Stratified  .Roc/fo.— All  the  formations  that  outcrop  in 
this  county  below  the  superficial  deposits  heretofore 
mentioned,  belong  to  the  upper  Coal  Measure,  and  in- 
clude a  vertical  thickness  not  to  exceed  two  hundred 
feet.  At  St.  Francisville,  on  the  Wabash,  there  appears 
an  Outcrop  of  massive  gray  sandstone,  which  is  believed 
to  be  the  same  as  that  found  in  Wabash  county,  at 
Hanging-rock  bluff,  and  is  the  lowest  rock  seen  in  this 
county.  The  section  here  is  as  follows  : 

Feet. 

Shale 8 

Impure  iron  ore 1 

Thin-bedded  sandstone  nnd  sandy  shale 16 

Massive  gray  sandstone 20  to  25 

Uneiposed  to  river  level 10  to  13 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


On  the  Embarras  river,  just  below  the  dam  at  Law- 
renceville,  may  be  found  the  following  section  : 

Feet. 

Brown  and  bluish-gray  argillaceousShale 10  to  12 

Bituminous  and  partly  calcareous  shale  with  bands  of 

iron  ore  and  numerous  fossils 4  to  5 

Black  slaty  shale 3  to  5 

Dark  gray  limestone  in  river  bed 1 

A  repetition  of  the  above  section  is  found  two  miles 
east  of  Lawrenceville,  but  the  bluff  is  much  higher  and 
a  larger  thickness  of  strata  is  exposed,  giving  the  follow- 
ing section  : 

Feef. 

Mieaeious  sand  stone  and  shale 20  to  25 

Bluish-gray  calcareous  shale,  with    iron  bands  and 

fosssils 4  to  6- 

Black  laminated  shale,  with  concretions  of  blaek  lime- 
stone         4  to  5 

Brittle  dark-gray  limestone Ij^to2 

Blue  and  brown  shale,  partly  ar  gillaceous  and  bitu- 


Two  wells  were  sunk  on  Mr.  Plummer's  farm,  in  the 
S.  E.  qr.  of  Sec.  25,  T.  5  N.,  R.  12  west.  The  one  near 
his  house,  passed  through  eighteen  inches  of  coal  at  a 
depth  of  eighteen  feet.  The  other,  located  a  quart*  r  of 
a  mile  to  the  north,  was  sunk  to  the  depth  of  forty-three 
feet,  rav-ingmistly  through  sandstone  and  shale.  At  Mr. 
Porter's  place,  which  adjoins  Mr.  Plummer's  on  the 
south,  a  well  was  sunk  to  the  depth  of  fifty-six  feet,  with 
the  following  showing : 

Feet. 

Drift  clay,  soil,  etc 18 

Sandstone 11 

Blue  shales,  bituminous  at  the  bottom 27 

The  coal  vein  passed  through  in  the  well  of  Mr. 
Plummer  must  lay  above  the  sandstone  in  the  Porter 
well,  which  had  probably  been  eroded  away  at  that 
point  by  water  currents  during  the  Drift-epoch.  At  a 
well  half  a  mile  west  of  Mr.  Plumraer  s,  a  bed  of  cel- 
lular iron  ore  occurs  in  the  sandstone  near  its  base,  and 
was  passed  through  in  this  well  about  sixteen  feet  below 
the  surface.  The  iron  ore  was  reported  to  be  two  feet 
thick  in  the  well,  but  at  the  outcrop,  a  quarter  of  a  mile 
away,  its  thickness  was  only  about  six  inches.  But  for 
its  being  so  sandy  it  might  be  valuable  for  smelting  pur- 
poses. 

In  the  bluffs  of  the   Embarras  river,  on  the  N.  W- 
qr.  of  Sec.  33,  T.  f>,  R.  12,  a  massive  sandstone  exposure  | 
indicates  the  following  section  : 

Ft.     In. 

Massive  sandstone •    .  8  to  10 

Ferruginous  conglomerate  .  .  .  . Zto3 

Coal  (probably  local) .' 0  '8 

Slope  covered  to  the  river  level 10  to  12 

A  hundred  yards  above  where  this  section  is  visible, 
the  sandstone  continues  down  the  river  level  without 
indications  of  coal.  It  is  probable  that  the  thin  coal 
vein,  just  over  the  line  in  Crawford  county,  on  Brushby 
creek,  is  of  the  same  formation  as  the  above,  and  as  it 
is  there  from  forty  to  fifty  feet  above  the  creek  level,  it 
indicates  a  westerly  deflection  of  the  strata  equal  to 
about  six  or  seven  feet  to  the  mile.  On  the  Embarras  j 
fjr  sDme  distance  above  this  pjint,  no  rocks  are  known  • 


to  outcrop,  and  below  there  is  not  much  exposure  be- 
tween this  and  the  dam  at  Lawrenceville. 

On  the  south  side  of  Indian  creek,  three  miles  south 
of  Lawrenceville,  and  at  several  places  in  the  neighbor- 
hood, a  coal  vein  is  found  and  worked  sufficiently  to 
supply  the  local  demand  for  coal.  The  seam  ranges 
from  twelve  to  eighteen  inches  in  thickness,  and  is  mined 
by  stripping  along  its  outcrop  in  the  banks  of  the  small 
streams. 

The  following  sections  and  notes  have  been  reported 
by  Prof.  Cox : 

At  Leed's  quarry,  on  Indian  creek,  one  mile  west  of 
St.  Francisville  road,  is  found  the  following  section  : 

Ft,    In. 

Gray  shale 6 

Carbonaceous  shale C 

Shale 8 

Sandstone,  in  even  beds 3 

This  sandstone  is  suitable  for  good  building  stones, 
and  was  utilized  in  the  brdge  abutments  on  Embarras 
river.  On  the  north  bank  of  the  above  river,  at  Shaker 
mill,  the  following  section  was  found  : 

Ft. 

Soil  and  Drift 5 

Thin  bedded  Sandstone,  2  to  8  inches 8 

Massive  Sandstone 13 

Section  on  Indian  creek,  three  miles  south  of  Law. 
renceville : 

Ft.    In. 

Soil  and  Drift 10 

.Argillaceous  shale,  with  iron  bands 25 

Impure  coal 8 

Fire-clay  and  grey  shale 5 

Bluish  sandstone  in  bed  of  creek ? 

The  approximate  section  of  rocks  out-cropping  in  the 
county  is  as  follows  : 

Brawn  and  gray  sandstone,  the  lower  part  in  massive  beds  60  10  75 

Coal,  No.  12 1  to  1^ 

Shales,  with  bands  of  argillaceous  iron  ore 30  to  35 

Coal,  No.  11 Oto    1 

Sandstone,  t*p  thin-bedded  and  shaly,  bottom  massive  . .  30  lo  3.1 

ECONOMICAL  GEOLOGY. 

Building  Stone.— In  the  foregoing  section  both  the 
sandstones  afford  building  stone  of  fair  quality  for  cer- 
tain purposes,  and  large  quarries  have  been  opened  in 
the  upper  seam,  in  the  vicinity  of  Summer,  for  the  use 
of  the  Ohio  and  Mississippi  railroad.  Small  quarries 
are  operated  in  various  localities  in  the  northern  and 
central  part  of  the  county.  Leed's  quarry  on  Indian 
creek  is  probably  in  the  lower  bed,  and  the  rock  obtained 
there  is  in  thin  even  beds,  ranging  from  four  inches  to  a 
foot  in  thickness. 

The  limestone  at  Lawrenceville,  and  at  the  bridge  two 
miles  east  on  the  Embarras,  is  somewhat  argillaceous, 
and,  therefore,  is  not  to  be  depended  upon  where  it  is 
subjected  to  the  section  of  frost  and  moisture.  This  is 
the  only  limestone  developed  in  the  county,',  and  is  not 
adaped  f  >r  either  the  lime-kiln  or  building  purposes. 

Coal. — On  account  of  the  thinness  of  the  seams  of 
coal  reached  in  the  county,  it  can  ouly  be  mined  by 
stripping.  It  is  a  very  good  quality,  but  worked  only 
in  a  small  way. 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  W ABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


Just  north  of  the  county  line  in  the  edge  of  Crawford 
county,  at  Nettle's  coal  mine,  the  vein  is  about  18  inches 
thick,  aud  is  overlaid  by  about  a  foot  or  more  of  hard 
bituminous  shale  resembling  canuel  coal.  The  man- 
ner of  mining  it  is  by  tunnelling  into  the  bank  along  the 
line  of  outcrop,  but  no  penuanaut  entry  was  constructed, 
and  when  work  stopped  the  roof  caved  in  and  filled  the 
opening  so  that  a  new  entry  was  required  as  often  as  the 
work  was  resumed. 

If  the  well  sunk  at  Lawrenceville  has  been  conducted 
by  experts,  and  an  exact  record  kept  of  strata  passed 
through,  the  question  would  have  been  determined 
whether  any  thick  vein  of  coal  exists  within  four  hun- 
dred feet  of  the  surface,  in  the  county.  Nothing,  how- 
ever, has  been  positively  determined,  further  than  the 
fact  that  two  coal  seams  of  uncertain  thickness  were 
found,  one  at  a  depth  of  about  340  and  the  other  at  440 
feet  below  the  surface.  It  is  evident  that  deep  mining 
is  the  only  means  of  obtaining  this  fuel  to  any  great  ex- 
tent within  the  limits  of  this  county;  and  if  the  coal  de- 
mand would  justify  reasonable  expenditure  in  sinking 
deep  shafts,  fair  returns  might  reasonably  be  expected. 

Iron  Ore. — The  shales  intervening  between  coals  11 
and  12  contain  numerous  bands  of  argillaceous  iron  ore, 
but  are  of  little  practical  value.  At  the  base  of  the  upper 
sandstone  a  ferruginous  bed  is  frequently  met  withi 
sometimes  appearing  as  a  conglomerate  of  iron  nodules 
in  sandstone.  In  a  well  on  section  25,  T.  5  N.,  R.  12 
W.,  this  conglomerate  was  reported  to  be  two  feet  thick, 
aud  consisted  partly  of  a  very  good  quality  of  brown 
hematite  ore,  but  other  portions  were  too  much  mixed 
to  be  of  value  for  the  production  of  iron. 


CHAPTER  V. 

FLORA. 

|lN  speaking  of  the  flora  of  these  counties,  it  is 
not  the  purpose  of  this  work  to  treat  ex- 
haustively on  the  plants  of  the  respective 
counties,  but  rather  to  give   a   list  of  the 
native  trees  and  grasses  found  within  their  limits. 

"  Mere  catalogues  of  plants  growing  in  any  locality," 
says  a  popular  writer,  "  might  without  a  little  reflection, 
be  supposed  to  possess  but  little  value  ;"  a  supposition, 
however,  which  would  be  far  from  the  truth.  The  care- 
ful and  intelligent  husbandman  looks  at  once  to  the 
native  vegetation  as  a  sure  indication  of  the  value  of 
uncultivated  lands.  The  kinds  of  timber  growing  in  a 
given  locality  will  decide  the  qualities  of  soil  for  agri- 
cultural purposes.  So  too,  the  artisan  in  wood,  will  find 
•what  materials  are  at  hand  the  best  suited  for  his  pur- 
poses. By  the  botanist,  the  state  of  Illinois  is  usually 
considered  under  three  divisions  ;  the  heavily  timbered 
regions  of  the  south,  the  flora  which  is  remarkable  for 


its  variety  ;  the  central  portion,  consisting  mainly  of 
prairie,  and  the  northern  section  composed  of  both 
prairie  and  timber.  Below  we  append  a  list  of  the 
native  forest  trees  and  shrubs  of  these  counties.  For 
this  data  we  are  indebted  to  the  State  report,  the  list  of 
which  was  kindly  furnished  by  Dr.  J.  Schenck  of  Alt. 
Carmel,  Wabash  county  : 

Acer  rubrum,  L.,  red  or  swamp  maple. 

Acer  dasyc.irpum,  Ehrhardt,  white  or  sugar  maple. 

Acer  saccharinum,  common  sugur  maple. 

Acer  saccharinum,  var  nigrum,  black  sugar  maple. 

Aesculus  glabra,  smooth  or  Ohio  buckeye. 

Alnus  serrulata,  smooth  alder. 

Amorpha  fruticosa,  false  indigo. 

Asimina  triloba,  common  paw  paw. 

Betulalenta,  cherry  or  sweet  birch. 

Betula  nigra,  river  or  red  birch. 

Oarpinus  Americana,  ironwood;  hornbeam. 

Carya  oliva'formis,  pecan  nut. 

Catalpa  speciosa,  Warder;  Indian  bean. 

Carya  alba,  shellbark  or  shagbark  hickory. 

Carya  microcarpa,  small-fruited  hickory. 

Carya  Sulcata,  Nutt;  Western  shellbark,  hickory. 

Carya  tomentosa,  mockeruut;  wliite-hearted  hickory. 

Carya  procina,  pignut  or  broom  hickory. 

Carya  amara,  bitternut  or  swamp  hickory. 

Celtis  occidental!*,  hickory ;  sugarberry. 

Cehis  MisMssippiensis,  Mis.-issippi  hackberry. 

CvpbHlanthus  occidental!*,  button  bush. 

Cercis  Canadensis,  red-bud ;  Judas-tree. 

Cornus  Florida,  flowering  dogwood. 

Cornus  sericea,  silky  Cornell ;  kmnikinnik. 

Cornus  paniculatn,  panicled  Cornell. 

Corylus  Americana,  wild  hazelnut. 

Corylus  rostrata,  beaked  hazelnut. 

Crategus  tomentosa,  black  or  pear  thorn. 

Crategus  tomentosa  var.,  Mollis. 

Cratcegus  punctata,  Jacq. 

Cra'cegus  cordata  Washington  thorn. 

Crateegus  Crus-galli,  cockspur  thorn. 

Diospyros  Virginiana,  common  persimmon. 

Euonymus  atropurpureus,  burning-bush;  wahoo. 

Euonymus  Americanus,  strawberry-bush. 

Fagus  ferruginea,  American  beech. 

Fraxinus  Americana,  white  ash. 

Fraxinus  pubescens,  red  ash. 

Fraxinus  viridis,  green  ash. 

Fraxintis  quadrangulata,  blue  ash. 

Gleditschia  triacanthos,  honey-locust. 

Gleditschia  monosperma,  Walt;  one-seeded  or  water  locust. 

Gymnorladus  Canadensis,  coffee  tree. 

Hydrangea  arborescens,  wild  hydrangea. 

Hydtangea  proliBcum,  shrubdy  St.  John's  wort. 

Ilex  decidua,  Walt. 

Juglans  cineren,  butternut. 

Juglans  nigra,  black  walnut. 

Juniperus  eommunis,  common  juniper.  • 

Lindera  Benjoin,  spice-bush;  Benjnmin-bnsh. 

Liquidambar  Styraciflua,  sweet  gum  tree. 

Liriodendron  Tulipifera,  tulip-tree;  poplar. 

Mortis  ruba,  red  mulberry. 

Negundo  aceroides,  box-elder. 

Syssa  multinors,  Mack  gum  ;  tupelo. 

Ostrya  Virginica.  hop-hornbeam,  leverwood. 

Plalanus  occidental!*,  sycamore;  pl«ne-tree. 

Populus  heterophylla,  cottonwood;  downy  poplar. 

Populus  moniiifera,  necklace  poplar ;  cottonwood. 

I'oj.uliis  tremtiloides,  American  aspen. 

•jno&yerticillata,  black  elder;  winterberry. 

Prunes  Americana,  wild  yellow  or  red  plum. 

Prunus  insita.  Bullace  plum. 

Prunus  serotinn,  wild  black  cherry. 

Pyrus  coronaiia,  sweet-scented  crab  apple. 

Pyrus  ingu  tifolia.  narrow-leaved  crab  apple. 

Ptclea  trifoliata,  wafer  ash ;  shrubby  trefoil. 

Quorcus  alta,  white  oak. 

Qucrcus  ^tcllatii,  Wans;  post  oak. 

Qtiercusanacrocarpa,  burr  or  overcup  oak. 

Quorcus  macrocarpa,  var.  oliviformis;  olive-fruitod  overcup  oak. 

Quorous  lyrata,  Wait. ;  lyre-leuvod  uuk. 


m 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  W ABASH  COUN1IES,  ILLINOIS. 


Quercus  hicolor,  var.  Michmixii,  Engelm  ;  Inrge-fruited  swamp  oak. 

Quercus  muhlenberidi,  Engelm  ;  chestnut  oak. 

Qiiercua  tincto.  ia,  blue'*  or  tanner's  oak. 

Quercus  coccinea,  ocarlet  oak. 

Quercus  rubera,  red  oak. 

Queicus  falcata,  Michaux  ;  Spanish  oak. 

QuercuH  palu>tris,  pin  or  water  oak. 

Quercus  nigra,  black-jack  or  barren  oak. 

Quercus  phellos,  willow  oak. 

Quercus  imbricaria,  laurel  or  shingle  oak. 

Rhus  tophina,  staghoru  sumach. 

Rhus  glabra.  smooth  sumach. 

Rhus  copallin,  dwarf  sumach.  .         • 

Salix  tristis,  dwarf  gray  willow. 

Salix  discolor,  glaucous  willow. 

Salix  criocephala,  wooly-headed  willow. 

Salix  petiolaris,  long-stalked  green  osier. 

Salix  nigra,  black  willow. 

Salix  rigida,  stiff-leaved  willow. 

Sambucus  Canadensis,  common  elder. 

Sassafras  otflcinale,  sassafras. 

Spiraea  opulifolia,  L.,  nine  barks. 

Spiraea  salicifola,  L.,  meadow  sweet. 

Slaphylea  trifolia,  bladder  nut. 

Symphoricarpus  occidentalis,  wolf  or  buckberry. 

Symphoricarpus  vulgaris,  Indian  currant. 

Taxodium  disticlium,  American  bald  cypress. 

Tilia,  American  ba»s\vood .  linden. 

Tilia  heterophylia,  white  basswood. 

tlimus  fulva,  slippery  elm. 

Ulmus  Americana,  American  or  white  elm. 

Ulmus  alata,  winged  elm. 

Viburnum  prnnifolium,  black  haw. 

Viburnum  iiudum,  white  rod. 

Zanthoxylum  American,  prickly  ash. 

The  plants  are  many  and  rare,  some  for  beauty, 
while  others  are  most  valuable  for  their  medi'-inal  pro- 
perties. The  pinkroot,  the  columbo,  ginseng,  boneset, 
pennyroyal,  and  others  are  utillized  as  herbs  for  me- 
dicine. Among  the  plants  of  beauty  are  phlox,  the 
lily,  the  asclepias,  the  mints,  golden  rod,  the  eyebright, 
gerardia,  and  hundreds  of  other  varieties  which  adorn 
the  meadows,  the  timber,  and  the  brook-sides;  besides 
the  above  there  are  many  varieties  of  the  climbing  and 
twining  vines,  such  as  the  bitter-sweet,  trumpet-creeper, 
woodbine,  the  clematis,  the  grape  and  others,  which  fill 
the  woods  with  gay  festoons,  and  add  grace  and  beauty 
to  many  a  decayed  monarch  of  the  forrest. 

GRASSES. 

In  speaking  of  these  we  purposely  exclude  the  grain 
plants,  and  confine  ourselves  to  those  valuable  grasses 
which  are  adapted  to  the  sustenance  of  the  lower  animals. 

Timothy  grass  or  cat's  tail,  naturalized. 
Agrostus  .ulgaris,  red  top  or  herb  grass. 
-     Muhlenbergia  diflusa,  nuniUe  will. 
Calamgiastis  Canadeusi-,  blue  joint. 
Dactylis  glomerata,  orchard  grass. 
Poa  Pratensis,  Kentucky  blue  grass. 
Poa  Compressa,  true  blue  grass. 
Festuca  Elator,  meadow  fescue. 
Bromus  Leculinus,  cheat  chess;  foreign. 
Phragmites  Communis,  the  reed. 
Arundinaria  Macrospei  ma,  or  cane. 
Solium  Perenni,  perennial  ray  grass. 
Anthoxanthum  Odoratum,  sweet-scented  vernal  grass. 
Phalaris  Arundinacea,  reed  canary  grass. 
Paspalum  Setaceum. 
Panicum  Sanguinale,  crab  grass. 
Panicum  Glabrum,  smooth  panicum. 
Panicum  Capillare,  witch  grass. 
Panicum  crusgalli,  barnyard  grsss. 
S.  t:iria  Glan.-a,  foxtail. 
Setiiria  Viridis,  bottle  grass. 
8el3t.iaIta.Hca,  millet. 
AuJrunogim  *:oparius,  brown-beard  grass. 


In  the  above  lists  we  have  given  the  botanical  as  well 
as  the  common  terms,  believing  such  a  course  best  to 
pursue  in  the  study  of  plants,  and  more  beneficitl  to  the 
student  or  general  reader.  Some  plants  may  have  been 
omitted,  yet  we  think  the  lists  quite  complete. 


CHAPTER  VI. 


F  the  ruminating  animals  that  were  indigenous 
to  this  territory,  we  had  the  American  Elk 
(Cervus  Canadensis),  and  still  have  the 
deer  of  two  kinds ;  the  more  common,  the 
well-known  American  deer  (Cervus  Virginianus),  and 
the  white-tailed  deer  (Cervus  Leucurus).  And  at  a  pe- 
riod not  very  remote  the  American  Buffalo  (Bos  Ameri- 
canus),  must  I'ave  found  pastures  in  this  portion  of  the 
state.  The  heads,  horns  and  bones  of  the  slain  animals 
were  still  numerous  in  1820.  The  Black  Bear  (Ursus 
American  us)  were  quite  numerous  even  in  the  memory 
of  the  older  settlers.  Bears  have  been  seen  in  the  counties 
within  the  last  thirty  years.  The  Gray  Wolf  (Cauis 
Occidentalis)  and  Prairie  Wolf  (Canis  latrans)  are  not 
unfrequently  found,  as  is  also  the  Gray  Fox  (Vulper 
Virginianus),  which  still  exists  by  its  superior  cunning. 
The  Panther  (Felis  concolor)  was  occasionally  met  with 
in  the  earlier  times,  and  still  later  and  more  common, 
the  Wild  Cat  (Dynx  rufus).  The  Weasel,  one  or  more 
species ;  the  Mink  (Putorius  Vison)  ;  American  Otter 
(Latra  Canadensis) ;  the  Skunk  (Mephitis  Mephitica)  ; 
the  Badger  (Taxidea  Americana)  ;  the  Raccoon  (Pro- 
cyon  Lotor) ;  the  Opossum  (Didelphys  Virginiana).  The 
two  latter  species  of  animals  are  met  with  in  every  por- 
tion of  the  United  States  and  the  greater  part  of  North 
America.  The  coon-skin,  among  the  early  settlers,  was 
regarded  as  a  legal  tender.  Of  the  Squirrel  family  we 
have  the  Fox,  Gray,  Flying,  Ground  and  Prairie  Squir- 
rel (Scirus  Ludovicanus,  Carolinensis,  Volucella,  Stria- 
tus  and  Spermaphilus).  The  Woodchuck  (Arctomys 
Monax)  ;  the  common  Musk  Rat  (Fiber  Zibethicus).  The 
Bats,  Shrews  and  Moles  are  common.  Of  the  muridse 
we  have  the  introduced  species  of  Rats  and  Mice,  as  also 
the  native  Meadow  Mouse,  and  the  Long-tailed  Jumping 
Mouse  (Meriones  Labradorus),  frequently  met  with  in 
the  clearings.  Of  the  Hare,  the  Lupus  Sylvaticus  (the 
so-called  Rabbit)  is  very  plentiful.  Several  species  of 
the  native  animals  have  perished,  being  unable  to  endure  ' 
the  presence  of  civilization,  or  finding  the  food  congenial 
to  their  tastes  appropriated  by  stronger  races.  Many  of 
the  pleasures,  dangers  and  excitements  of  the  chase  are 
only  known  and  enjoyed  by  most  of  us  of  the  present  day 
through  the  talk  and  tradition  of  the  past.  The  Buffalo 
and  the  Elk  have  passed  the  borders  of  the  Mississippi  to 
the  westward,  never  more  to  return. 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


57 


Of  Birds  may  be  mentioned  the  following  :* 
Among  the  Game  Birds  most  sought  after  are  the 
Meleagris  Gallopavo  (Wild  Turkey),  and  Cupidonia 
Cupido  (Prairie  Hen),  which  afford  excellent  sport  for 
the  hunter  and  arc  quite  plentiful ;  Pinnated  Grouse 
(Bonasa  Umbellus) ;  Ruffled  Grouse  (Ortyx  Virgini- 
anus) ;  Quail  (Philohela  Minor) ;  Woodcock  (Galliuago 
Wilsonii)  ;  English  Snipe  (Macrorhamphus  Griseus) ; 
Red-breasted  Snipe  (Gambetta  'Melanoleuca) ;  Telltale 
Snipe  (Gambetta  Flavipes)  ;  Yellow  Legs  (Limosa  Fe- 
doa) ;  Marbled  Godwit  (Scolofax  Fedoa,  Wilson)  ;  Nu- 
menius  L")ngirastris  (Long-billed  Curlew)  ;  Numenius 
Hudsonicus  (Short-billed  Curlew)  ;  Rallus  Virginiauus 
(Virginia  Rail)  ;  Cygnus  Americauus  (American  Swan) ; 
Cygnus  Buccinator  (Trumpeter  Swan)  ;  Anser  Hvper- 
boreus  (Snow  Goose)  ;  Bermicala  Canadensis  (Canada 
Goose)  ;  Bermicala  Brenta  (Brant) ;  Anas  Boschas 
(Mallard) ;  Anas  Obscura  (Black  Duck)  ;  Dafila  Acuta 
(Pintail  Duck) ;  Nettion  Carolinensis  (Green-winged 
Teel)  ;  Querquedela  discors  (Blue-winged  Teel) ;  Spatula 
Clypeata  (Shoveler) ;  Mareca  Americana  (American 
Widgeon) ;  Aix  Sponsa  (Summer,  or  Wood  Duck)  ; 
Aythaya  Americana  (Red-head  Duck)  ;  Aythaya  Val- 
lisneria  (Canvass-back  Duck)  ;  Bucephala  Albeola  (But- 
ter Ball)  ;  Lophodytes  Cucculatus  (Hooded  Merganser)  ; 
(Pelecanus  erythrorhynchiis),  Rough-billed  Pelican  ; 
Colymbus  torquatus),  The  Loon  ;  (Aegialatis  vociferus); 
Killdeer  Plover ;  Ball  Head,  Yellow  Legged  and  Up- 
land Plover;  (Tantalus  loculator),  Wild  Ibis,  very  rarely 
visit  this  locality ;  Herodus  egretta),  White  Heron ; 
(Ardea  Herodus),  Great  Blue  Heron  ;  (Botaurus  lenti- 
ginosus),  Bittern  ;  (Grus  Canadensis),  Sand  Hill  Crane  ; 
(Ectopistes  migratoria),  Wild  Pigeon  ;  (Zenaidura  Caro- 
linensis), Common  Dove;  (Corvua  carnivorus),  American 
Raven  ;  (Corvus  Araericanus),  Common  Crow;  (Cyanu- 
rus  cristatus),  Blue  Jay;  (Dolichonyx  oryzivorus), 
Bobo'link;  (Agelaius  Phoenicians),  Red-winged  Black 
Bird  ;  (Sturella  magna).  Meadow  Lark  ;  (Icterus  Balti- 
more), Golden  Oriole ;  (Chrysometris  tristis),  Yellow 
Bird  ;  (Junco  hyemalis),  Snow  Bird  ;  (Spizella  Socialis), 
Chipping  Sparrow ;  (Spizella  pusilla),  Field  Sparrow ; 
(Melospiza  palustris),  Swamp  Sparrow;  (Cyanospiza 
cyanea),  Indigo  Bird ;  (Cardiualis  Virginianus),  Car- 
dinal Red  Bird  ;  (Pipilo  erythrophthalmus),  Cheewink  ; 
(Sitta  Carolinensis),  White-bellied  Nuthatch ;  (Mimus 
polyglottus),  Mocking  Bird  ;  (Minus  Carolinmsis),  Cat 
Bird  ;  (Harphorhynchus  rufus),  Brown  Thrush  ;  (Trog- 
lodytes ifdon),  House  Wren;  (Hirundo  horreorum), 
Barn  Swallow;  (Cotyle  riparia),  Bank  Swallow;  (Progne 
purpurea),  Blue  Martin ;  (Ampellis  cedrorum),  Cedar 
Bird  ;  (Pyrangra  rubra),  Scarlet  Tanager  ;  (Pyrangra 
a.^tiva),  Summer  Red  Bird ;  (Tardus  migratorius),  Robin, 
came  less  than  forty  years  ago ;  (Sialia  Sialis),  Blue 
Bird  ;  (Tyrannus  Carolinensis),  King  Bird  ;  (Sayornis 
fuscus),  Pewee;  (Ceryle  alcyon),  Belted  Kingfisher; 
(AntroetomuB  vociferus),  Whippoorwill  ;  (Chordtiles 


popetue),  Night  Hawk;  (Chtetura  pelasgia),  Chimney 
Swallow;  (Trochilus colubris),  Ruby-throated  Humming 
Bird  ;  (Picus  villosus),  Hairy  Woodpecker  ;  (Picus  pu- 
bescens\  Downy  Woodpecker;  (Melanerpes  erythroce- 
phalus),  Red-headed  Woodpecker  ;  (Colaptes  auratus), 
Golden-winged  Woodpecker;  (Conurus  Carolinensis), 
Carolina  Parrot ;  (  Bubo  Virginianus),  Great  Horned  0  wl ; 
Syrnium(nebulosum),barredowl;  (Nycteanivea),Snowy 
Owl ;  (Cathartes  aura),  Turkey  Buzzard;  (Falco  colum- 
barium), Pigeon  Hawk  ;  Nauclerus  furcatus),  Swallow- 
tailed  Hawk;  (IcteriaMississippiensis), Mississippi  Kite; 
(Buteo  boroalis),  Red-tailed  Hawk;  (Haliatus  leucoce- 
phalus),  Bald  Eagle;  (Falco  fulvius),  Ring-tailed  Eagle. 

We  give  the  following  classification  of  birds  into 
three  divisions,  as  found  in  the  "  Transactions  of  the 
Illinois  State  Horticultural  Society  "  of  1876  : 

1st.  Those  of  the  greatest  value  to  the  fruit-growers  in 
destroying  noxious  insects,  and  which  should  be  encour- 
aged and  fostered  in  every  way. 

Blue  Birds,  Tit-mice  or  Chicadees,  Warblers,  (small 
summer  birds  with  pleasant  notes,  seen  in  trees  and 
gardens),  Swallows,  Vuros,  (small  birds  called  green 
necks).  All  birds  known  as  Woodpeckers  except  sap, 
Suckers  (Picus  varius).  This  bird  is  entirely  injurious, 
as  it  is  not  insectivorous,  but  feeds  on  the  inner  bark 
cumbium  (and  the  elaborated  sap)  of  many  species  of 
tree?,  and  may  be  known  from  other  Woodpeckers,  by 
its  belly  being  yellowish,  a  large  black  patch  on  its 
breast,  and  the  top  of  its  head  a  dark  bright  red.  The 
male  have  also  a  patch  of  the  same  on  their  throats  and 
with  the  minor  margins  of  the  two  central  tail  feathers 
white.  This  bird  should  not  be  mistaken  for  the  two 
other  most  valuable  birds  which  it  nearly  resembles,  to 
wit :  The  Hairy  Woodpecker  (Picus  Villiosii  et  vars)  ; 
and  the  Downy  Woodpecker,  (Picus  pubescens  et  vars). 
These  two  species  have  the  outer  tail  feathers  white— or 
barred  with  black — and  have  only  a  small  patch  of  red 
on  the  back  of  the  head  of  the  males.  The  Yellow 
Hammer  or  Flecker  (Colaptus  auratus),  is  somewhat 
covered  with  yellow,  and  should  not  be  mistaken  for  the 
sap-sucker.  It  is  a  much  larger  bird.  The  Red-headed 
Woodpecker  (Melanerpes  erythrocephalus),  sometimes 
pecks  into  apples  and  devours  cherries,  and  should  be 
placed  in  the  next  division  (2d).  The  Wren,  Ground 
Robin  (known  as  Cherwick),  Meadow  Lark,  all  the  fly- 
catchers, the  King  Bird  or  bee-catcher,  Whippoorwill, 
Night  Hawk  or  Goat  Sucker,  Nut-hatcher,  Pewee  or 
Pewit.  All  the  Blackbirds,  Bobolinks,  Finches  (Frin- 
gillidie),  Quails,  Song  Sparrows,  Scarlet  Tanager,  Black, 
White  and  Brown  Creepers,  Maryland  Warblers,  Indigo 
Birds,  Chirping  Sparrow,  Black-throated  .Bunting, 
Thrushes,  except  those  named  in  the  next  class,  and  all 
domestic  fowls  except  geese. 

2d.  Birds  of  Doubtful  Utility. 

Which  include  those  which  have  beneficial  qualities 
but  which  have  also  noxious  and  destructive  qualities  in 
the  way  of  destroying  fruits,  and  whose  habits  are  not 
fully  determined.  Thus  the  Robin,  Brown  Thrush  and 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


Cat  Bird  are  very  valuable  as  cut- worm  eaters,  but  also 
very  obnoxious  to  the  small  fruit  growers.  The  Jay 
(Blue  Jay)  not  only  destructive  to  grain  and  fruits,  but 
very  noxious  in  the  way  of  destroying  the  nest  eggs  and 
young  of  smaller  and  better  birds,  Robin,  Brown  Thrush 
and  Cat  Bird,  Shrike  or  Butcher  Bird,  Red-headed 
Woodpecker,  Jay  Bird  or  Blue  Jay,  Crow  and  the  small 
Owls  (Screech  Owls),  Pigeons  and  Mocking  Bird. 

3d.  Birds  that  should  be  Exterminated. 

Sap-sucker,  or  Yellow  bellied  Woodpecker  (see  above) ; 
Baltimore  Oriole,  or  Hanging  Bird,  Cedar  Bird,  or 
Wax-wings  (Ampelis  cedrorum),  Hawks  and  the  larger 
Owls. 

The  names,  and  a  carefully  prepared  list  of  the  animals 
of  a  country,  state,  or  county,  are  always  of  interest  to 
the  inhabitants,  and  especially  so  to  the  scientist  and 
student  of  natural  history.  After  inquiring  into  the 
political  and  civil  history  of  a  country,  we  then  turn 
with  pleasure  to  the  investigation  of  its  Natural  History, 
and  of  the  animals  which  inhabited  it  prior  to  the  advent 
of  man  ;  their  habits  and  the  means  of  their  subsistence 
become  a  study  ;  some  were  animals  of  prey,  others  were 
harmless,  and  subsisted  upon  the  vegetable  products  of 
the  country.  The  early  animals  of  this  part  of  the  state 
ranged  over  a  wide  expanse  of  country,  the  habits  of 
which  will  be  fully  found  and  set  forth  in  all  of  our 
zoological  treatises. 

CHAPTER  VII. 

J     PIONEERS  AND  EARLY  SETTLERS. 

INCIDENTS    AND   ANECDOTES  OF    EDWARDS,   LAAVRENCE 
AND  WABASH  COUNTIES. 

|0  rescue  from  oblivion  the  incidents  of  the  past, 
and  to  preserve  the  names  of  the  hardy  few, 
who  in  fact  were  the  real  instruments  of  paving 
the  way  toward  making  the  wild  forests  habitable,  is  one 
of  the  main  objects  of  the  historian.  In  a  little  time  the 
gray  hairs  of  the  pioneers,  who  still  live  as  tottering 
monuments  of  the  good  old  times,  will  be  gathered  to 
their  fathers  ;  their  children  engrossed  by  the  busy  trans- 
actions of  life,  will  neglect  to  treasure  up  the  doings  and 
recollections  of  the  past,  and  posterity  will  search  in  vain 
for  land-marks  and  memorials  thereof.  How  necessary 
then  that  no  time  be  lost  in  gathering  together  the  frag- 
ments of  our  infant  history,  which  still  exist,  and  thus 
rescue  it  from  entire  forgetfuluess. 

A  little  less  than  three-quarters  of  a  century  ago  this 
beautiful  country  was  in  a  state  of  nature,  and  the  only 
inhabitants  were  the  uncivilized  Indians  and  the  wild 
game  of  the  forest.  The  white  man  came,  and  lo!  the 
transition  !  Beautiful  fields  of  grain  wave  in  the  gentle 
breeze,  and  neat  villages  and  farm  houses  dot  the  land- 
scape. In  that  early  day  the  means  and  facilities  for 
tilling  the  soil  would  be  considered  a  burlesque  on  farm- 


ing to-day.  When  they  turned  the  sod  with  the  old 
|  wooden  mould-board  plow  and  gathered  the  harvest  with 
the  reap-hook,  the  threshing  was  as  slow  and  laborious 
as  the  reaping,  the  process  being  by  tramping  out  the 
I  grain  by  the  use  of  cattle,  or  beating  it  from  the  straw 
j  with  a  flail.  Presto  change ;  nearly  seventy-five  -years 
have  glided  by,  and  we  cast 'our  eye  upon  the  landscape 
and  what  a  transformation  !  The  old  mould-board  has 
given  way  to  the  elegant  sulky  plow  ;  the  reap-hook  is 
transformed  into  the  wonderful  mechanism  known  as 
the  self-binder,  and  the  tramping  of  the  cattle,  and  the 
thud,  thud  of  the  flail  have  yielded  to  the  steam  engine 
and  the  hum  of  the  gigantic  thresher.  It  is  thus  that 
the  results  of  the  labors  and  hardships  of  the  pioneers, 
combined  with  the  efforts  and  genius  of  their  children, 
are  written  not  ouly  in  history,  but  more  unmistakably 
engraved  upon  every  highway  in  the  land.  Let  the 
|  reader  stop  for  a  moment  and  reflect,  if  he  would  do 
justice  to  those  who  have  led  the  way  and  so  nobly  done 
their  part.  Do  not  chide  or  jeer  them  for  their  odd, 
old-fashioned  ways,  but  keep  in  mind,  that  it  is  to 
them  that  we,  "  Young  America,"  are  indebted  for  the 
surrounding  comforts  which  our  land  yields  to-day. 
But  a  few  years  more,  when  we  have  grown  gray  and 
i  feeble,  shall  we  be  pointed  out  by  the  busy,  bustling 
throng  of  a  more  advanced  age,  as  the  old  fogies,  and 
as  among  those  who  have  passed  their  days  of  useful- 
ness. 


EDWARDS    COUNTY. 
FIRST  SETTLEMENT  AND  E*ARLY  SETTLERS. 

Tradition  relates  that  the  first  white  men  to  penetrate 
the  wilds  of  Edwards  county,  were  three  brothers  by  the 
name  of  Daston,  as  early  as  1800.  They  were  great 
hunters,  and  spent  most  of  their  time  in  hunting  and 
trapping.  They  made  little  or  no  improvements,  and 
all  that  is  known  of  them  by  the  pioneers  who  made  per- 
manent settlements,  is  that  their  cabins  were  left  stand- 
ing in  sections  10  and  15,  in  township  15, 1  north,  range 
14  east,  when  the  first  permanent  settlers  came  to  the 
county.  Prom  whence  they  came  or  where  they  went, 
tradition  is  silent. 

The  first  families  to  make  a  permanent  settlement  in 
the  county  were  those  of  Jonathan  Shelby,  Thomas 
Carney,  John  Bell,  Lot  Sams,  and  Isaac  Greathouse ; 
these  all  made  their  advent  here  in  1815.  Shelby  and 
Carney  came  together  with  their  families  and  located 
near  each  other  in  township  1  north,  range  10,  now 
Shelby  precinct.  They  were  from  Tennessee,  and  made 
the  long  journey  to  Grayville  with  their  families  over- 
land, in  wagons,  the  only  method  then  for  traveling. 
They  halted  at  Grayville,  where  they  remained  one  year, 
when  they  remov.  d  to  the  northern  part  of  the  county, 
as  above  stated.  Mr.  Shelby  located  in  the  northwest 
quarter  of  section  34,  where  he  erected  a  cabin  and 
commenced  the  life  of  the  pioneer  in  the  wilds  of 
Edwards  county.  He  was  an  active  and  energetic  man, 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


and  in  a  few  years  had  under  cultivation  several  acres  the  Southern  States,  and  located  in  the  edge  of  Big 
of  land,  and  was  surrounded  with  the  comforts  of  a  !  creek  timber,  where  he  erected  a  small  cabin  and  cleared 
good  home.  In  1831,  he  moved  to  section  18,  on  the  a  patch  of  land  on  which  he  raised  a  meager  crop  of 
Little  Wabash,  and  four  years  later  constructed  a  water  corn  sufficient  for  the  wants  of  his  family.  His  cabin 


grist  mill  on  this  stream,  it  being  the  first  water-mill  in 
Shelby  precinct.  He  was  one  of  the  first  justices  of  the 
peace  in  the  county,  which  office  he  Ixeld  for  many  years. 


was  erected  just  in  the  margin  of  the  timber  overlooking 
quite  a  prairie  belt,  which  subsequently  received  the 
name  of  Birk's  Prairie.  His  family  consisted  of  his 


He  died  about  1838.  !  wife,  four  sons  and  three  daughters,  and  their  mode  of 

Mr.    Carney  also  located  in  section  34,  and  subse-  I  living  was  of   the  most    primitive  character.      Their 

quently  b?came  one  of  the  leading  farmers  of  the  times      cabin  contained  but  one  room,  which  served  the  purpose 


of  kitchen,  eating  and  sleeping  room.  The  family 
remained  here  but,s6out  three  years,  or  until  about  the 
time  of  the  Errgfish  colony  settlement,  as  Mr.  Birk  was 
of  the  pu*e  type  of  the  backwoodsman  and  could  not 
tolerate  civilization.  To  use  his  own  language  as  re- 
lated by  one  of  the  pioneers,  "He  did  not  wish  to  live 
where  neighbors  were  so  plenty  ;  that  to  see  three  neigh- 
bors within  a  day's  ride  was  sufficient  for  him." 

Walter  Anderson,  who  came  about  the  same  time, 
located  in  section  30,  township  2  souih,  range  ten  east. 


He  had  the  confidence  of  the  people,  and  in  1832,  he 
was  elected  to  the  county  commissioners'  court,  which 
position  he  held  until  1838.  Mr.  Carney  was  always  a 
public-spirited  man,  and  to  him  belongs  the  honor  of 
constructing  the  first  mil!  in  his  neighborhood.  This 
was  in  1832.  The  mill  was  propelled  by  horse-power, 
but  it  answered  the  wants  of  his  neighbors.  About  1844 
he  moved  with  his  family  to  the  State  of  M;ssouri,  where 
he  died  a  few  years  ago. 

John  Bell  was  of  German  descent,  but  was  born  in 

South  Carolina.  In  an  early  day  he  moved  to  Ken-  j  He  had  the  honor  of  planting  the  first  orchard  in  the 
tucky,  and  from  thence  to  Tennessee.  From  this  State  county,  on  his  little  clearing,  in  1817.  He  remained 
he  enlisted  in  the  war  of  1812,  where  he  served  about  but  a  few  years,  when'  he  moved  to  some  other  portion 
one  year;  and  in  1815  he  moved  with  his  family  to  '•,  of  the  State.  John  Hunt  located  in  the  same  settlement 
Illinois  and  settled  in  section  27,  township  1  north,  i  and  remained  here  until  his  death  ;  but  one  of  his  de- 
range 10  east,  where  he  resided  until  his  death.  He  i  scendants  is  now  living  in  the  count)',  a  grandson, 
was  a  plain,  unassuming  man,  and  a  good  neighbor.  James  T.,  who  resides  about  a  mile  from  his  grand- 
One  son,  H.  C.  Bell,  resides  in  section  10.  j  father's  old  home.  Others  who  lived  in  this  settlement 

Lot  Sams  was  a  native  of  North  Carolina,  but  had  i  were,  Hugh  Collins,  Rollin  and  Joseph  Lane,  and  Wil- 
been  a  resident  of  Kentucky  aid  Tennessee.  He  came  Ham  Ham.  They  were  all  natives  of  some  of  the 
with  his  family  to  Illinois  in  1815,  and  located  in  sec-  I  Southern  States,  and  remained  only  a  few  years  after 
tion  35,  township  1  north,  range  10  east.  His  mode  of  coming. 


travel  to  this  State  was  by  pack  horses  ;  upon  these  he 
made  the  whole  distance  with  his  little  family.     In  1821 


In  the  fall  of  1816,  quite   a  sensation    was   created 
among  the  few  settlers  of  this  part  oi^he  country,  caused 


precinct,  has  the  honor  of  bearing  his  name. 

Isaac  Greathouse  came  from  Kentucky  in  1815,  and 
with  his  family,  located  in  this  part  of  Illinois,  where  he 


he  located  in  section  25,  where  he  died  in  the  fall  of  j  by  the  killing  and  mutilating  of  the  body  of  one  Joseph 
1863.  At  his  death  he  had  accumulated  considerable  i  Boltinghouse.  He  was  a  single  man,  the  family  then 
property,  and  the  little  hamlet  of  Samsville,  in  Shelby  |  residing  in  White  county.  In  the  fall,  Joseph  drove  to 

the  Big  creek  timber,  quite  a  quantity  of  hogs  to  feed 
and  fatten  from-  the  mast,  then  so  plenty  in  this  part  of 
the  county.  He  built  him  a  camp,  a  little  south  of  the 

followed  the  pursuit  of  farming  for  a  short  time  ;  but  |  creek,  on  what  is  now  the  Churchill  land.  While  here 
the  Indian  depredations  drove  him  into  one  of  the  forts.  :  a  band  of  Shawnee  Indians  prowling  through  the 
Being  tired  of  the  Indian  warfare  on  the  frontier  he  country  espied  his  camp,  and  finding  that  he  was  alone, 
returned  to  his  native  State,  where  he  remained  several  took  him  by  surprise,  and  murdered  him  upon  the  spot. 
years.  Again,  in  1821,  he  moved  to  Illinois  and  settled  When  found  his  body  was  lying  close  to  his  camp  in  a 
permanently  in  the  S.  W.i  of  the  N.  W.}  of  section  13,  j  mutilated  condition,  and  his  head,  which  had  been 
Salem  precinct.  He  was  a  plain  farmer,  never  aspiring  j  severed  from  the  trunk,  was  suspended  upon  a  pole  near 
to  office  of  public  trust.  He  died  at  the  old  homestead,  j  by.  Tradition  relates  that  the  murderers  suffered  dearly 
Enoch,  the  eldest  of  the  pioneer  children,  is  a  wealthy  for  the  crime.  They  were  captured  near  the  Wabash 
farmer  residing  in  section  18,  township  1  north,  range  ;  river,  stones  were  lashed  to  their  bodies  and  they  were 
1 1  east.  Francis,  another  son,  lives  in  section  13.  The  |  sunk  in  the  river.  The  following  spring,  James  and 
father  of  Isaac  was  one,  if  not  the  first  English  settler  Daniel,  brothers  of  the  above,  moved  to  the  county  from 
in  this  part  of  the  State,  west  of  the  Wabash  river,  a  ,  Gallatin,  now  White  county,  and  located  in  section  26, 
sketch  of  whom  will  be  found  in  the  chapter  of  Mt.  township  2  south,  range  10  east,  a  little  south  of  Big 
Carmel  precinct,  and  pioneer  history  of  Waba>h  county,  creek,  in  the  edge  of  the  timber,  overlooking  the  prairie 
In  18 1C  a  settlement  was  formed  in  the  southwest  part  that  subsequently  took  their  name.  Daniel  was  a  man 
of  the  county  on  or  near  Big  Creek,  the  first  of  whom  of  family,  and  his  brother  James  resided  with  him. 
was  "  Captain"  J  eremiah  Birk,  who  came  from  one  of  They  cleared  and  improved  a  good  farm,  and  became 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


prominent  citizens  of  the  county.  In  about  1837,  they 
all  moved  to  the  State  of  Arkansas. 

Thomas  Riley,  a  native  of  Ireland,  settled  near  the 
Boltinghouse's,  the  same  year,  1817.  Mr.  Riley  was  then 
a  single  man,  but  subsequently  married  Sarah  Morris,  a 
daughter  of  one  of  the  pioneers.  He  improved  a  good 
farm,  where  he  resided  until  his  death,  which  occurred 
about  1852.  His  father-in-law,  Isaac  Morris,  came 
from  the  south  and  settled  in  section  5,  township  3  south, 
range  10  east,  in  the  same  year.as  the  above.  He  had  a 
large  family, and  wasagenuine  backwoodsman.  Hespent 
the  most  of  his  time  in  hunting,  and  was  noted  for  his 
exaggerated  tales  and  hair-breadth  escapes  while  in  the 
woods.  He  remained  in  the  county  until  his  death, 
which  occurred  many  years  ago.  His  children  are 
scattered  to  the  many  points  of  the  West,  none  of  his 
descendants  being  now  residents  of  this  part  of  the 
county. 

Another  pioneer  of  1817,  was  Clem  Martin,  who 
located  in  section  33,  township  2  south,  range  14  west. 
He  came  from  the  souther^  States,  partaking  of  the 
spirit  of  emigration  to  the  new  Eldorado,  then  so  popular 
with  the  poorer  class  of  the  south  and  southwest.  Mr. 
Martin  was  what  would  be  termed  to-day,  a  man  of 
eccentric  for  peculiar  ways.  He  was  outspoken  and 
fearless  in  character,  somewhat  rough  and  uncouth  in 
manners,  and  thus  made  enemies  when  he  might  have 
had  friends.  For  some  reason  the  family  stood  in  rather 
bad  odor  in  the  new  settlement ;  this  was  undoubtedly 
due  to  the  wild,  unpleasant  ways' of  his  children.  He 
died  in  the  county  many  years  ago..  It  is  said  that  some 
of  his  descendants  are  living  in  White  county. 

About  this  time,  in  1817,  a  n.ew  era  dawned  upon  the 
settlements  made  in  what  is  now  Edwards  county. 
Morris  Birkbeck  and  George  Flower,  both  well-to  do 
Englishmen,  made  a  tour  of  the  west  in  search  of  the 
"beautiful  prairies"  they  had  heard  and  read  about, 
in  the  new  world,  with  the  view  of  establishing  a  colony 
of  their  countrymen  within  the  same,  should  the  reports 
given  meet  their  expectations.  Mr.  Flower  crossed  the 
Atlantic,  landing  on  American  shores  in  the  spring  of 
1816.  He  spent  one  year  in  making  inquiries  and  be- 
coming acquainted  with  the  people,  country  and  insti- 
tutions of  our  republic.  One  year  later  Mr.  Birkbeck 
and  family  came  to  the  United  States,  and  in  company 
with  Mr.  Flower,  they  made  a  tour  of  the  west.  The 
country  pleased  them,  and  it  was  agreed  between  Mr. 
Flower  and  Mr.  Birkbeck  that  the  former  should  return 
to  England  and  induce  immigration  to  their  chosen  spot, 
Edwards  county,  while  the  latter  was  to  attend  to  pro- 
curing the  necessary  lands,  and  otherwise  to  prepare  for 
the  reception  of  their  countrymen.  Of  the  first  emigrants 
their  names,  time,  and  manner  of  coming,  we  quote  from 
the  account  as  given  by  Mr.  Flower  in  his  history  of  the 
English  settlements  in  Edwards  county.  He  says, 
"  Early  in  March,  1818,  the  ship  Achilles  sailed  from 
Bristol  with  the  first  party  of  emigrants,  destined  for  our 
settlements  in  Illinois.  Mr.  Charles  Trimmer,  of  Yeatly, 


Surrey,  a  young  farmer,  and  a  neighbor  and  acquaint- 
ance of  Mr.  Birkbeck,  with  forty-four   men   and   one 
married  woman,   sailed    in  this   ship.     The   men  were 
chiefly  farm  laborers  and  mechanics  from  Surrey.  Many 
of  them  had  for  years  worked  for  Mr.  Birkbeck,  others 
were  from  his  neighborhood,  and  were  personally  ac- 
quainted or  knew  him  by  reputation.     This  party  was 
j  under     the     special     care     and     leadership     of    Mr. 
Trimmer.       About    an    equal    number,    composed     of 
London  mechanics  and  tradesmen  from  various  parts  of 
|  England,  formed,  another  party  that  sailed  in  the  same 
ship.     These  were  under  the  guidance  and  direction  of 
!  Mr.  James  Lawrence,  merchant  tailor,  of  Hatton  Gar- 
j  den,  London.     Mr.  Lawrence  being  a  man  of  property, 
|  a  resident  of  the   city,  and  well   acquainted   with   the 
usages  at  the  docks,  custom-house,  shipping,  etc.,  became 
actually  the  head  of  the  whole  party."     Another  pro- 
minent p  irty  in   this  ship's   company  was  Mr.  Hugh 
Ranalds,  from  Hammersmith,  near  London.     He  was 
then  a  single  man,  but  subsequently    married  Mary  C 
Flower,  a  sister  of  George  Flower. 

According  to  the  account  given  by  Mr.  Flower,  the 
emigrants  landed  at  Philadelphia  early  in  June,  1818. 
They  made'their  way  to  Edwards  county  overland,  some 
in  wagons,  others  on  horseback  over  the  mountains  to 
Pittsburg,  then  descended  the  Ohio  river  in  flat  boats  to 
Shawueetown,  and  from  thence  on  foot,  in  wagons  or  on 
horseback,  to  Mr.  Birkbeck's  cabin,  situated  on  Bolting- 
house  prairie,  the  place  being  subsequently  named  Wan- 
borough,  after  Mr.  Birkbeck's  old  home  in  England. 
He  had  received  notice  of  their  coming  and  had  made 
the  best  preparation  possible  for  their  reception.  A 
square  of  rough  log  houses  had  been  erected,  each  cabin 
being  supplied  with  two  doors  with  a  small  sash  window 
in  each  door.  This  hamlet  was  subsequently  denominated 
"  The  Barracks,"  and  was  open  to  all  new-comers.  It 
was  here  that  the  first  ship's  company— eighty-eight  in 
number — were  accommodated,  all  men,  excepting  three 
women.  Mr.  Flower,  in  his  reminiscences,  says  of  this 
novel  state  of  affairs  in  the  new  found  land,  "  I  mu>t 
leave  to  imagination  the  various  feelings  of  its  motley  in- 
mates, some  of  whom  were  used  to  the  refinements  of 
civilized  life;  all  to  the  comforts  of  a  home  however 
humble ;  some  without  money,  and  all  for  a  time,  with- 
out occupation ;  without  vegetables ;  corn  bread  and 
salt  pork  their  only  diet';  whisky  their  sole  luxury  and 
consolation,  and  some  not  able  to  get  that.  It  was  for  a 
time  a  fermenting  mass.  Strange  and  conflicting  emo- 
tions exhibited  themselves  in  ludicrous  succession.  Some 
laughed  and  joked,  some  moped  and  sulked,  while  others 
cursed  the  fates  that  brought  them  there.  All  things 
worked  out  right  in  time.  The  activity  and  energy  of 
the  national  character  soon  displayed  itself,  and  all  be- 
came fairly  satisfied  with  the  condition  of  things." 

Mr.  Birkbeck  had  laid  out  the  town  of  Wanborough 
in  five-acre  lots,  and  on  these  were  built  cabins,  rented 
by  some,  and  bought  by  others  as  the  means  of  the  im- 
migrants would  permit.  In  a  short  time  an  ox  mill  was 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


erected  for  grinding  their  corn,  and  the  necessary  black- 
smith shop  was  added  to  the  village.  This  formed  the 
nucleus  of  the  neiv-founded  colony. 

In  April,  1819,  another  ship-load  of  emigrants  swelled 
the  numbers  of  the  already  prosperous  little  community. 
Of  this  accession  Mr.  Flower  sayp,  "  My  own  immediate 
family  and  friends  occupied  the  cabin,  and  my  domestic 
servants  and  othor  emigrants  going  out  to  join  us,  fille.l 
the  steerage ;  my  live  stock  of  cows,  hogs  and  sheep 
from  the  choicest  breeds  of  England,  took  all  the  spare 
room  on  deck."  Among  those  who  came  in  this  ship 
were,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Flower,  parents  of  George  Flower . 
the  latter 's  two  bisters,  his  brother  William,  a  mere  lad' 
his  two  sons,  Miss  Fordham  and  the  servants  of  Mr. 
FJower.  These  constituted  the  immediate  family  party 
of  Mr.  F.  Prominent  among  others  seeking  the  prom- 
ised land  were  Francis  Rotch  and  brother,  friends  and 
acquaintances  of  Mr.  Birkbeck  ;  an  elderly  gentleman 
of  means,  Mr.  Filler ;  Dr.  C.  Pugsley  and  family ;  Adam 
Corrie ;  John  Wood,  then  a  single  man  ;  John  Ingle  and 
family  ;  David  Bennett  and  Jamily  ;  Mr.  White  and 
family  ;  a  carpenter  and  buildf  r  from  London,  and  Cap- 
tain Stone  and  family.  These,  with  some  others,  formed 
an  emigrant  party  of  upwards  of  sixty,  who  were  bound 
fur  the  ''  prairies  "  of  Illinois. 

On  arrival  upon  American  shores,  thty  divided  into 
parties  preparatory  for  their  long  and  tedious  journey 
to  the  wilds  of  the  west.  Their  manner  of  traveling  was 
similar  tf>  those  who  had  preceded  them  one  year  before. 
Mr.  Fordham,  under  the  instructions  of  Mr  Birkbeck, 
had  in  the  meantime  been  busy  in  preparing  for  the  rer 
ception  of  the  new  emigrants.  He  had  made  frequent 
excursions  into  the  prairies  to  assist  in  the  preparatory 
arrangements,  as  well  as  making  more  distant  journeys 
to  Cincinnati  and  Louisville,  for  many  articles  needed 
by  the  settlers,  which  he  loader!  upon  flat  boats  and  sent 
down  the  Ohio  river  to  be  conveyed  to  the  new  settle- 
ment. The  emigrants,  for  a  time,  were  obliged  to  oc- 
cupy the  log  cabins  of  the  hollow  square  of  Wanborough, 
until  other  and  better  arrangements  could  be  made. 
The  increase  of  population  far  exceeded  the  privilege 
of  comfortably  receiving  them,  though  all  was  done  that 
could  be  for  their  comfort  and  convenience.  It  must 
be  rembered  that  this  part  of  the  country  was  in  a  state 
of  nature,  and  that  buildings  and  improvements  could 
not  be  made  with  the  facilities  they  are  to-day.  Mr. 
Fordham  had  also  built  two  cabins  on  the  land  of  Mr. 
Flower,  and  it  was  at  one  of  these  cabins  that  Mr  F. 
deposited  his  family  after  the  long  and  tedious  trip  from 
the  seaboard.  We  here  give  the  language  of  Mr  Flower 
relating  to  his  arrival  at  his  new-found  home.  He  says, 
"  I  entered  the  praii  ie  with  my  carriage  at  the  same 
spot  from  which  we  had,  one  year  before,  first  seen  it. 
The  prairie  grass  completely  enveloped  my  horses,  and 
they  lain  rioiisly  dragged  the  heavy-laden  vehicle.  The 
ciibin  built  for  me  hove  in  sight,  which  was  to  be  our 
home  in  the  new  found  land.  It  was  well  sheltered  by 
wood  from  the  north  and  east,  with  an  arm  of  the 


praiiie  lying  south  in  a  gently  descending  slope  for  a 
quarter  of  a  mile,  and  was  as  pretty  a  situation  as  one 
could  desire.  The  cabin,  however,  could  boast  of  no 
comforts.  It  contained  a  clap-board  roof,  held  down  by 
weight-poles,  a  rough  puncheon  floor,  and  had  neither 
door  nor  windows.  Two  door-ways  were  cut  out,  and 

\  the  rough  logs  were  scutched  down  inside.  All  the  chips 
and  ends  of  logs  left  by  the  backwoods'  builders  lay 
strewn  upon  the  floor.  We  were  now  face  to  face  with 

,  the  privations  and  difficulties  of  a  first  settlement  in  the 
wilderness."  From  Mr.  Flower's  statement  it  seems 
that  one  of  their  greatest  privations  was  the  lack  of  good 
water.  A  well  had  been  sunk  on  his  land,  but  it  was  a 
quarter  of  a  mile  away.  He  further  says  that,  "  The 

i  floor  of  their  cabin  being  cleared,  a  fire  was  kindled  in 
a  hole  where  a  hearth  was  to  be.  One  of  us  had  a  half 

;  mile  trip  for  water.  Then  for  the  first  time  we  knew 
the  blessing  of  an  iron  tea  kettle.  Our  first  meal  was 
spread  upon  the  floor  from  such  provisions  as  the  '  car- 

I  riage  afforded,  cheese,  crackers,  tea,  etc.  The  tea  we 
drank  alternately  from  one  or  two  tin  cups.  Some  sit- 
ting, some  kneeling,  some  stretched  at  length,  resting  on 

!  an  elbow  upon  the  floor  ancient  fashion,  was  the  way 

I  we*took  our  first  meal.  But  then  I  was  in  my  own  house, 
on  my  own  land,  in  a  free  and  independent  republic, 
and  could  cast  my  vote  into  a  hollow  tree  for  coon  'or 
'possum  to  be  president  of  the  United  States  if  I  so  de- 
sired." It  will  thus  be  seen  what  privations  and 
discomforts  the  pioneers  underwent,  although  some  of 

I  them  at  the  time  of  their  settlement  were  accustomed  to 

1  all  the  comforts  of  life  that  wealth  could  give.     Mr. 

,  Flower  and  Mr.  Birkbeck  both  were  representative  men 

i  in  England,  and  each  commanded  quite  a  fortune  when 

j  they  landed  in  this  county.  Whether  their  philan- 
thropic efforts  have  been  fully  appreciated,  the  present 
genera-ion  of  Albion  and  vicinity  must  answer.  The  for- 
mer lived  to  see  the  "  prairies "  and  surrounding 

1  country  largely  populated  with  prosperous  farmers  of  his 
own  countrymen.  The  little  colony  which  he  had  been 
accessory  in  planting,  had  become  among  the  most  pros- 
perous and  independent  of  the  great  prairie  State.  After 
seeing  and  enjoying  the  results  of  his  patriotic  efforts,  he 
passed  the  portals  of  this  life  at  the  city  of  Grayville, 
January  loth,  1862.  For  some  reasons,  his  and  Mr. 
Birkbeck's  relations  in  social  or  business  matters  were 
not  altogether  agreeable,  but  that  is  a  personal  matter 
and  belongs  to  no  part  of  history.  Mr.  Birkbeck  dur- 
ing his  life  time  looked  well  and  took  good  care  of  the 
interests  of  his  countrymen,  who  had  virtually  placed 
themselves  and  families  under  his  care  and  advisement. 
Wanborough,  for  a  time,  grew  and  prospered  as  a  town. 
Albion  springing  up  and  getting  the  precedent  as  a 
county  seat,  in  1821,  was  a  death  blow  upon  the  little 
town  of  Wanborough,  the  parent  town  within  the  pres- 
ent limits  of  Edwards  county.  Mr.  Birkbeck  became 
one  of  the  leading  men  of  the  State,  and  it  is  said  that 
through  his  efforts,  and  a  few  others,  Illinois  never 
has  had  the  stain  if  slavery  placed  upon  its  escutcheon. 


83 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


From  his  sound  judgment  and  clear  ideas  with  regard 
to  governmental  affairs,  Governor  Cole  saw  fit  to  choose 
him  as  his  Secretary  of  State  in  1824.  This  office  he 
held  but  a  short  time,  when  he  returned  to  his  little 
colony.  It  was  only  about  a  year  following  that  he  met 
with  a  sudden  and  tragic  death,  the  circumstances  of 
which  are  so  well  and  vividly  portrayed  in  a  journal  of 
that  day,  that  we  copy  the  same  for  the  readers  of  this 
history:  "  Oa  June  4th,  1825,  Mr.  Birkbeck  went  to 
Harmony,  Indiana,  taking  a  packet  of  letters  for  us  to 
Mr.  Robert  Owen,  who  being  on  the  eve  of  departure  to 
England,  had  kindly  promised  to  deliver  them.  On  Mr. 
Birkbeck's  return  occurred  the  melancholy  circumstan- 
ces of  his  death.  In  attempting  to  cross  Fox  river,  with 
his  son  Bradford,  they  found  the  "  flat "  on  which 
they  expected  to  be  carried  over,  had  been  taken  away. 
They,  therefore,  entered  the  stream  with  their  horses 
with  the  intention  of  swimming  the  river.  Bradford's  horse 
plunged  and  threw  him  into  the  seething  water.  Being  a 
good  swimmer,  he,  although  encumbered  with  an  over- 
coat, besides  being  weak  from  a  recent  illness,  had  nearly 
reached  the  opposite  shore,  when  he  heard  his  father's 
voice  calling  for  assistance;  and  turning  himself  around 
he  saw  him  struggling  in  the  middle  of  the  stream,  and 
returned  to  him.  Upon  reaching  him  his  father 
caught  hold  of  him,  and  they  both  sank  together.  Upon 
coming  to  the  surface,  Bradford  desired  his  father  to 
take  hold  of  his  coat  in  another  place,  which  he  did,  and 
again  they  both  sank.  At  this  time  only  Bradford 
arose ;  he  finally  reached  the  bank  in  safety,  but  he  left 
his  father  beneath  the  waves.  After  some  time  his  cries 
brought  a  person  to  his  assistance  who  endeavored  to  re- 
cover the  body  of  his  father.  It  was  all  in  vain,  and 
it  was  not  until  the  following  day  that  the  body  was  re- 
covered from  the  angry  waters.  When  found  his  um- 
brella was  grasped  in  his  right  hand,  the  position  he 
held  it  when  he  went  down.  His  body  was  taken  to 
New  Harmony,  and  there  interred  with  every  mark  of 
respect  that  the  living  could  give.  So  passed  away  the 
soul  of  one  who  had  labored,  faithfully,  many  years  of 
his  life,  to  benefit  his  fellow-man." 

A  prominent  pioneer  of  1817,  was  Alan  Emmerson, 
who  was  born  in  Kentucky.  When  a  young  man  he 
emigrated  to  Indiana,  where  he  married.  Oa  coming  to 
this  State  he  located  in  section  4,  township  2  south, 
range  10  east.  His  family  then  consisted  of  his  wife 
and  four  children.  He  built  a  snug  little  cabin  on 
the  quarter  section  of  land  he  had  entered,  and  here 
commenced  the  hard  labors  of  the  pioneer.  In  a  short 
time  he  was  elected  justice  of  the  peace,  being  among  the 
first  to  hold  that  honorable  position  in  what  is  now  Ed- 
wards county.  He  served  several  terms  upon  the  board 
of  County  Commissioners,  and  for  several  years  was  the 
p'esiding  Judge  of  the  county  court.  He  was  also 
elected  County  Treasurer  and  Assessor,  and  was  otfe 
term  in  the  State  Legislature.  In  factfor  many  years  prior 
to  his  death,  he  was  almost  constantly  serving  the  peo- 
ple in  some  public  capacity.  He  lived  to  a  good  old  age, 


he  and  his  wife  both  passing  away  in  1876,  Centennial 
year.  But  one  of  the  family  is  now  living,  Jesse,  who 
resides  in  Albion,  and  is  among  the  wealthy  and  influ- 
ential citizens  of  the  town. 

Rev.  John  Depew  came  in  the  same  year  as  Mr.  Em- 
merson. He  was  an  immigrant  from  the  South,  and  on 
arriving  in  the  county  he  located  on  land  adjoining  Mr. 
Emmerson.  He  was  a  zealous  Methodist  divine,  and 
the  first  of  that  persuasion  in  this  part  of  the  country.  It 
is  remarked  of  him  that  he  was  a  good  neighbor,  an 
!  honest  and  conscientious  man,  and  practiced  what  he 
preached.  Being  at  a  neighbor's  house  one  dav,  and 
asked  to  take  dinner  with  the  family,  he  refused  one  of  the 
delicacies  of  the  early  times — wild  honey, — as  he  had 
learned  in  the  mean  time  that  the  Sabbath  had  been 
desecrated  in  felling  the  bee-tree.  He  remained  here 
but  a  few  years,  when  he  moved  to  Marion  county. 

In  1818,  three  months  after  Wanborough  was 
established,  Albion  was  founded.  Mr.  Flower,  in  his 
reminiscences  says,  that  the  emigrants  were  con- 
tinually flowing  in,  and  it  became  necessary  to  furnish 
them  with  suitable  and  comfortable  quarters.  They 
would  first  visit  Mr.  Birkbeck,  who  had  but  small 
accommodations,  and  would  then  call  upon  Mr.  Flower, 
who  at  the  time,  was  Lss  prepared  to  receive  them  than 
Mr.  Birkbeck.  At  this  stage,  says  Mr.  Flower,  "we 
were  experiencing  the  many  inconveniences  of  a  popu- 
lation in  the  wilderness,  in  advance  of  necessary  food 
and  shelter.  Do  as  you  will,  if  you  are  the  very  first  in 
|  the  wilderness,  there  are  many  inconveniences,  privations, 
|  hardships,  and  sufferings  that  cannot  be  avoided.  My 
own  family,  one  day,  were  so  closely  run  for  provisions, 
that  a  dish  of  tender  buds  and  shoots  of  the  hazle-brush 
was  our  only  resort." 

Mr.  Lawrence  and  Mr.  Trimmer,  who  led  the  first 
ship's  company,  made  their  settlement  in  Village  Prairie, 
so  called  from  the  Piankashaw   Indians,   who  had  for- 
merly located  there.     Other  emigrants  kept  coming  in, 
some  on  foot,  some  on  horseback,  and  some  in  wagons. 
Some  sought  employment  and  accepted  of  such  labor  as 
I  they  could  find.     Others  struck  out  on  their  own  respon- 
i  sibility  and  made  small  beginnings  for  themselves,  while 
!  others   dropped   back   into  the  towns  and  settlement  in 
Indiana.     At  this  time  Mr.  Flower  had  been  unable  to 
~  prepare  for  the  reception   of  the  emigrants,  his  whole 
i  time  having  been  occupied  in  making  his  own  family 
j  comfortable.     One  evening,  after  he  had  completed  his 
surroundings   for   the  comfort   of  his    family,    Messrs. 
;  Lawrence,  Ronalds,  and  Fordham  called  at  the  cabin  of 
]  Mr.  Flower.     The  question  of  making  suitable  prepara- 
tion for  the  incoming  tide  of  emigration  was  discussed.and 
measures  were  to  be  adopted  for  the  laying  out  and  build- 
ing a  town,  as  a  center  for  the  useful  arts,  and  conven- 
iences necessary  for  a  prosperous  agricultural  district. 
The  subject  was  considered  in  all  its  various  bearings, 
and  there  in  the  darkness  of  Mr.  F's.  cabin  (they  were 
then   not  even  supplied   with  a  candle)  the   village  of 
Albion  was  located,  built  and  peopled,  iu  imagination. 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND   WABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


83 


But  one  day  was  suffered  to  elapse  between  the  decision 
and  execution  of  what  had  been  purposed.  The  gentle- 
men, before  mentioned,  had  remained  over  night  with  Mr. 
Flower,  and  it  was  decided  in  the  morning  that  Messrs. 
Fordham  and  Flower  should  start  north  from  the  latter 's 
dwelling,  while  Lawrence  and  Ronalds  were  to  go 
south  from  Village  Prairie,  at  a  given  hour  on  the  fol- 
lowing morning,  and  at  their  place  of  meeting  should  be 
the  future  town.  Mr.  Flower  says :  "  We  met  the 
next  day  in  the  woods,  according  to  appointment.  The 
spot  seemed  suitable,  the  woods  being  rather  open  and 
the  ground  level."  With  one  accord,  it  was  decided 
that  ths  spot  upon  which  they  then  stood  should  be  the 
center  of  the  town.  They  were  then  standing  upon  the 
ground  now  enclosed  in  the  public  square.  It  was  thus 
that  the  town  of  Albion  was  born.  The  first  building 
was  a  double  log  cabin,  utilized  for  a  "tavern,"  and 
was  built  by  John  Pitcher,  who,  with  his  family,  consti- 
tuted a  portion  of  the  first  emigrants  in  1818.  Among 
these  emigrants  were  Abraham,  Isaac  and  Jacob  Pen- 
fold,  all  excellent  mechanics.  The  second  buildings  in 
the  town  were  a  house  and  blacksmith  shop  for  the  fam- 
ily and  use  of  Jacob  Penfold,  who  was  the  first  black- 
smith of  Albion.  These  families  have  all  passed  away 
long  ago ;  one,  a  daughter  of  Abraham  Penfold,  is  yet 
living  in  Albion,  the  wife  of  "  Uncle  Johnny  Woods." 
She  has  lost  her  eyesight,  but  is  active  for  one  of  her 
age. 

Another  of  the  emigrants,  of  1818,  was  Joel  Church- 
hill,  an  intelligent  and  educated  young  man  from  Lon- 
don. He  entered  quite  a  large  tract  of  land  about 
five  miles  south  of  Albion,  now  Dixon  precinct,  built 
a  log  house,  and  commenced  the  life  of  a  pioneer  in 
the  timber  of  Big  creek.  In  1824  he  married  Eliza 
Simpkins,  from  which  union  eleven  children  were  born. 
Being  of  a  business  turn  of  mind,  Mr.  Churchill  re- 
moved to  Albion,  and  engaged  in  the  commercial  busi- 
ness. Here  he  erected  a  brick  store-room,  and  built 
'  a  stone  dwelling.  By  good  business  tact  he  had, 
in  a  few  years,  increased  his  mercantile  affairs  to  consid- 
erable proportions,  besides  establishing  a  large  manufac- 
tory for  pressing  and  shipping  castor  oil.  He  died  at 
Albion  in  1872,  having  led  a  busy  and  prosperous  life. 
His  widow  and  two  sons  are  prominent  citizens  of  Albion. 
One  of  his  sons,  Charles,  has  had  the  honor  of  represent- 
ing the  district  in  the  State  Legislature. 

John  Tribe  came  from  England  one  year  later  than 
Mr.  Churchill.  He  was  then  a  single  man,  and  first 
located  at  Wanborough.  He  subsequently  married, 
and  reared  a  large  family.  In  later  years  he  moved  to 
Albion,  where  he  carried  on  the  business  of  wool-carding 
until  his  death,  which  occurred  in  the  summer  of  1880. 
Mr.  Flower,  in  his  memoirs,  says  of  him :  "  He  has 
not  made  that  accumulation  of  property  that  many  men 
have,  that  came  with  as  little  as  he,  but  this  is  probably 
because  he  has  not  given  himself  up  to  the  one  idea  of 
acquisition  and  accumulation.  As  he  has  labored 
moderately  through  lite,  he  has  always  reserved  a  little 


time  for  observation,  reflection,  and  reading.     His  house 
is  small,  his  living  plain  and  simple.     He  reserves  a 
small  room  for  himself,   where  he  receives  any  friends 
who  may  call.     On  his  table  are  placed  writing  materials, 
|  books,  periodicals  and  newspapers.     In  his  garden  are  a 
i  few    of    the   choicest  flowers,    that   would  grace    the 
j  grounds  of  Buckingham  palace.     Is  not  a  New  York 
millionaire  poor,  compared  to  Mr.  Tribe?"     That  he 
was  a  man  of  more  than    ordinary   intelligence    and 
reading,  is  fully  attested  by  the  evidences  given  by  the 
citizens  of  Albion  of  to-day.     Many  a  time  has   the 
writer  in  interviewing  the  old  citizens  of  the  town  for  in- 
|  formation  for  this  volume,  heard  them  exclaim:  "How 
!  unfortunate  that  this  book  had  not  been  written  a  little 
earlier,  before  the  death  of  'Uncle  Johny  Tribe;'  he 
was  a  perfect  walking  encyclopedia,  and  could  have  told 
you  all  about  it."     Mrs.  Tribe  is  yet  living  in  Albion, 
and  eight  of  the  children  are  residents  of  the  county ; 
one  son,  William  B.,  is  the  present  Circuit  Clerk  of  Ed- 
wards county. 

John  Woods,  Sr.,  of  Surrey,  England,  came  in  the  fall 
of  the  same  year  as  the  above.  He  was  a  man  of  family, 
having  a  wife  and  five  children.  He  settled  at  Wan- 
borough,  where  he  remained  for  several  years,  when  he 
moved  to  Albion,  and  thence  to  Shawneetown,  where  he 
died.  One  son,  John  Jr.,  is  a  merchant  in  Albion, 
and  one  of  the  oldest  surviving  settlers  in  the  county. 
For  nearly  forty  years  he  served  as  County  Treasurer 
and  Assessor,  and  is  yet  active  for  one  of  his  years. 

As  previously  stated,  Richard  Flower  and  his  wife, 
father  and  mother,  of  George  Flower,  came  from  Eng- 
land, with  the  latter  in  1818.  They  stayed  one  year  at 
Lexington,  Kentucky,  and  the  following  spring  moved 
to  Albion.  Mr.  Flower  was  what  would  be  called  wealthy 
in  those  days,  being  worth  between  one  and  two  hundred 
thousand  dollars.  He  built  a  mansion  much  after 
the  style  and  architecture  of  the  farm-houses  in  England. 
Thirty  acres  of  woodland  were  preserved  in  connection 
wilh  the  house,  the  under-brush  was  cleared  away  and 
the  entire  ground  sowed  with  blue  grass.  This  gave  the 
grounds  an  appearance  of  a  beautiful  and  commodious 
park.  Hence,  it  received  the  name  "Park  House." 
Mr.  Flower,  in  speaking  of  it,  says  :  "  Old  Park  House, 
near  Albion,  will  long  be  remembered  by  old  settlers 
and  distant  visitors  for  its  social  reunions  and  open- 
handed  hospitalities.  Here  the  family  party  of  children 
and  grandchildren  met  at  dinner  on  Sundays.  An  Eng- 
lish plum  pudding  was  a  standing  dish  that  had  graced 
my  father's  dinner  table  from  time  immemorial.  Here 
all  friends  and  neighbors,  that  had  any  musical  tastes 
or  talent,  met  once  a  fortnight  for  practice  and  social 
enjoyment.  Strangers  and  visitors  to  the  settlement  re- 
ceived a  hearty  welcome.  It  may  be  truly  said  that, 
•  for  thirty  years,  '  Old  Park  House '  was  never  without 
its  visitors  from  every  country  in  Europe,  and  every 
i  State  in  the  Union." 

The  following  is  a  short  sketch  of  some  of  the  settlers 
in  Albion  and  Wanborough, as  given  by  Mr.  Flower: 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


Brian  Walker  and  his  friend  William  Nichols,  from 
Yorkshire,  came  to  Philadelphia  in  1817,  and  to  the 
settlement,  at  Albion,  in  1818-  Mr.  Walker,  when  he 
landed  at  Philadelphia,  had  but  one  guinea  in  his  pocket. 
How  much  there  was  left  of  that  guinea  when  he  arrived 
in  Illinois,  there  is  no  record.  He  and  his  friend  Nich- 
ols settled  on  land  side  by  side,  situated  on  the  skirts  of 
a  prairie,  one  mile  east  of  Albion.  They  worked  hard, 
opened  land,  built  their  houses,  married,  reared  large 
families  and  became  possessed  of  abundance.  They, 
with  most  of  the  other  early  settlers,  have  passed  away. 

William  Wood  of  Wormswold,  Leicestershire,  a  small 
farmer,  with  his  wife  and  one  son,  Joseph,  left  England 
for  the  prairies  of  Illinois  in  the  spring  of  1819.  Ac- 
companying him  were  two  young  men,  John  Brissenden 
of  Kent,  and  William  Tewks,  from  Leicestershire;  also 
Miss  Mea, — afterward  Mrs.  Brissenden,— and  Joseph 
Butler  and  family,  from  Kent.  'Ihe  party  kept  together, 
and  came  the  usual  route  from  Philadelphia  to  Pitts- 
burg,  and  descended  the  Ohio  in  an  ark.  When  near 
their  journey's  end  Mrs.  Wood  was  taken  ill,  and  on 
reaching  the  mouth  of  the  Wabash,  died.  On  a  point 
of  land  at  the  junction  of  the  Ohio  and  Wabash,  on  the 
Illinois  side,  far  from  any  settlement  or  habitation,  her 
grave  was  made  between  two  trees,  on  which  her  name 
and  age  were  carved,  and  thus  were  her  remains  left 
alone  in  the  wilds  of  a  new  country.  Who  can  image  a 
more  melancholy  situation  for  an  old  man,  left  virtually 
alone,  just  at  the  end  of  his  toilsome  and  weary  journey, 
to  lose  his  life-long  partner,  just  as  the  promised  land 
they  had  so  much  doted  on,  was  heaving  in  sight?  Mr. 
Wood  being  a  man  of  great  vigor  and  good  sense  did  not 
yield  to  discouragement  as  many  might  have  done.  After 
reaching  his  destination,  Albion,  he  soon  opened  a  good 
farm,  planted  an  orchard,  and  lived  for  several  years 
enjoying  the  fruits  of  his  labors.  His  son  Joseph,  in 
after  years,  became  one  of  the  wealthiest  and  most  thrif- 
ty farmers  in  the  c  lunty. 

John  Brissenden,  after  working  for  a  time,  and  having 
acquired  a  little  money,  settled  on  a  tract  of  land  by  the 
side  of  his  old  friend  Wood.  His  was  the  usual  way  to 
competency  of  the  early  settlers.  He  cleared  his  farm, 
married,  reared  a  large  family,  and  in  time  built  a 
fine  house,  besides  having  an  interest  in  a  mercantile 
house  in  Maysville,  Clay  county.  He  died  some  years 
ago,  leaving  a  good  property  to  his  heirs. 

William  Tewk's  career  was  simply  a  repetition  of  Mr. 
Brissenden's.  For  a  time  he  was  a  carrier  between 
Albion  and  Evansville,  Indiana.  He  acted  in  the 
capacity  of  itinerant  commission  man  between  both 
places,  making  the  purchases  which  his  wagon  brought 
home.  He  drove  one  of  the  wagons  himself,  and  met 
with  an  accident,  which  proved  fatal,  about  twenty  years 
ago. 

John  Skeavington  from  Nottinghamshire,  England, 
came  in  the  same  year  and  located  on  the  prairie  near 
Mr.  Bri.*senden,  and  cultivated  a  good  farm.  Like  his 
neighbors,  he  commenced  with  but  little  if  any  means, 


but  before,  his  death,  had  amassed  a  good  competency. 
Several  of  his  descendants  are  good  and  respectable 
citizens  of  Edwards  county. 

William  Harris,  also    from  England,  came  with  the 

migrants  of  1819.     For  many  years  he  followed  team- 

'•  ing  with  an  ox  team.  Mr.  Flower  says  of  him  :  "  William 

Harris'  team  was  a  sort  of  institution  in  the  county  for 

many  years.     I  would  charter  Billy  Harris'  wagon  for 

a  loiig  journey  across  the  prairie.     It,  was  strong,  large, 

I  well  covered,  and,  when    well  fitted    up  with  bedding 

and  provender,  was  comfortable  enough.     Myself  and 

family  have  taken  many  long  and  pleasant  journeys  in  it. 

It  was  the  best  conveyance  for  our  rough  county  at  that 

I  day — no  hill  too  steep,  no  bog  too  deep  for  Mr.  Harris' 

!  strong  ox-team.     Not  railroad-like,  but  more  indepen- 

j  dent,  and  in  some  respects,  more  comfortable."    In  later 

|  years  Mr.  Harris  located  on  a  farm  near  Albion,  where 

he  resided  in  peace  and  plenty. 

Samuel  Prichard,  who  sailed  in  the  Columbia  in  the 
spring  of  1819,  had  a  family  consisting  of  his  wife,  four 
sons  and  four  daughters  He  belonged  to  the  society  of 
Friends,  possessed  a  good  property,  was  liberal  minded, 
and  well  educated.  He  was  an  acquaintance  of 
Mr.  Birkbeck's  in  England,  and  on  coming  to  the  county 
he  located  near  Wanborough,  on  the  road  leading  to 
Albion.  He  contracted  a  fever  soon  after  coming,  and 
lived  but  a  short  time.  His  descendants  are  yet  living 
here. 

William  Clark  and  family  came  about  the  same  time 
as  Mr.  Prichard.  Mr.  Clark  also  belonged  to  the  society 
of  Friends,  and  was  a  valuable  acquisition  to  the  colony. 
He  settled  on  one  of  the  little  prairies  lying  between  Al- 
bion and  the  Little  Wabash,  and  it  was  owing  tohis  capital 
and  enterprise  that  the  first  wind-mill  was  constructed 
in  the  county.  Three  other  parties  came  at  the  time  of 
Mr.  Clark,  David  and  George  Kearsum,  and  a  Mr. 
Sampson,  none  of  whom  are  now  living — at  least  none 
are  residents  of  the  county. 

Another  early  settler  was  William  Hall,  from  Surrey. 
He  had  a  large  family,  and  located  on  the  prairies  west 
of  Wanborough,  where  he  improved  a  good  farm.  Mr. 
Hall  was  a  well  educated  man,  a  close  observer  and  one 
of  more  than  ordinary  intelligence.  He  kept  a  record 
of  all  important  passing  events,  and  it  is  to  his  journal 
and  notes  that  Mr.  Flower  acknowledges  indebtedness 
for  many  points  obtained  in  the  furtherance  of  his  history 
of  the  English  settlements.  We  here  insert  a 
letter  written  by  Mr.  Hall  to  a  friend  in  England  relat- 
ing to  the  sad  death  of  one  of  his  boys  while  engaged  in 
hunting  wild  turkeys.  He  says :  "  Preserve  this  letter, 
dear  John,  as  a  monument  of  the  instability  of  all  human 
felicity.  The  very  dav  I  wrote  it,  on  the  fatal  morning 
of  the  24th  of  April,  1822,  I  heard  the  sound  of  my  two 
sons  passing  through  the  porch,  into  which  my  bed-room 
opens.  One  of  them  I  knew  by  his  light  step  and  cheer- 
ful voice,  to  be  my  beloved  Ned,  the  other  was  unfortu- 
nate Robert.  About  half  an  hour  after,  I  heard  the 
report  of  a  rifle  in  the  woods.  I  lay  about  a  quarter  of 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  W ABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


an  hour  longer,  until  it  was  light  enough  to  dress.  When 
I  went  out  of  the  door  it  was  just  five  o'clock.  Upon 
going  to  the  back  of  the  house,  where  I  heard  most 
unearthly  cries  of  distress,  I  saw  po>r  Robert  rolling  on 
the  ground  and  writhing  in  the  utmost  agony.  I  im- 
mediately concluded  he  was  dreadfully  wounded,  and  it 
was  some  time  before  he  could  speak.  He  exclaimed, 
Oh,  father,  I  have  killed  Ned,  and  I  wish  I  was  dead 
myself!  I  uttered  an  in  voluntary  exclamation,  and  sank 
down  myself  upon  him.  The  noise  brought  out  his 
mother,  and  the  scene  which  followed  cannot  be  described. 
Two  of  the  neighbors,  aroused  by  Robert's  cries,  assisted 
me  in  conveying  him  and  his  mother  and  laying  them 
upon  the  bed.  I  went  with  them  in  search  of  the  body, 
which  was  not  found  for  some  time.  At  length  it  was 
brought  in,  and  buried  in  a  spot  which  my  poor  boy  had 
selected  for  his  garden.  It  seems  they  had  sighted  a 
turkey,  when  Robert  dispatched  his  brother  one  way, 
and  lay  down  himself  behind  a  log,  to  endeavor  to  call 
up  the  bird  within  gun  shot,  with  his  turkey-call.  After 
a  little  while,  he  heard  a  rustling  but  a  few  yards  away, 
and  soon  afterward  saw  what  he  concluded  to  be  the 
turkey.  He  took  aim,  fired,  and  leaped  up,  shouting  for 
Ned,  and  ran  in  triumph  to  p'ck  up  his  game.  Think 
of  his  feelings,  when  he  found  it  to  be  the  corpse  of  his 
brother  weltering  in  his  own  blood." 

Mr.  Hall  died  many  years  ago,  and  the  family  have 
moved  to  other  scenes.  One  daughter,  widow  of  Walter 
L.  Mayo,  it  is  said  is  now  a  resident  of  Leavenworth, 
Kansas. 

The  first  English  settlers  in  Village  Prairie,  were 
John  Brenchly  and  wife,  and  John  Lewis  and  family. 
In  speaking  of  them  Mr.  Flower  says  :  "  Mr.  Brenchly 
had  been  a  distiller  in  the  old  country  ;  not  a  man 
of  country  habits,  or  possessed  of  much  capital.  Mr. 
Lewis  was  a  man  of  excellent  educalion,  but  with  small 
pecuniary^means.  These  were  both  difficult  cases  for  a 
new  settlement.  In  a  few  months  they  both  left  their 
quarter  sections  in  the  prairie.  For  a  year  or  two,  Mr. 
Brenchly  lived  chiefly  by  his  labors  as  accountant,  etc., 
and  finally  moved  to  Philadelphia.  Mr.  Lewis  remained 
longer,  and  for  a  time,  rented  the  first  brick  tavern  in 
Albion,  built  by  Richard  Flower,  Senior.  The  family 
subsequently  moved  to  Cincinnati. 

"  Speaking  of  the  Lewis's,"  says  Mr.  Flower,  "  reminds 
me  of  an  accident  that  nearly  proved  fatal  to  one  of 
the  family.  I  had  dismounted  from  my  horse,  and  hitched 
him  by  the  bridle  to  the  handle  of  the  well-windlass, 
that  was  situated  near  the  kitchen  door  at  the  Park 
House,  and  had  run  over  to  my  cabins  about  seventy 
yards  distant.  Soon  afterward  a  servant  came  running 
in  haste,  exclaiming  that  Mary  Lewis  had  fallen  into 
the  well.  The  child,  about  twelve  years  of  age,  had 
been  standing  on  the  well-top ;  the  horse  became  sud- 
denly frightened  and  pulled  the  windlass  and  curbing 
from  the  well,  and  the  child  had  dropped  in.  The  well 
was  about  forty  feet  deep  and  contained  ten  feet  of 
water."  Assisted  by  two  or  three  parties  at  hand,  the 


little  girl  was  rescued  from  her  perilous  situation, 
though  pretty  well  exhausted  through  fright  and  drown- 
ing. This  well  has  a  further  history  connected  with  it. 
It  was  of  large  diameter,  the  sides  and  bottom  being  of 
smooth  sandstone.  At  the  sinking  of  it,  the  digger, 
William  Truscott,  had  nearly  completed  his  work,  and 
was  engaged  in  sweeping  at  the  bottom  of  the  well,  just 
preparatory  to  coming  to  the  surface.  Suddenly  a  dread- 
ful hubbub  was  heard  in  its  vicinity — the  mingled  voices 
of  a  man  and  beast  in  agony  of  distress  came  forth  and 
attracted  every  one  within  hearing  to  the  spot.  The 
cause  was  at  once  apparent.  A  large,  fat  hog  had 
strayed  to  the  mouth  of  the  well,  and  had  slipped  his 
hind  feet  over,  and  was  struggling  with  might  and  main 
to  recover  himself.  While  in  this  position,  squealing 
for  aid,  the  man  below  looked  up  in  terror  and  loudly 
roared  for  help.  Seeing  that  the  hog  was  gradually 
losing  his  hold,  he  flattened  himself  against  the  stone 
sides  and  waited  the  dread  results.  Down  went  the 
animal  to  his  instant  death ;  for  a  moment  all  was  silent. 
Shouts  from  the  top  were  given,  asking  if  the  digger 
was  hurt  ?  A  faint  voice  said,  "  Oh,  yes,  do  haul  me 
up."  The  man  was  brought  to  the  surface,  nearly  dead 
with  fright.  The  hog  was  subsequently  removed  from 
the  well,  but  was  split  open  on  the  back  from  head  to 
tail,  as  if  the  process  had  been  performed  with  a  sharp 
knife. 

One  of  the  great  fears  that  the  pioneers  labored  under  at 
their  coming,  was  that  the  place  they  had  chosen  would 
have  to  be  abandoned  on  account  of  the  inability  to  ob- 
tain good  water.  Wells  were  sunk  to  considerable 
depths,  but  no  water  could  be  obtained  only  as  they 
filled  by  the  surface  flow.  We  are  informed  that  to-day, 
water  can  be  reached  almost  anywhere,  at  the  depth  of 
ten  or  fifteen  feet.  Science  and  theory  has  thus  far 
failed  to  give  any  satisfactory  or  intelligent  reason  for 
this  phenomenon. 

In  1820,  Thomas  Spring  and  his  family,  left  Derby- 
shire,  England,   for   the   beautiful   prairies  of  Illinois. 
The  second  son,  Archibald,  was  left  at  a  medical  college, 
in  Baltimore,  to  finish  his  studies.     The  family  proceeded 
to  Wheeling,  Virginia,  by  laud,  when  Mr.  Spring  waa 
taken  with  a  fever  and  died  before  reaching  his  destina- 
tion.    His  three  sons,  Henry,  Sydney,  and  John  came 
on  with   their  mother,  and   located  on   Birk's  Prairie. 
Sydney  afterwards   married   here   and  reared  a  large 
|  family     He  subsequently  removed  to  Graysville,  White 
j  county.     Henry,  in  after  years,  became  a  merchant  in 
j  Olney.    Archibald,  after  completing  his  studies,  came 
,  to  Edwards  county,  and  for  many  years  was  a  successful 
i  physician  in  Albion,  where  he  remained  until  his  death. 
|      Others  who  came  about  the  same  time  were,  James 
|  Carter  and  family,  Gilbert   T._PellJU  Mr^Kenton,  Mr. 
!  Coles  and   family,  Mr.  Peters,  Thomas   Simpkins  and 
family,  Mr.  Gillard,  Henry  Bowman,  then  a  single  man, 
Oswald    Warrington    and    family,   James   and    Robert 
Thread,  Mr.  Orange  and  family,  Henry  Birkett,   Mr. 
Stanhope,  Francis  Hanks  and  family,  J.  B.  Johnson 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRflNCE  AND  W ABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


•William  Hallnm,  Thomas  Shepherd,  Henry,  John  and  he  served  as  Representative,  from  1826  to  1828.  Again 
Henry  Cowling,  Edward  Coad  and  family,  Joseph,  |  in  1832,  he  is  sent  to  the  State  Senate,  served  one  term, 
Thomas  and  Kelsey  Crackles,  John  May,  William  Cave,  and  in  1838,  is  re-elected  to  the  same  position,  where  he 
Thomas  Swale,  Moses,  John  and  George  Michels,  Ellis  remained  until  1840.  He  died  at  the  old  homestead,  in 


Weaver,  and  many  others. 

A  prominent  settler  of  1821,  was  William  Pickering, 
from  Yorkshire.  He  came  a  single  man,  but  subse- 
quently married  Martha  Flower,  and  first  made  his  set- 
tlement at  Village  Prairie.  He  was  an  active  and 
energetic  man,  and  in  a  few  years  rose  to  distinction  in 


the   spriug   of  1854.     Three  of  his   sons,   born   of  his 
second  marriage,  are  now  living  at  the  old  farm. 

Benjamin  Ulm  was  a  native  of  Ross  county,  Ohio, 
and  came  to  the  county  in  1820,  and  is  one  of  the  few 
survivors  of  the  early  settlers.  He  now  resides  in  sec- 
tion 32,  township  2  north,  range  14  west,  and  has  ever 


the  State.     Governor  Washburn  says  of  him :   "  Gen.     been   considered    one   of   the  staunch   citizens   of  the 


William  Pickering  was  a  well-known  man  among  the 
old  Whig  politicians  of  Illinois,  of  his  day.  He  was 
a  representative  man  in  the  party,  in  the  southeastern 
part  of  the  State.  I  often  met  him  in  conventions, 
and  kuew  him  well  in  the  Legislature.  He  had  a  con- 
tinuous service  in  the  State  Legislature,  as  the  member 
from  Edwards  county,  from  1842  to  1852,  a  service  of 
exceptional  length.  He  was  a  man  of  great  intelligence 
and  public  spirit.  He  had  a  fine  presence,  and  was 
thoroughly  English  in  look  and  manner.  He  was  an 
intimate  friend  of  Mr.  Lincoln,  who,  on  his  accession 
to  the  Presidency,  appointed  him  Governor  of  Wash- 
ington Territory."  Mr.  Pickering  died  at  his  home, 
near  Albion,  about  eight  years  ago.  One  sou  is  living 
at  the  farm  a  little  west  of  Albion. 

James  O.  Wattles  was  another  distinguished  early 
settler.  It  is  said  that  he  was  a  good  lawyer,  and  when 
engaged  in  reading  his  briefs  or  other  papers,  he  did  so 
with  the  paper  upside  down.  This  was  caused  by  a 

peculiarity  of  the  eyesight.  He  was  elected  Judge  of  I  dollars  —  a  good  price  in  those  days.  I  built  him  a 
the  fifth  Judicial  District  of  Illinois,  by  the  General  i  forge,  which  he  rented  at  first  and  afterwards  purchased. 
Assembly,  and  commissioned  January  19,  1825,  and  I  With  the  proceeds  of  the  horse,  he  purchased  iron  and 
was  legislated  out  of  office,  January  12,  1827.  He  I  went  to  work.  This  was  the  beginning  of  Alexander 
moved  to  New  Harmony,  Indiana,  about  the  time  of  the  j  Stewart,  who,  after  several  years  of  labor  and  industry, 
settlement  of  Robert  Owen,  at  that  place.  j  added  to  his  blacksmith  shop  a  store.  Business  and 


ccunty. 

One  who  figured  very  prominently,  for  many  years  in 
the  civil  matters  of  the  county,  was  Walter  L.  Mayo. 
He  was  eltcted  Clerk  in  1831,  and  served  continuously 
in  this  capacity  until  1870.  He  was  a  genial,  popular, 
whole  souled  man,  and  had  the  confidence  of  all  who 
knew  him.  He  amassed  a  good  competency,  and  subse- 
quent to  1870,  he  moved  with  his  family  to  Leaven- 
worth,  Kansas.  While  returning  to  Olney,  Illinois,  to 
transact  some  business,  he  was  way-laid,  as  supposed,  in 
East  St.  Louis,  and  nothing  has  ever  been  heard  of  the 
cause  of.  his  untimely  and  sudden  death. 

Alexander  Stewart,  who  has  seen  the  town  of  Albion 
grow  up  almost  from  its  infancy,  is  among  the  early 
prominent  business  men  of  the  English  settlement. 
Mr.  Flower  in  speaking  of  him  says  :  "  Nearly  forty 
years  ago,  (it  is  now  nearly  sixty)  a  young  Scotchman 
in  his  teens,  rode  up  to  my  house  and  wished  me  to  pur- 
chase his  horse,  saddle  and  bridle,  which  I  did  for  sixty 


Ex-Governor,  Augustus  C.  French,  also  commenced 
his  life  in  the  west,  at  the  town  of  Albion.  He  was  a 
graduate  from  one  .of  the  eastern  colleges.  On  his  ar- 
rival at  Albion,  he  possessed  but  his  education  and  wits 
to  make  a  livelihood.  He  first  taught  school  at  two 
dollars  a  quarter  for  each  pupil,  and  in  the  meantime 
commenced  the  study  of  law,  in  which  profession  he 
gained  some  reputation.  Subsequently  he  was  elected 
to  the  Legislature,  and  in  1846,  was  elected  Governor  of 
the  State.  Prior  to  this,  however,  he  had  removed  to 
another  part  of  the  State. 

Henry  I.  Mills  was  a  prominent  settler  of  early  times. 
He  was  a  native  of  Ohio,  but  had  for  several  years  lived 
at  Vineennes,  Indiana,  before  coming  to  Illinois.  He 
first  located  in  section  28,  on  the  prairie  that  bears  his 
name.  His  family  then  consisted  of  his  wife  and  two 


capital  increasing,  he  soon  went  largely  into  the  produce 
trade  of  the  country,  of  which  pork,  corn  a%d  wheat, 
are  the  staples.  He  is  also  proprietor  of  a  large  flour- 
ing-mill  at  Graysville." 

It  is  but  a  short  time  .since  the  writer  saw  Mr.  Stewart, 
who  is  yet  living  and  enjoying  the  comforts  and  luxuries 
of  a  good  home,  the  legitimate  results  of  ardent, 
honest  labor.  He  is  now  somewhat  feeble,  and  has 
withdrawn  from  active  life,  yet  is  a  living  monument  01 
what  frugality  and  industry  may  accomplish,  as  his 
possessions  may  be  counted  by  tens-of-thousauds. 

One  peculiarity  of  the  ups  and  downs  of  the  English 
colony  is,  that  those  who  came  with  an  abundance,  died, 
after  years  of  struggle  with  the  various  freaks  of  fortune, 
with  far  less  than  they  brought  with  them,  while  those 
of  little  or  no  means  have  made  comfortable  homes,  and 


children.    He  soon  became  popular  among  the  early     attained  a  degree  of  wealth  which  is  commendable  to 
settlers  and  as  early  as  1820,  was  promoted  to  the  office  j  their  many  years  of  industry, 
of  Sheriff,  which  position  he  held  until  1826.     In  1838, 
he  was  appointed  School  Commissioner,  being  the  second 


EARLY   MARRIAGES. 

The  following  list  includes  the  marriage  licenses  grant- 


officer  for  this   position  in  the  county.     Twelve  years  i  ed  in   the   county  '  after   its  organization    to  1817,   as 
prior  to  this,  we  find  him  in  the  State  Legislature,  M  here  j  appears  upon  the  license  record : 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WAEASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


(17 


Name.  Pate  of  license.         By  whom  married.      Date  of  mrrge. 

J,vne"pholp\'u,tl  January  llth,  1815,    William  Smith,  J.  P.    Jan.  llth,  1815 


Jane  Bathe.           Feb.  llth,  1815, 

James  Shaw,  Esq. 

Feb.  14th,  1815 

Ramnel  Putnam  to 

Relief  Chafee,       March  15th,  1815 

J.  Mclntosh,  J.  C.  C. 

Mar.  16th,  1815 

Joseph  Robertson  to 
Sally  Barney,         May  17th,  1815, 

Rev.  Jm'h  Ballard, 

May  18th,  1815 

Jam's  Ford  ice  to 

Susnn  (Jar.l,           June  10th,  1815, 

"           " 

June  29th,  1815 

John  Barger  to 
Catharine  Minor,  July  4th,  1815, 

Rev.  Jno.  Mclntosh 

Philip  Plouzh  to 

Sallic  Arnold,       July  6th,  1815, 

it       it           if 

July  7th,  1815 

Thomas  Trueloek  to 

Jemima  Ramsey,  July  8th,  1815, 

it       ii           it 

July  9th,  1815 

Havward  Putnam  to 

Otroltna  James,    July  llth,  1815, 

Jeremiah  Ballard  to 
Elizabeth  Barney.July  31st,  1816, 

Seth  Gard,  J.  C.  C. 

Aug.  2nd,  181 

Jarvis  D:ilo  to 

Francis  Chafee,    Dec.  2nd,  1815, 

"         "           " 

Dec.  3rd,  1815 

Daniel  Keen  to 

Mary  Compton,    Dec.  13th,  1815, 

ii         ii           it 

Dec.  14th,  1815 

.To«eph  Ballard  to 
Patty  Putmau,     Deo.  27th,  1815, 

..         .. 

Dec.  28th,  1815 

James  Mr-Daniel  to 
Martha  Wesncr,  Advertisement, 

Rev.  Dvd.  MeGahey 

,  Dec.  13th,  1815 

George  Miller  to 
Elizabeth  Shook, 

.,       .. 

Dee.  25th,  1815 

Nancy  Beaton,    without  license 

James  Shaw,  J.  P., 

Mar.  18th,  1816 

John  Walder  to 

Nancy  Dawson,   July  4th,  1816, 

Robert  Baird,  J.  P. 

July  4th,  1816 

William  Woodland  to 

Mary  Stepteford,  July  18th,  1816, 

Gerv.Hazletoi.J.  P 

, 

John  Flinn  to 

El  eta  Payne,       Aug.  21st,  1816, 

G.  W.  Smith,  J.  P., 

Aug.  22nd,  1816 

Gervaae  Hazleton  to 

Eliza  Osgood,       Aug.  22nd,  1816, 

G.  W.  Smith,  J.  P., 

Aug.  22nd,  1816 

Samuel  Brinbery  to 
Mary  Jones,         June  16th,  1816, 

Rev.  Dvd.  MeGahey, 

June  18th,  1816 

John  Compton  to 

Jane  Barney,       Sept.  4th,  1816, 

Rev.  Jm'h  Ballard, 

Sept.  4th,  1816 

Alpheus  Peckard  to 
Catharine  Gray,  Sept.  22nd,  1816, 

Rev.  Dvd.  MeGahey, 

Sept.  22nd,  1816 

Jeremiah  McRinney  to 

Catey  Westner,    Sept.  29th,  1816, 

it       a           ii 

Sept.  29th,  Ib16 

Benjamin  Imterson  to 

Susan  Decker,     Sept.  30th,  1816 

G.  W.  Smith,  J.  P., 

Sept.  30th,  1816 

Charles  Dubois  to 

Sally  Gollaher,     Oct.  3lst,  1816, 

ii       it       *i 

Oct.  31st,    1816 

Ephraim  Armstrong  to 

Ruth  Gard,           Nov.  12th,  1816, 

ii       it       ii 

Nov.  Hth,  1816 

James  Baird  to 

Martha  Stenare    Dec.  18th,  1816, 

ii       it       ii 

James  Davidson  to 

Elizabeth  Young,  Dec.  30th,  1816, 

ii       i.       ii 

Dec.  30th,  1816 

As  early  as  1815,  it  seems  that  parties  who  contem- 
plated matrimony  could  be  required  to  give  a  bond  to 
carry  out  in  good  faith,  said  intentions.  The  following 
is  a  copy  of  one  of  the  bonds  given  in  1815 :  "  Know  all 
men  by  these  presents  that  I,  John  Ballard,  am  held  and 
firmly  bound  unto  Nathaniel  Claypool,  clerk  of  Edwards 
county  and  Territory  of  Illinois,  in  the  just  and  full  sum 
of  five  hundred  dollars,  by  which  payment  well  and  truly 
to  be  made,  I  bind  myself,  my  heirs  and  assigns  for  and 
in  the  whole,  sealed  with  my  seal,  and  dated  this  31st 
day  of  July  1815. 

The  condition  of  the  obligation  is  such,  that  whereas 
the  above  bound  John  Ballard  has  this  day  made  appli- 
cation for  license  to  join  together  in  bonds  of  matrimony 
with  Miss  Betsy  Barney.  Now  if  the  said  John  Ballard 
does  well  and  truly  marry  the  said  Betsy  Barney  without 
any  fraud,  partiality  or  illegality  attending  the  said 


marriage,  then  this  obligation  to  be  void,  otherwise  to  be 
and  remain  in  full  force  and  virtue  in  law." 
Bondsmen,  Jeremiah  Ballard  and  Seth  Gard. 

THE  DEEP  SNOW. 

The  deep  snow  occurred  in  the  winter  of  1830-31. 
At  that  period  this  part  of  Illinois  was  sparsely  settled. 
The  roads  were  merely  trails  or  bye-paths;  and  the 
houses  of  the  settlers  were  log-cabins  of  a  rude  style 
of  architecture,  and  the  larder  was  not  well  supplied 
with  sufficient  provisions  to  carry  the  settler  and  his 
family  through  the  winter.  This  being  the  case,  much 
suffering  occurred.  The  "  deep  snow "  is  one  of  the 
land-marks  of  the  early  settler.  It  is  the  mile-stone,  so 
to  speak,  from  which  he  counts  in  dating  events.  He 
sometimes  relies  upon  it  in  recounting  the  date  of  his 
coming,  his  marriage,  and  the  birth  of  his  children. 
The  deep  snow  was  an  important  and  very  extraordinary 
phenomenon.  Nothing  has  equalled  it  in  this  latitude 
for  the  last  century — if  the  Indians'  traditions  are  cor- 
rect as  to  what  occurred  before  the  advent  of  the  white 
man.  The  Indians  had  a  tradition  that  about  seventy- 
five  years  before,  a  snow  fell  which  swept  away  the  im- 
mense herds  of  buffalo  and  elk  that  then  roamed  over 
these  prairies.  This  tradition  was  verified  by  the  vast 
quantity  of  buffalo  and  elk  bones  found  on  the  prairies 
in  different  localities  when  first  visited  by  white  men. 

The  snow  began  falling  early  in  autumn,  and  con- 
tinued at  intervals,  throughout  the  entire  winter.  The 
snow  falls  would  be  succeeded  by  heavy  sleet,  forming 
crusts  of  ice  between  the  layers  of  snow,  strong  enough 
in  many  places  to  bear  up  the  deer  and  hunter.  Fre- 
quently for  weeks  the  sun  was  not  visible,  and  the  cold 
was  so  intense  that  not  a  particle  of  snow  would  melt  on 
the  sides  of  the  cabins  facing  the  south.  For  weeks 
people  were  blockaded  or  housed  up,  and  remained  so 
until  starvation  compelled  them  to  go  forth  in  search  of 
food.  Great  suffering,  hunger  and  untold  hardships 
were  endured  by  the  people.  Game,  such  as  deer, 
prairie  chickens,  quails,  rabbits,  &c.,  before  that  time 
had  been  abundant,  but  for  years  afterwards  was  very 
scarce,  having  perished  in  the  snow.  As  the  snow  would 
thaw,  deer  were  often  caught  and  killed  without  the  aid 
of  fire  arms,  being  unable  to  get  through  the  snow  or 
walk  on  top.  Later  in  winter,  when  the  mass  of-snow 
or  ice  had  become  compact,  fences  that  were  staked  and 
ridered  were  driven  over  with  heavily  loaded  vehicles, 
and,  in  fact,  the  old  settlers  say  in  places  could  not  be 
seen.  The  snow  in  many  places,  where  not  drifted,  was 
three  to  five  feet  deep.  In  the  spring,  when  this  immense 
amount  of  snow  melted,  the  river  streams  and  marshes 
became  flooded. 

^  THE  "  SUDDEN  FREEZE." 

The  writer,  in  conversing  with  a  lady,  an  old  settler, 
elicited  from  her  the  following  facts  and  recollections 
relative  to  the  wonderful  and  extraordinary  atmospheric 
phenomenon,  which  occurred  a  little  after  noon  one  day 
in  January,  1836.  The  lady  says,  she  and  her  family 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


had  finished  their  noon-day  meal,  and  were  sitting 
around  aud  in  front  of  the  old-fashioned  large  open  fire- 
place, enjoying  its  generous  warmth,  chatting  and  dis- 
cussing the  state  of  the  weather,  as  during  the  morning 
it  had  been  snowing  and  raining  a  little : — presently  the 
lady  in  looking  from  the  window  in  her  cabin,  noticed  a 
heavy  black  cloud  lying  off  to  the  west,  which  seemed  to 
be  rapidly  approaching.  Needing  some  water  she  took 
a  bucket  and  went  to  the  well,  at  a  distance  of  about  100 
yards,  lowering  the  bucket  with  a  long  "  sweep  "  then 
used  in  drawing  the  water,  filled  it,  and  started  for  the 
house.  Before  reaching  the  house  the  wind  and  rain 
struck  her ;  blew  and  upset  a  portion  of  the  water  on  her 
clothing;  the  cold  air  seemed  to  cut  like  a  knife,  and 
before  she  reached  the  house,  her  dress  and  apron  were 
frozen  stiff  in  a  solid  sheet  of  ice.  Ponds  which  a  mo- 
ment before  were  free  from  the  ice,  were  frozen  in  a 
few  minutes.  Many  persons  were  frozen  to  death  who 
happened  to  be  caught  away  from  home ;  and  many 
others,  before  they  could  get  to  a  place  of  shelter,  had 
their  faces,  ears,  hands  and  feet  frozen.  Immediately 
preceding  the  storm,  the  ground  had  been  slightly  cov- 
ered with  snow,  which  from  rain  falling  in  the  morning 
had  become  "elushy."  Cattle,  that  were  in  the  fields, 
were  held  fast  by  the  "  slush"  freezing  about  their  feet; 
and  it  became  necessary  to  cut  away  the  ice  to  liberate 
them.  Ducks  and  geese  were  imprisoned  in  the  same 
way.  It  was  scarcely  ten  minutes  after  the  cold  wave 
swept  over  the  place,  that  the  water  and  melting  snow 
was  hard  enough  to  bear  up  a  man  on  horseback. 

Thus  have  we  briefly  sketched  a  few  of  the  incidents 
that  occurred  in  the  early  history  of  the  county. 


LAWRENCE    COUNTY. 

The  French  led  the  van  in  the  settlement  of  the  Illi- 
nois territory.  Their  primary  object  was  commerce  with 
the  Indian  tribes;  and  to  this  end  they  established 
trading  posts,  and  manifested  to  the  untutored  savage 
initial  evidences  of  civilization.  Secondary  to  this, 
the  French  missionaries,  by  their  pious  devotion,  their 
spotless  character  and  their  quiet,  unassuming  and  dis- 
interested lives,  gained  the  favorable  attention  and  re- 
spect of  the  natives.  The  suavity  of  the  manners  of 
the  French,  and  the  softness  of  their  outward  bearing 
and  presence,  and  moreover  their  compliance,  to  some 
extent,  with  the  Indian  modes  of  life,  gained  for  them 
the  rude  respect  of  the  aborigines  and  operated  as  a 
safeguard  against  that  savage  outrage  which  was  often 
mercilessly  visited  upon  the  American  and  English 
settlers.  In  the  early  part  of  the  seventeenth  century  a 
French  settlement  and  trading  post  was  established  at 
Vincennes,  on  the  Wabash,  then  one  of  the  great  avenues 
from  the  St.  Lawrence  to  the  Illinois  country.  From 
this  French  colony  the  first  settlements  in  Lawrence 
county  originated.  By  a  French  rule  settlers  received 
allotments  of  land,  which  they  located  at  pleasure. 
Many  of  them  chose  their  portions  in  what  is  now  the 


county  of  Lawrence.  Little  is  known  of  them  except 
their  names  on  record.  They  were  required  to  be  resi- 
dent settlers  prior  to  1783.  The  following  is  a  list 
of  these  grantees,  mainly  French  but  partly  Anglo- 
American  : 

J.  B.  Dumais,  Francois  Bosseron, Roux,  Paul 

Gamelin,   Pierre    Barthe,    Pierre    Carnoyer,    Francois 
Brouillat,  Joseph  Durharm,  Joseph  Huniot,  Madame 
j  Denoyon,  Louis  Denoyon,  August  Du  Gal,  J.  B.  Vil- 
i  lery,  Toussaint  Denoyon,  Francois  Bosseron,  Jr.,  Joseph 
I  Tougas,  Antoine  Bardeleau,  Luirent  Bazadon,  Alexis 
!  Ladavont,  Joseph  Durocher,  Madame  Cornoyer,  Francois 
i  Pettier,  Louis  Raveilate, Philip  Dejtan,  Pierre'Grimayoe 
|  Lezate  Clairmout,  Widow  Maria,  Heirs  of  Dubois,  Jean 
Leguarde,  Jean  Baptist  Culy,  Pierre  Godairie,  Nic.  Bal- 
lenjeau  Alexander  Valle,  Jacques  Lallemoille,  Ambrois 
Degenet,   Jacques   Couteaux,   Jean    Sauvage,   Baptiste 
Bonate,  Joseph  Tougas,  Jacques  Louis,  Jean  B.  Vaudry, 
Louis  Boisjean,  Jean  B.   Racine,  Jean  C.  Thiriot,  Ga- 
i  briel  Boulon,  Pierre  Levriet,  Etienne   St.  Marie   and 
i  Francois  St.  Marie;    Jacob  Howell,  Hannah  Dalton, 
Solomon  Small,  Lawrence  Slaughter,  John  Bailey ;  Moses 
Decker,  Henry  Speek,  probably  Germans ;  Moses  Henry, 
John  Culberton,  G.  R.  Clark,  heirs  of  Ezekiel  Johnson, 
Israel  Ruland,  Andrew  Robinson,  Francis  Hamlin,  V. 
T.  Dutton,  Thomas  Hall,  Christopher  Wyatt  and  Nicho- 
las Varner. 

The  title  to  the  lands  occupied  by  parties  named  in 
the   foregoing   list   originated   by   donations    made   by 
;  French  commandants  of  Vincennes  prior  to  1764,  also 
!  by  English  commandants,  1764-1778,  by  Virginia  im- 
provement rights,  and  lastly  by  grants  of  the  United 
States,  their  so-called  head  of  family  rights  and  militia 
rights.     Winthrop  Sargent,  acting  as  governor  in  place 
of  Arthur  St.  Clair  in  1790,  granted  small  tracts  of 
land  to  Luke  Decker,  Robert  Buntin,  Henry  Vander- 
burgh  and  Samuel  Bradley.  The  court  at  Vincennes,  by 
|  authority  delegated  to  it  by  M.  Le  Gras.Col.  John  Todd's 
,  lieutenant,  about  1780,  granted  to  Pierre  Luerez,  father 
'  and  son,  ten  leagues  (30  miles)  "  deep,"  of  which  they 
i  sold   various  tracts  to  other   parties.      Isaac    Decker 
|  bought  2000,  John  Powell  5000  and  Thomas  Flower 
20,000  acres  of  them.     Pierrie  Gamelin  came  in  for  a 
large  share  also,  which  enabled  him  to  sell  27  000  acres 
to  Nicholas  Perrott  and  41,000  acres  to  Thomas  Flower. 
What  may  be  termed  modern  settlement  in  Lawrence 
1  county  dates  back  to  the  beginning  of  the  present  cen- 
I  tury.     The  immigration  and  settlement  prior  to  that 
time  might,  in  most  instances  at  least,  more  properly  be 
j  called  speculation.     At  all  events  they  were  not  "  ac- 
i  tual,"   in   the  moral  sense  of    the    term,  so  as  to  be 
!  permanent,  though  they  may  have  answered  legal  re- 
i  quirement.     But   before   proceeding   to   speak   of  the 
;  modern  settlements,  it  may  be  pertinent  to  add  some- 
thing concerning   the   early   marriages,  performing  as 
they  did  indirectly  an  important  function  in  the  settle- 
ment and   development   of  the   county.     The    records 
|  show  the  following  marriages  solemnized  in  the  county 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


(ill 


during  the  first  years  of  its  existence.  A  number  of  \ 
licenses  issued  at  that  time  seem  to  have  been  wasted,  | 
inasmuch  as  there  is  no  evidence  of  the  proper  binding  j 
of  the  nuptial  knots  in  many  instances : 

Squire  Thomas  Anderson  solemnized  the  marriage  of 
Mr.  Benjamin  Norton  and  Nancy  Thorn,  on  the  20th  of 
June,  1821.  It  is  to  be  hoped  that  their  path  through 
life  was  freed  from  thorns,  and  strewn  with  roses 
instead.  Andrew  Cams  and  Nellie  Anderson  joined 
hands  for  life  on  the  27th  of  June,  Squire  Benjamin 
McCleave  officiating.  Thomas  Gordon  and  Sarah  But- 
ler, June  30,  married  by  J.  C.  Clark,  a  minister  of  the 
gospel ;  Samuel  Mundell  and  Nancy  Adams,  July  19,  by 
H.  M.  Gillhara,  J.  P. ;  P.  Bourdelon  and  Julia  Aupin, 
July  31,  by  Rev.  J.  C.  Clark  ;  Jetson  Gowen  and  Nancy 
Morris,  August  6,  by  James  Westfall,  J.  P.;  John  Smith 
and  Elizabeih  Baird,  September  9,  by  H.  M.  Gillham, 
J.  P, ;  Jonathan  Phelps  and  Sally  Gowen,  by  Daniel 
Travis,  September  26 ;  John  Armstrong  and  Susannah 
Lemons,  October  17,  by  Squire  Anderson  ;  John  Hun- 
ter and  Mary  Robinson,  December  13,  by  same  ;  Wil- 
liam Martin  and  Syrithia  Clark,  December  13,  by  John 
Martin,  M.  G. ;  Henry  Jones  and  Ibby  Lester,  Dec.  20, 
by  Joseph  Baird,  J.  P. ;  Aaron  Wells  and  Catherine 
Vanosdall,  Dec.  25,  by  Squire  Anderson  ;  James  Miller 
and  Nancy  McBeans,  January  4, 1822,  by  'Squire  Baird ; 
Samuel  V.  Allison  and  Matilda  Mills,  Feb.  8,  by  same ; 
Joshua  S.  Johnson  and  Mary  Gardner,  April  23,  by 
J.  C.  Ruark,  J.  P. ;  Samuel  Herron  and  Martha 
Leech,  Sept.  14,  by  J.  C.  Clark,  M.  G. ;  Robert  Barney 
and  Casiah  Pargin,  July  3,  by  Benjamin  McClean,  J.  P. ; 
Jacob  Parker  and  Peggy  Dockery,  September  2,  1822, 
executed  by  Squire  McLean  ;  Henry  Reineyking  and 
Matilda  Chenowith,  September  21,  by  Squire  Ander- 
son ;  Joshua  Dudley  and  Barbery  Clark,  October  19,  by 
same ;  Nathaniel  Hysmith  and  Elizabeth  Matthews, 
Nov.  11,  by  J.  Baird,  J.  P. ;  Oliver  W.  Phelps  and 
Hannah  Mason,  January  4, 1823, by  S.  H.  Clubb,  J.  P.; 
Elihu  Cole  and  Letty  Morris,  Jan.  22,  by  Squire  An- 
derson ;  John  Organ  and  Jane  Gilbert,  Feb.  4,  by 
same;  Peter  Cisco  and  Eliza  Chandler,  Feb  11,  by 
James  Nabb,  J.  P. ;  John  Snider  and  Nancy  Allison, 
March  17,  by  Joseph  Baird,  J.  P.;  Benjamin  Sumner 
and  Sally  Laws,  June  7,  by  S.  H.  Clubb,  J.  P. ; 
Charles  Martin  and  Betsey  Spencer,  July  18,  by  Rev. 
Clark;  Thomas  Parson  and  Eliza  Huston,  July  28,  by 
William  Kinkard,  J.  P. ;  Andrew  McClure  and  Betsey 
Allison,  September  24,  by  Joseph  Baird,  J.  P. ;  James 
Leeds  and  Judy  Mattox,  Oct.lo,  by  B.  McCleave,  J.  P. ; 
Philip  Lewis  and  Polly  Craven,  Nov.  12,  by  same; 
John  Summers  and  Emily  Woodrow,  Dec.  4,  by  Squire 
Kinkade— 13  marriages  during  the  first  half-year  of  the 
county's  existence,  9  in  the  full  year,  1822,  and  13 
during  the  year  1823. 

Settlements  for  the  purposes  of  permanent  residence, 
improvement  and  agriculture  were  made  along  the  Wa- 
bash  opposite  Vincennes,  and  principally  at  St.  Fraucis- 
ville.  These  were  made  by  French  immigrants  from  Vin- 


cenes  and  Canada.  An  American  settlement  was  formed 
at  Russellville  prior  to  1812,  and  another  atCenterville 
in  1815,  called  the  Christian  settlement,  as  most  of  that 
community  were  members  of  the  Christian  church. 
Those  in  the  interior  of  the  county  were  formed  at  a 
later  date,  after  the  storm  of  war  had  passed  entirely 
away  and  the  Indians  had  become  reconciled  to  the 
advance  of  civilization.  Although  less  characteristic 
and  definite,  they  continued  to  be  formed  into  neigh- 
borhoods, as  acquaintanceship,  agreement  in  religion,  or 
color  or  eligibility  of  locality  suggested. 

The  negro  settlement  was  in  the  vicinity  of  Pinkstaff 
station,  and  the  Lackey  neighborhood,  some  distance 
east  of  this  locality.  Charlottesville,  on  the  Embarras, 
is  the  site  of  the  Shaker  colony  formed  in  1819.  The 
Corrie  purchase,  resulting  in  the  acquisition  of  a  large 
tract  of  laud  in  Decker's  prairie  by  John  and  William 
Corrie,  of  Scotland,  was  made  in  1818;  shortly  after  this 
date  it  was  settled  by  the  Corries  and  their  connections. 
Ruark's  prairie,  in  the  southeastern  part  of  Lukiu  town- 
ship, was  settled  by  a  family  of  that  name. 

The  French  settlement  of  St.  Francisville  contained 
within  it  the  elements  of  permanence,  both  in  respect  of 
locality  and  the  habits  of  its  members.  The  native  lan- 
guage is  still  used,  interchangeably  with  the  English,  in 
many  households.  Joseph  Tugaw,  properly  Tougas, 
was  the  pioneer  and  first  permanent  settler,  not  only  of 
this  vicinity,  but  also  of  Lawrence  county  ;  he  came  from 
Vincenues,  and  located  on  the  present  site  of  St.  Fran- 
cisville about  the  year  1803  or  1804  ;  his  two  brothers, 
William  and  August  Tougas,  and  John  Longlois  were- 
with  him  there,  but  soon  moved  to  what  afterward  be- 
came Rochester,  in  Wabash  county,  and  were  the  first 
settlers  in  that  vicinity.  About  the  year  1809  or  '10, 
came  Francis  Tougas,  another  of  the  four  brothers,  who 
assumed  a  leading  part  in  the  pioneer  life  of  Lawrence 
and  Wabash  counties.  They  immigrated  from  Vin- 
cennes, and  were  marvels  of  physicial  strength  and  stat- 
ure ;  Joseph  was  a  leading  spirit,  and  the  center  of  in- 
fluence in  the  settlement  of  which  he  formed  a  part ;  in 
1814  he  was  the  only  slave-owner,  except  John  Stillwell,  * 
in  all  that  vast  region,  then  known  as  Edwards  county. 
In  that  year  he  was  the  only  resident  in  said  county 
who  owned  a  "  mansion  house."  Its  taxable  value  was 
$300.00.  In  the  year  1812  he  constructed  a  picket  or 
stockade  fort  for  the  protection  of  himself  and  his 
neighbors  against  the  Indians  ;  it  consisted  of  an  enclo- 
sure formed  by  placing  large  stakes  or  pickets  in  the 
earth  side  by  side.  The  enclosure  was  some  twelve  or 
fourteen  feet  high,  and  was  a  sort  of  city  wall ;  for  within 
were  a  number  of  log  dwellings,  for  the  use  of  the  fami- 
lies that  sought  protection  there  ;  in  two  of  the  corners 
of  the  stockade  were  watch-houses,  projecting  beyond  the 
enclosure,  at  the  sides  and  at  some  distance  above  the 
ground,  so  as  to  command  a  view  of  the  enemy  that 
might  be  approaching.  At  night  the  heavy  oaken  doors 
were  swung  to  and  barred,  the  guards  took  their  places 
in  the  watch-houses,  and  the  drowsy  inmates  lay  down 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WAS  ASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


to  rest.  Among  the  cabiqs  within  the  enclosure  was 
the  negro  hut,  occupied  by  the  slaves  of  Joseph  Tugaw. 
Soon  after  his  arrival,  probably  about  1805  or  '06,  Tu-  \ 
gaw  established  a  ferry  on  the  Wabash,  at  St.  Francis 
ville;  the  boat  with  which  it  was  operated  was  sufficient  | 
to  carry  two  carts.  The  pioneer  died  at  the  home  of  ; 
his  first  choice,  which  afterward  became  the  site  of  St.  I 
Francisville,  of  which  his  widow,  Frances,  was  the 
original  proprietor.  Francis  Tugaw  settled  about  a 
mile  and  a  half  north  of  the  village.  Joseph  and  Amab 
Potvine,  nicknamed  and  usually  called  Arpas,  came 
from  Vincennes  about  1804  or  '05 ;  the  former  had  three 
children,  the  latter  was  a  bachelor;  they  settled  a  short 
distance  west  of  the  village.  About  the  year  1806  or 
'08  the  French  settlement  was  augmented  by  the  immi- 
gration from  Vincennes  of  Andrew  and  Charles  Lacoste; 
Pierre  Gremore,  L.  Bonaut,  Philip  Deschaut,  Andrew 
Godaire  and  Joseph  Venve ;  the  latter  settled  south  of 
St.  Francisville,  in  the  edge  of  Wabash  county.  At  a 
little  later  date,  but  prior  to  1813,  the  families  of  John 
Shirkey  and  Charles  Moyes  were  added  to  the  settlement. 
The  latter  received  the  pseudonym  of  Coy,  meaning 
"spot."  It  originated  from  the  circumstance  that 
Moyes,  on  one  occasion,  went  under  the  yoke  from  which 
Coy,  his  ox,  had  dropped  dead,  and  assisted  the  other  ox 
in  hauling  the  load.  Nearly  all  the  early  French  set- 
tlers were  familiarly  known  by  some  nickname,  wnose 
history  would  explain  a  laughable  circumstance  in  the 
simple  lives  of  these  early  French  pioneers. 

The  settlement  opposite  Vincennes,  at  Wesport,  never 
attained  to  much  prominence,  and  was  mainly  accessory 
to  the  ferry  established  to  accommodate  travel  to  and 
from  Vincennes,  along  the  Cahokia  and  Kaskaskia 
traces.  These  highways  from  the  Wabash  to  the  Mis-  j 
sissippi  had  been  worked  out  by  the  Indians  and  buffa-  ! 
Iocs  long  before  the  advent  of  civilization.  The  ferry  I 
was  operated,  about  the  beginning  of  the  present  cen-  j 
tury,  by  Joseph  La  Motte,  a  Frenchman  and  Indian 
trader,  whose  round  log  cabin  stood  alone  and  solitary  on 
the  west  bank  of  the  Wabash.  On  more  than  one  occa- 
sion was  he  obliged,  single-handed,  to  defend  it  and  his 
family  against  the  attacks  of  the  Indians;  one  night 
they  climbed  upon  the  roof,  and  though  he  was  the  only 
male  inmate,  he  frightened  them  away  by  directing,  in 
a  loud  voice,  a  number  of  persons  to  assume  certain  po- 
sitions, and  to  do  certain  acts  toward  repelling  the 
attack.  But  though  the  assailants  left  without  doing 
material  damage  to  the  house,  or  bodily  harm  to  its  in- 
mates, they  led  away  its  owner's  horse.  On  another  oc- 
casion, in  1809  or  '10,  anticipating  an  attack  by  some 
Indians  he  observed  cross  the  river  to  Vincennes,  he  sent 
his  wife  and  children  out  into  the  wood,  and  stood  ready, 
single-handed  and  alone,  to  defend  his  habitation  and 
his  life ;  the  looked-for  onset  was  made,  and  the  valor 
withw  hich  he  defended  himself  and  his  home  is  sufficient- 
ly attested  by  the  fact  that,  during  the  onset,  he  received 
seven  bullet  wounds;  at  day-break  the  Indians  gave  up 
the  attack  and  left,  but  not  without  a  number  of  injured 


in  their  ranks.  Imagine  the  anxiety  and  horror  that  must 
have  filled  the  souls  of  the  wife  and  children  as  they  sat  in 
their  solitary  retreat,  and  listened  to  the  sharp  echoes  of 
the  rifles,  as  they  sank  to  silence  along  the  shores  of  the 
Wabash  !  La  Motte  was  afterward  killed  by  the  Indians 
on  the  creek  and  in  the  prairie  that  still  bear  his  name, 
in  Crawford  county.  After  his  death  his  widow  opera- 
ted the  ferry  till  about  1812,  when  it  passed  under  the 
management  of  her  fon-iu-law,  James  Gibson.  Across 
the  way  from  La  Motte's  lived  a  family  named  White. 
Also  in  that  vicinity  dwelt  a  family  of  Buntons,  three 
of  whom,  the  mother  and  two  of  three  daughters,  were,  one 
afternoon,  massacred;  the  remaining  daughter,  whose 
name  was  Jane,  escaped  and  secreted  herself  in  a  corn- 
field till  night,  when  she  swam  the  Wabash  to  Vincennes. 
This  brave  girl,  at  the  time  of  the  massacre,  was  fortu- 
nately wearing  on  her  head  a  handkerchief,  after  the 
manner  of  the  French,  whom  the  Indians  were  not  wont 
to  disturb,  so  long  as  they  betrayed  no  affiliation  with 
the  Americans.  If  not  suffered  voluntarily  to  escape, 
she  was  probably  reserved  for  more  clemency  of  treat- 
ment, as  captivity.  About  a  mile  below  the  ferry,  at 
the  "Ford,"  lived  a  French  family,  named  Senette. 
Somewhere  also,  in  this  vicinity,  was  the  home  of  Chas. 
Boneaut.  Some  distance  above  the  ferry  landing,  on 
the  bluff  known  as  Dubois'  hill,  lived  the  family  of  that 
name ;  they  had  three  sons,  Toussaint,  Lawrence,  and 
Killgore;  the  family  became  conspicuous  in  the  civil 
and  business  affairs  of  the  county.  Toussaint  was 
drowned  while  crossing  Indian  creek.  On  Dubois'  hill, 
in  troublous  Indian  days,  lived  an  old  negro,  called 
"Billy  o'  the  Bow,"  and  his  dusky  conjugal  companion, 
Seeley  by  name ;  they  lived  together  in  a  house  not 
made  with  hands — a  hollow  sycamore  tree — till  their  in- 
dependent life  together  was  brought  to  a  close  by  a  bullet 
from  the  rifle  of  some  lurking  Indian.  Going  north 
along  the  river  till  the  vicinity  of  Russellville  is  reached, 
the  settlements  are  of  a  more  recent  date. 

This  vicinity  was  settled  about  the  year  1809  or  "10 
by  some  Baptist  families  from  Kentucky.  Most  con- 
spicuous among  them  were  the  Allisons,  of  whom  there 
were  four  families,  whose  respective  heads  were  Samuel 
and  his  two  sons,  Frederick  and  Ezra,  and  his  brother 
Jonathan.  Of  these,  the  first  possessed  the  element  of 
pioneer  the  most  prominently.  He  was  fond  of  the  pursuit 
of  game,  and  frequently  brought  down,  and  dressed  the 
saddles  of  as  many  as  fifteen  deer  between  sun  and  sun. 
When  the  redoubtable  Tecumseh  had  impressed  upon 
the  remnant  tribes  in  the  Wabash  valley,  a  sense  of 
their  supposed  wrongs,  and  they  began  a  career  of  de- 
predation and  pillage,  the  necessity  of  some  means  of 
life  and  property  became  apparent.  A  stockade  fort 
was  accordingly  built  in  the  spring  of  1812,  on  Samuel 
Allison's  improvement,  now  within  the  northern  corpor- 
ate limits  of  Russellville,  called  Fort  Allison.  The 
construction  of  this  defensive  arrangement  was  similar 
to  that  at  St.  Francisville,  above  described.  Besides  the 
Allisons,  the  families  of  Thomas  Mills,  William  Stock- 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


71 


•well,  McBane,  William  Hogue,  Daniel  and  Henry 
Kuykendall,  and  the  colored  families  of  Anderson, 
Morris,  and  Tannann  were  early  inmates  of  the  fort. 
Stockwell  and  Anderson  were  shot  by  the  Indians,  the 
former  on  returning  from  Fort  La  Motte,  the  latter 
somewhere  in  the  neighborhood  of  Fort  Allison.  The 
wife  of  Anderson  wanted  a  cannon  mounted  on  Dubois 
hill  to  deal  out  indiscriminate  slaughter  among  the 
Indians.  During  the  days  of  "  forting,"  1812-1815,  a 
party  of  thirteen  Rangers,  one  rainy  day,  were  passing 
from  Fort  La  Motte  to  Fort  Allison,  and,  when  within 
half  a  mile  of  the  latter,  were  fired  upon  by  a  number  of 
Indians.  They  suffered  no  bodily  harm  or  incon- 
venience, save  that  of  the  strange  circumstance  that  the 
handkerchiefs  they  were  wearing  about  their  necks 
were,  in  two  cases,  shot  away.  The  party  on  leaving 
Fort  La  Motte,  discharged  their  guns,  as  a  precaution 
against  wet  priming,  and,  when  fired  upon,  were  unable 
to  return  the  attack.  As  Austin  Tann  was  returning, 
one  day,  from  Small's  Mill  on  the  Erabarras,  with  a  sack 
of  meal,  he  was  pursued  by  a  band  of  Indians  on  ponies. 
He  was  riding  a  large  horse  and  took  refuge  in  the 
marsh,  southwest  of  Russellville.  His  pursuers  were 
unable  to  follow  him  with  their  ponies,  and  he  escaped 
with  the  loss  only  of  his  grist.  The  pious  community 
that  settled  at  Russellville,  established  the  pioneer 
church  of  Lawrence  county.  It  was  organized  in  1817, 
and  built  a  house  of  worship,  in  1821.  It  was  named 
Little  Village  church,  which  name  was  also  given  to  the 
burial  place  that  lay  adjoining  it.  "  Little  Village  "  was 
an  Indian  hamlet  that  stood  on  the  site  of  Russellville. 
This  vicinity  was  an  important  one  in  the  rude  un- 
written annals  of  savage  life.  This  is  shown  by  the  ex- 
istence of  mounds,  commonly  in  groups,  scattered  along 
the  river  for  the  distance  of  a  mile  and  a  half  from 
Russellville  south.  Investigation  shows  that  they  were 
burial  places,  but  whether  they  were  used  for  ordinary 
interments  or  designed  as  monuments  to  the  memory  of 
those  who  had  distinguished  themselves  in  council  or 
in  battle,  may  be  treated  as  a  matter  of  conjecture. 
Among  the  characters  of  note,  buried  in  this  vicinity, 
was  Little  Turtle,  the  sworn  enemy  of  the  pale  face,  and 
the  father  of  Captain  William  Wills,  who  had  been 
taken  captive,  when  a  child,  and  who  was  killed  in  the 
Chicago  massacre,  iu  1812.  Around  his  neck,  in  life,  he 
wore  a  neatly  carved  figure  of  the -animal,  whose  dame 
he  bore,  and  when  he  died  it  was  buried  with  him,  and 
was  a  few  years  ago  exhumed.  Among  the  tribes,  rem 
nants  of  whom,  at  the  advent  of  the  white  man,  roamed 
over  the  territory  of  the  county,  in  savage  sport  and 
pastime,  by  marsh  and  stream,  and  river  and  timber- 
skirt,  were  the  Miamis,  Pottawotamies,  Delawares, 
Shawnees  and  others.  The  latter  through  Tecuraseh, 
claimed  the  whole  of  the  W abash  valley,  and  endeavored 
to  annul  the  title  of  government  to  such  territory  as  it 
had  acquired  from  other  tribes.  The  dramatic  interview 
between  Ttcumseh  and  Gov.  Harrison  in  this  behalf,  has 
passed  into  history,  and  was  witnessed  by  Austin  laun, 


an  early  colored  pioneer.      Communication  between  the 
east  and  west  shores  of  the  Wabash,  in  the  vicinity  of 
Russellville,  was  had  at  an  early  day  by  means  of  a 
terry  established  and  operated  by  a  man  named  Lana- 
fere.      Though  most  of  the  early  settlements  were  made 
along  the  Wabash,  a  few  found  their  way  into  the  in- 
terior, along  the  Cahokia  and  Kaskaskia  traces,  and  the 
Euibarras  river.     On  the  banks  of  this  stream,  about  a 
mile  and  a  quarter  above  its  mouth,  in  1805  or  1806, 
settled  John  Small.     Shortly  after  this  date,  he  built  a 
frame  water  mill,  which  became  familiarly  known  as 
I  Small's  mill.     After  Small's   death  his  widow  married 
I  a  man  named  Brown,  and  the  mill  was,  in  laier  years, 
called  Brown's.      It  was  among  the  very  earliest,  if  not 
;  the  first  frame  building,  in  the  territory  of  Lawrence 
!  county.     The  dam  was  built  of  hewed  logs,  supported  by 
j  rock  and  earth.     It  was  a  most  important  economic  in- 
stitution in  those  early  days,  and  commanded  trade  from 
a  wide  extent  of  country.     It  was   doubtless   watched 
by  the  lurking  Indians  with  an  eye  of  unrest,  as  he  read 
!  in  it  the  sad  prophecy  of  coming  events.   Tradition  tells 
of  many   adventures  with  the   natives   at   this    point. 
Tecumseh  and  his  fifteen  hundred  warriors  encamped  in 
this  vicinity  during  the  war   of  1812.      Some  distance 
I  above  the  mill,  in  a  little  log  cabin,  at  a  locality  called 
l  "  Muscle  shoals,''  lived  William  Harriman  with  his  wife 
|  and  Tour  children.     Seneca  Amy,  a  young  man,  lived 
with  them.     Mrs.  Harriman,  for  two  successive  nights, 
i  dreamed  that  she  saw  her  children  hurribly  butchered. 
]  She  told  her  husband  that  she  regarded  the  dreams  as 
prophetic  of  their  fate,  unless  they  sought  some  place  of 
'  safety.     He  endeavored  to  quiet  her  fears,  but  became 
himself  apprehensive  on  account  of  a  sulky  disposition 
manifested  by  the  natives  whom  he  met,  and  yielded  to 
her    importunities.       The    family    had    gone    to    the 
river  edge,  when  young  Amy  started  back   for  a  gun 
they  had  forgotten.     He  had  not  advanced  far,  when  he 
saw  the  cabin  surrounded  by  Indians,  and,  unobserved, 
dodged  into  the  brush  and  escaped.     They  immediately 
followed  in  pursuit  of  the  family,  and  shot   Harriman 
seated  in  a  pirogue,  and  tomahawked  the  mother  and 
children.      Tradition  says  there  were  also  other  victims 
of  this  massacre,  which  took  place  about  the  year  1812. 
The  girls  are  said  to  have  been  beautiful,  and  to  have 
had  magnificent  heads  of  long  hair.    Still  farther  up  the 
river,  it  is  said,  another  family  fell   victims  to   savage 
ferocity.     One  day  two  men  left  the.  block-house,  at  the 
mill,  and  went  down  to  the  marsh  to  shoot  duck.  They 
I  were  attacked  and  one   of  them  was   shot   and   toma- 
hawked and  scalped.     John  and  Levi  Compton,  of  the 
]  timber  settlement  in  Wabush  county,  and  Israel  Potvine 
and  Francis  Tugaw  buried  him  at  the  foot  of  a  white  oak 
I  tree,  upon  which  they  chopped  a  cross,  yet  to  be  seen. 
!  In  1805  or  1806,  Wil.iam  Spencer  built  a  double  log 
i  house,  where  the  Cahokia  trace  crossed  the  Embarras. 
j  It  was  subsequently   moved  farther   down  the  river  to 
Small's  mill.  Shortly  after  this,  Nathan  Rawlings  settled 
on  Indian  creek,  at  the  crossing  of  the  trace. 


72 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WABA8H  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


With  the  exception  of  these  few  outpost  settlements,  room,  whfre  Judge  Wilson  was  presiding,  and  hallooed 
the  interior  of  Lawrence  county  remained  unbroken  !  out:  "  Judge  Wilson,  Judge  Wilson,  adjourn  the  court. 
wildernes§  till  1815,  when  the  storm  of  war  having  I  A  most  grievous  outrage  has  been  committed ;  a  nigger 
passed  away,  immigration,  which  for  three  years  had  i  has  hit  a  white  man  with  a  rock !  "  The  negro  settle- 
been  entirely  checked  or  confined  to  the  fortifications  j  ment,  in  the  course  of  time,  worked  its  way  further 


along  the  Wabash,  set  rapidly  in.  The  doors  of  the 
forts  were  also  thrown  open,  and  their  inmates  went 
forth  to  the  avocations  of  peace.  In  this  year  the 
"  Christian  neighborhood,"  now  the  vicinity  of  Center- 
ville,  was  settled  by  people  of  the  New  Light,  afterward 
the  Christian  faith,  principally  from  Tennessee.  Among 
them  were  the  Harrises,  Howards,  Rigses,  Ashbrooks. 
Johnsons,  Leneves,  Turners,  Andersons,  Adamses, 
Lemons,  Berries,  and  others  equally  worthy  of  mention. 
This  was  an  important  centre  of  industry,  good  neigh- 
borhood, and  education  in  that  early  day.  The  "  Cen- 
ter School-house,"  a  double  log  building  designed  for 
school  and  church  purposes,  was  put  up  in  1816  or  '17, 
and  in  point  of  antiquity  and  importance,  deserves  a 
place  at  the  head  of  educational  and  church  efforts  in 
the  State  of  Illinois.  Henry  Palmer  and  Eli  Harris, 
both  of  whom  came  to  the  settlement  in  1815,  were  re- 
spectively the  pioneer  minister  and  teacher.  The 
colored  inmates  of  Fort  Allison  began  a  settlement  in 
the  neighborhood  of  Pinkstaff  station,  and  as  they  were 
law-abiding  like  their  fair-complexioned  fellow-citizens, 
so  they  shared  equally  with  them  the  blessings  of  pro- 
tection and  civil  liberty.  The  soil  of  Illinois  as  a  State 
is  free  from  the  taint  of  slavery.  The  sentiments  of  her 
people,  with  their  broad  liberality,  and  respect  for  the 
rights  of  man  could  never  tolerate  an  institution  whose 
essential  features  were  a  violation  of  those  rights  ;  rights 


south,  and  is  now  mainly  within  the  northern  confines 
of  Lawrence  township. 

The  next  important  settlement  was  that  of  a  colony  of 
Shakers,  on  the  Embarras  river,  formed  in  1819.  The  tenets 
and  regulations  of  the  sect  were  strictly  carried  out  by  this 
community.  In  their  mode  of  life  they  were  communistic, 
and  their  affairs  were  managed  by  a  board  of  three 
trustees.  The  colony  numbered  about  forty  individuals, 
male  and  female,  who  lived  separate  and  apart  from 
each  other.  Their  most  important  act  was  the  building 
of  the  old  "  Shaker  mill,"  the  particulars  of  whose  his- 
tory may  be  learned  ffom  the  chapter  on  Bond  Town- 
ship. The  breaking  and  washing  away  of  the  mill  dam 
about  two  years  after  their  settlement,  was  the  signal  at 
which  they  Left  for  other  parts,  principally  Shakertown, 
Indiana,  whence  they  came.  The  four  years  interven- 
ing between  the  return  of  peace,  in  1815,  and  the  forma- 
tion of  the  settlement  just  mentioned  brought  many 
home  seekers  to  the  shores  of  Lawrence  county,  who 
penetrated  into  the  interior.  Their  names  will  be  found 
in  their  appropriate  places  in  the  township  histories. 
They  were  a  brave  and  hardy  set  of  men,  and  nobly 
triumphed  over  the  difficulties  incident  to  life  in  a  new 
country.  Disease  lingered  in  the  marshes,  the  wild  beasts 
stood  ready  to  pounce  on  the  fold,  and  the  Indian,  though 
nominally  at  peace  with  the  pale  face,  was  a  walking 
embodiment  of  latent  hostility  that  made  the  home  of 


whose  sacredness  depends  not  upon  the  character  of  the  I  the  settler   a   place   of  constant   anxiety   and   unrest. 
owner,  but  upon  the  character  of  the  rights  themselves.     James  Baird  was  shot  by  an  Indian  while  working  in 


Most  of  the  immigrants  who  brought  slaves  with  them 
to  the  territory  of  Illinois,  liberated  them,  as  though  her 
broad  lauds  and  spreading  prairies  were  a  moral  rebuke. 
An  effort  was  made,  in  1816  or  '17,  by  two  Tennesseeans, 
William  and  John  Leach,  father  and  son,  to  establish  a 
slave  farm  or  plantation  on  an  extensive  fcale  in  the 
neighborhood  of  Little  Raccoon  creek.  This  germ  of 
the  dark  institution  was  crushed  by  the  admission  of 
Illinois  into  the  Union  as  a  free  State.  Not  only  did 
she  guarantee  liberty  to  those  within  her  own  borders, 
but  in  after  years  by  her  most  gifted  son,  to  every  one 
within  the  broad  limits  of  .the  United  States.  Though 
a  feeling  of  equality,  regardless  of  race  or  color,  was  a 
prevailing  sentiment  among  the  pioneers  yet  it  is  not 
btrange  that  something  of  prejudice  should  have  per- 


his  field  south  of  Russellville,  in  1815  or  1816.  In  1819 
a  family  of  McCalls  settled  some  distance  north  of  Law- 
renceville.  At  that  time,  or  (shortly  after,  a  party  of 
Delaware  Indians,  from  a  camp  on  Brushy  Fork,  came 
to  McCall's  cabin  and  demanded  whisky.  He  refused 
compliance  with  their  demand,  and  they  murdered  him. 
Kill  Buck,  a  chief,  Captain  Thomas  and  Big  Panther 
were  convicted  of  the  crime,  but  from  motives  of  policy 
were  suffered  to  go  unpunished.  Some  time  subsequent 
to  1824,  the  wolves  one  night  almost  entirely  devoured  a 
cow  and  the  calf  she  had  just  given  birth  to,  belonging 
to  Renick  Heath,  then  residing  at  the  old  Shaker  mill. 
Eight  wolves  were  found  gormandizing  on  their  flesh  in 
the  morning,  and  were  with  some  difficulty  driven  off. 
An  amusing  and  instructive  incident,  bearing  upon  the 


vaded  the  minds  of  some  individuals.  And  in  this  con-  |  habits  of  the  panther,  is  related  by  Mr.  Heath,  one  of  the 
nection  it  may  be  pertinent  to  mention  an  incident  re-  few  pioneers  who  yet  remain  to  tell  the  romanticrstories 
lated  by  Hon.  O.  B.  Ficklih,  not  only  as  illustrating  this  i  of  early  life  in  Illinois.  One  night  a  wolf  was  heard 
point,  but  as  throwing  light  upon  the  administration  of  I  barking  violently  some  distance  off.  It  continued  till 
justice  in  the  county's  infancy.  During  a  wrangle  at  |  daybreak,  when  Mr.  Heath,  gun  in  hand,  went  to  inves- 
a  drinking  place  in  Lawrenceville,  a  negro  hit  a  white  j  tigate.  He  saw  the  wolf  at  some  distance  jumping  up 
man  with  a  rock,  and  severely  injured  him.  Knowledge  |  and  from  side  to  side,  as  it  kept  up  a  constant  barking. 
of  the  affair  came  to  the  ears  of  one  of  the  early  resident  I  He  continued  to  advance,  and  when  within  a  short  dis- 
justices  of  the  place,  who  rushed  headlong  into  the  court  I  tance  of  the  wolf,  was  greatly  surprised  to  observe  a  pan- 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  W ABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


7:1 


ther,  which  had  been  the  object  of  so  much  ado,  leap 
from  a  limb.     Both  animals  made  good  their  escape. 
Beneath  the  tree  lay  the  fresh,  partially  devoured  body  i 
of  a  raccoon,  upon  which   the  panther  is  supposed   to  ' 
have  been  feeding,  when  the  wolf  rudely  obtruded.   The 
former  animal,  when  attacked,  is  readily  induced  to  j 
ascend  a  tree,  less  perhaps  as  a  refuge  from,  than  as  a  j 
convenient  means  of  attacking,  an  adversary.     Game,  | 
in   the  days   of  which   we  are  writing,  was  abundant  j 
almost  to  an  extent  exceeding  our  belief.     The  wild  [ 
fowls  were  so  numerous,  that  while  they  were  an  abun-  j 
dant  and  convenient  supply  of  food,  they  were  a  serious 
drawback  to  early  husbandry,  not  only  as  destroying 
the   fruits,  but   as   discouraging   the   efforts    of  labor. 
Wheat  fields  were  frequently  completely  destroyed  by  I 
them.     Hunting  was  an  important  pursuit,  and  supplied  j 
directly  or  indirectly  the  luxuries  as  well  as  the  neces- 
saries  of  life.     Every   man   was  either   by   choice   or 
necessity   a   hunter.     Conspicuous   among   the   former 
were  Samuel  Allison  and  Peter  Paragin.     Allison  was 
not  only  an  expert  hunter,  but  was  also  skillful  in  Indian 
warfare.     A  day's  hunt  would  frequently  yield  him  fif- 
teen saddles  of  deer.     If  not  the  first  American  settler 
in  Lawrence  county,  he  was  among  the  most  conspicuous. 
One  of  his  daughters-in-law,  an  English  lady,  whose 
maiden  name  was  Rebecca  Moody,  made  bullets  in  an  | 
old  oven  for  the  colonists  at  the  battles  of  Bunker  Hill  ; 
and  Cowpens.     Paragin  was  the  pioneer  of  the  north-  ! 
western  part  of  the  county.     He  pushed  his  way  into  , 
the  wilderness  far  in  advance  of  his  fellows,  and  by  his  i 
triumphs  over  the  beasts  of  the  forest,  lent  two  names  ! 
to  the  geographical  vocabulary  of  the  county.     "  Paragin 
slough  "  commemorates  the  killing  of  two  bears,  and 
"  Eagle  Branch  "  is  an  epitome  of  the  story  of  the  cap- 
ture on  that  stream  of  an  eagle  of  extraordinary  size. 
Not  only  did  the  flesh  of  wild  animils  serve  for  the  set- 
tler's table,  but  their  skins  supplied  the  necessity  of  cloth-  I 
ing.     A  pioneer  with  buckskin  breeches,  a  homespun  i 
coat,  and  a  coonskin  cap  was  an  embodiment  of  these 
lines  of  Pope : 

"  Happy  the  man  whose  wish  and  care 
Content  to  breathe  his  native  air 

An  important  early  industry  was  bee-hunting.  The 
destiny  of  the  Indian  is  to  recede  before  the  approach  of 
the  white  man  ;  it  is  the  province  of  the  honey-bee  to  act 
on  the  rever-e,  and  precede  the  advance  of  civilization. 
The  approach  of  the  honey-bee  was  always  a  sad  har- 
binger to  the  Indians,  for  they  knew  the  pale  faces  were 
not  far  behind.  At  an  early  period  bees  were  very 
numerous  in  Illinois,  in  the  groves  and  along  the  skirts 
of  timber;  hence  the  product  of  the  hive  became  a 
desirable  commodity  in  trade  and  commerce  ;  and  when 
the  farmer  wished  a  little  "  land  office  "  money,  this  was 
an  article  that  would  readily  command  it.  They  would 
take  their  beeswax,  deer-skins  and  peltries  to  the  water- 
courses, and  descend  in  their  canoes  or  improvised  boats 
10 


constructed  for  the  purpose,  to  New  Orleans  and  other 
markets.  Bee-hunting  excursions  were  an  annual  occur- 
rence. In  the  spring,  when  the  wild  flower  unfolded  its 
petals,  the  search  would  begin.  It  was  not  only  an 
avocation,  but  it  was  a  science  or  trade,  and  an  expert 
bee-hunter  could  find  ready  employment.  The  principal 
early  agricultural  industry  was  cotton-raising.  Allison 
Prairie  was  the  cotton-field  of  the  Wabash  Valley.  Its 
cultivation  began  some  time  prior  to  1820,  and  con- 
tinued for  several  years.  Cotton  gins  were  not  uncom- 
mon, and  the  spinning-wheel  was  in  every  cabin.  The 
raising  of  cattle  and  hogs  was  likewise  an  important 
industry.  Wild  grass  and  mast  for  their  sustenance 
were  abundant.  Illinois  has  always  assumed  an  honor- 
able part  in  the  matter  of  education,  so  materially  con- 
cerning the  welfare  of  a  free  people ;  and  as  soon  as  an 
immigration  set  in  the  school  teacher  was  abroad  in  the 
land. 

Among  those  who  taught  in  the  cftunty  limits  from 
1817  to  1819  were  Mrs.  Clark,  Agnes  Corrie,  George 
Godfrey,  I-aiah  Lewis,  Larkin  Ryle,  John  Martin,  Jas. 
Swainey,  Borden  and  Fleming.  The  school  teacher  and 
the  minister  went  hand  in  hand,  and,  in  many  instances, 
performed  the  same  office.  The  same  rude  log  structure 
served  alike  for  the  school  and  as  a  house  of  worship. 
The  early  resident  ministers  were :  Revs.  Blithe  Mc- 
Corcle,  Mr.  Stone,  John  Clark,  Richard  B.  McCorcle, 
William  Ramsey,  John  Dollahan,  Samuel  Borden,  Wil- 
liam Kincaid,  Daniel  Travis,  and  others,  among  whom 
was  "  Squealing  Johnny  "  Parker,  as  he  was  called.  He 
styled  himself  a  "  Two-see  Baptist."  Travelling  preach- 
ers frequently  came  into  the  territory,  and  among  them 
were  James  Hughes,  John  Rodgers,  David  McDonald, 
Elijah  Gooden,  Peter  Cartwright  and  Lorenzo  Dow. 
One  of  the  most  needed  and  poorly  supplied  blessings 
of  pioneer  life  were  mills.  Long  and  hazardous  journeys 
were  necessary  to  secure  the  grinding  of  a  bag  of  meal. 
Small's  mill,  on  the  Embarras,  built  in  1805  or  1806, 
was  one  of  the  earliest  in  the  State  of  Illinois ;  but, 
considering  the  difficulty  of  reaching  it  through  dense 
forests  and  swollen  streams,  it  was  scarcely  a  convenience 
except  to  a  few. 

We  have  thus  set  forth  briefly  the  dangers  and  hard- 
ships of  those  who  paved  the  way  for  whatever  is 
grand  in  morals  or  government  or  magnificent  in  struc- 
ture in  the  county  of  Lawrence.  Let  the  reader  compare 
the  present  with  the  past,  and  then  let  him  reflect  how 
rapid  has  been  the  march  of  progress  and  how  marvellous 
has  been  the  change. 


•WABASH    COUNTY. 

The  county  of  Wabash  is  an  offspring  of  Edwards 
county  ;  yet  the  first  settlements  made  within  the  vast 
boundaries  of  the  latter  were  within  the  limits  of  what 
is  now  Wabash  county. 

The  first  settlers  were  a  few  French  families,  who 
located  on  the  Wabash  river,  near  the  point  known  as 


74  HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  W ABASH  COUNTJE8,  ILLINOIS. 


Rochester,  in  Coffee  precinct.  This  was  about  1800.  families.  In  the  time  of  the  Indian  troubles,  at  a  pre- 
Prominent  among  these  was  the  family  of  Tougas,  also  concerted  signal,  the  families  of  the  settlement  would 
named  Lavulette.  This  occured  from  Mrs.  Tougas  take  refuge  in  the  fort,  where  they  would  remain  until 
marrying  a  man  by  the  name  of  Lavulette,  and  some  of  it  was  pronounced  safe  to  leave.  In  about  1817,  Mr. 
the  children  of  Mrs.  Tougas,  assumed  the  name  of  their  '  Compton  moved  to  township  2  south,  range  14  west,  and 
step-father.  There  were  four  brothers,  August,  William,  i  settled  in  section  13,  where  he  spent  the  remainder  of 


Joseph,  and  Francis.     They  were  all  well  formed,  athle- 
tic men,  and  possessed  of  such  material  as  to  brave  the 


his  days.     He  was  a  representative  man,  and  had  the 
honor  of  being  a  member  of  the  first  Constitutional  Con- 


wilds  of  the  frontier.  The  former  is  said  to  have  been  I  vention  in  1818.  From  1818  to  1820,  he  was  in  the 
six  and  one-half  feet  in  stature.  During  the  Indian  State  Senate.  He  died  about  1844,  at  the  advanced 
troubles,  they  remained  and  trafficked  with  them.  The  I  age  of  eighty  years.  One  son,  Joseph  Compton,  is  a 
Indians  both  feared  and  respected  them.  The  word  of  i  citizen  of  Coffee 'precinct,  and  U  said  to  be  the  first 
August  among  the  treacherous  Piankashaws  was  law,  j  white  child  born  in  the  county. 

and  it  is  said  that  he  even  went  so  far  as  to  inflict  pun  Joshua  Jordan  was  also  from  Virginia,  and  at  his 
ishment  upon  some  of  the  tribe  for  petty  theft.  An  .  coming  had  a  family  of  four  children.  While  a  resident 
Indian  is  bound  to  respect  and  admire  his  superior  in  I  of  that  State,  for  a  time,  he  was  a  tenant  of  George 
strength.  In  this  capacity,  August  had  demonstrated  j  Washington,  and  was  with  the  General  at  the  memora- 
to  their  picked  warriors,  that  he  was  their  superior,  by  .  ble  Braddock's  defeat.  On  coming  to  Illinois,  he  located 
friendly  hand  to  hand,  athletic  sports  with  them.  It  i  in  section  12,  near  Mr.  Compton.  He  remained  here 
was  through  this  means  that  they  stood  in  such  awe  and  several  years,  when  he  removed  to  Barney's  prairie, 
fear  of  him.  While  others  were  massacred  and  pillaged,  where  he  resided  until  his  death. 

he  was  never  disturbed.  In  1838  he  sold  his  posses-  A  pioneer  of  1804,  was  John  Stillwell,  a  native  of 
sions  at  Rochester  and  moved  to  Mt.  Carmel,  where  he  !  Kentucky.  He  had  a  family  of  two  sons,  Samuel  and 
engaged  in  the  hotel  business.  He  continued  in  this  !  James.  Besides  his  family  he  had  a  negro  slave  by  the 
calling  for  several  years,  when  he  returned  to  Coffee  pre-  !  name  of  Armstead.  From  the  records  of  1822,  we  find 
cinct,  where  he  died  in  1849.  His  eldest  daughter,  that  the  slave  was  liberated  in  that  year.  Mr.  Stillwell 
Mrs.  Stewart,  is  now  a  resident  of  Texas.  One  daugh-  j  located  on  the  southwest  quarter  of  section  12,  where 
ter,  wife  of  Captain  Sharp,  lives  in  Mt.  Carmel.  William  [  he  improved  quite  a  farm  for  those  days.  He  con- 
was  a  man  of  a  family  when  he  moved  from  Vincennes  structed  a  stockade  during  the  Indian  troubles,  for  the 
to  the  county,  locating  near  the  mouth  of  Coffee  creek,  protection  of  his  family  and  stock.  It  is  said  that  he 
with  the  rest  of  the  family.  He  remained  here  a  few  I  was  a  very  eccentric  man.  Although  one  of  the  wealth- 
years,  when  he  moved  to  the  banks  of  Raccoon  creek,  j  iest  citizens  among  the  early  settlers,  he  took  pleasure 
in  Lawrence  county.  Two  years  afterward  he  removed  j  in  wearing  the  poorest  of  clothes,  and  bearing  the  most 
to  near  Vincennes.  After  a  short  stay  here  he  re-  shabby  of  appearances.  It  is  related  of  him,  that  at 
turned  to  Coffee  precinct  and  permanently  located  in  sec-  j  one  time  he  lost  his  hat,  and  from  that  time  forth  he 
tion  10,  township  2  south,  range  13  west.  This  was  about  |  went  bareheaded,  until  such  time  as  he  said  his  hat  should 
1816.  He  built  and  operated  a  horse  mill,  which  was  j  have  lasted.  Many  are  the  peculiarities  related  of  him, 
one  of  the  first  in  the  county.  He  died  on  his  farm  at  the  j  by  those  who  knew  him  personally  or  by  reputation, 
age  of  75  years.  Joseph  and  Francis  Tougas,  subse-  [  Hemovidto  Bellmont  precinct  in  1820,  and  perma- 
quently  located  at  St.  Francisville,  in  Lawrence  county.  \  nently  located  in  section  21. 


Enoch  Greathouse  was  a  pioneer  of  1804,  and  set- 
tled on  the  land  now  occupied  by  the  city  of  Mt. 
Carmel.  He  was  a  native  of  Germany,  and  on  coming 
to  the  States  he  first  stopped  in  Pennsylvania,  sub- 


The  first  American  settlement  was  made  in  what  is 
now  Wabash  precinct,  in  about  1802.  Those  having 
the  honor  of  striking  the  first  blow  toward  civilization 
in  this  part  of  the  county,  were  Levi  Compton  and 

Joshua  Jordan,  brothers-in-law.  The  former  was  a  j  sequently  moved  to  Kentucky,  and  from  thence  to 
native  of  Virginia,  but  as  early  as  1791,  he  moved  to  Illinois.  He  had  a  family  of  a  wife  and  four  children, 
Kentucky,  and  from  thence  to  Illinois  in  the  year  above  I  also  one  grand-child.  In  1817,  he  sold  his  property  at 
stated.  He  then  had  a  family  of  a  wife  and  six  chil-  j  Mt.  Carmel,  and  moved  to  the  now  extinct  town  of  Cen- 
dren.  He  first  located  on  the  Wabash  river,  in  section  j  terville,  where  he  died  long  ago,  at  the  age  of  110  years. 
26,  township  1  north,  range  12  west,  where  he  constructed  |  Several  of  his  descendants  are  citizens  of  this  and 
a  cabin  and  improved  a  few  acres  of  land.  Not  liking  |  Edwards  county.  Mrs.  Sylvester  Greathouse,  of  Mt. 
the  locality,  he  removed  to  section  12.  It  was  here,  in  Carmel,  is  a  great-grand-daughter. 
1814,  that  he  built  what  was  probably  the  first  John  Degan  was  one  of  the  early  French  settlers  of 
horse-mill  in  the  county.  A  fort  was  also  built  here  Coffee  precinct,  and  came  a  short  time  after  the  Lavu- 
about  1810,  which  was  known  as  Compton  fort  It  was  ;  letts.  He  was  originally  from  Detroit,  Michigan,  and 
enclosed  with  a  palisade  and  contained  dwellings,  grana-  in  his  movement  westward  he  first  stopped  at  Vincennes, 
ries,  booths,  etc.,  for  the  convenience  of  the  inmates,  and  and  from  thence  to  the  French  settlement  in  Wabash 
was  sufficient  in  size  to  accommodate  about  one  hundred  county.  He  first  located  at  Rochester,  his  family  then 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WAS  ASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


75 


consisting  of  his  wife  and  two  sons,  Henry  and  William, 
and  a  step-son,  Frank   Burway.     Two  years   later   he 
permanently  settled  in  section  10,  where  he  engaged  in  ' 
stock  raising.     He  died  here  in  1848,  leaving  a  family, 
some  of  whom  are  yet  living  at  or  near  the  old  home. 

Joseph  Burway  and  Joseph  Pichinant  were  also  early 
French  settlers.     In  1815,  they  were  both  killed  by  the  j 
Indians  in  the  Coffee  bottoms.     They  had  gone  in  search  • 
of  their  horses,  and    while  tramping  through   the  bot-  \ 
toms,  were  surprised   by  the   red-skins  and  massacred.  ; 
Only  one,  Burway,  carried  a  rifle,  Pichinant  being  mar- 
ried.    Three  other  pioneers  were   in  the  bottoms  at  the 
time,  and  heard  the  report  of  Burway's  rifle,  followed 
by  a  volley  of  several  guns.     They  surmised  the  cause, 
and  soon  roused  the  settlement  to  action.     On  going  to 
the  point  where  the  firing  was  heard,  the  dead  and  muti- 
lated bodies  of  the  unfortunate  men  were  found.     The 
Indians  were  pursued,  but  were  not  overtaken.     From  ; 
the  evidences  on  their  trail,  Burway  had  fought  desper-  ' 
ately  before  he  was  killed,  as  several  dead  Indians  were 
found  along  the  trail. 

Francis   Degan,  brother  of  John   before   mentioned, 
came  with  his  family  in  about  1811,  and  settled  on  the  ! 
bluff,   a  little   below   Rochester.      He   had   two   sons, 
Augustus  and  Francis,  Jr.     The  latter  is  yet  living,  and 
is  one  of  the  prominent  citizens  of  Coffee  precinct. 

John  Wood  came   from  Kentucky,  in   the  spring  of 
1809,  and  erected  a  small  cabin  in  section  36,  township  I 
1  north,  range  13  west,  now  Friendsville  precinct.     He  j 
then  returned  to  Kentucky,  and   in  the  fall  moved  his 
family  to   his  new   made  home.     He  soon  cultivated  a 
little  farmland  was  one  of  the  first  to  plant  an  orchard  j 
in  the  county.     A  year  latter,  he  and  his  few  neighbors 
•were  obliged  to  erect   a  fort  to   protect   their  families 
against  the  marauding  bands  of  Indians.     The  neigh-  ' 
borhood  was  always   on  the  sharp   look-out  for  the  red  j 
skins,  but  strange  to  say,  this  settlement  was  never  dis- 
turbed by  them.     John  Wood  Jr.,  is  the  only  survivor 
of  the  pioneer  family.     He  resides  on  the  farm  where 
his  father  first  settled.     Joseph  Wood,  a  son  of  the  latter, 
came  here  in  an  early  day  prior  to  his  father,  and  set- 
tled  in   section   30,  township   1    north,  range    13  west, 
where  he   remained   until  his   death,   leaving   quite   a 
family. 

William  Barney  located  in  the  same  settlement  about 
the  same  time   as   Mr.  Wood.     He  was   from  Western 
New   York,  on   the  banks   of    the   Genesee.     He  ex-  ! 
changed  his  live  stock  for  a  raft  of  lumber  at  the  Alle-  ; 
gheny  river,  and   upon  this   he  and    his  family  floated 
down  to  the  mouth  of  the  Wabash.     Here  he  sold  his  ' 
raft,  and  purchased   a  keel  boat   and  poled  his  way  to 
Ramsey's   rapids.     The   male  members  went  overland 
through  the  timber  toselect  a  site  for  a  home.     A  broad 
stretch  of  prairie  came  to  view,  and  it  was  here  that  they 
pitched  their  tent,  and  soon  afterwards  threw  up  a  cabin. 
Since   which  time   this  part   of    the  county  has  been  : 
known  as  Barney's  prairie.     HU  cabin  was  erected  near 
where  the   Friendsville   Academy  now  stands.     Judge  j 


Barney  became  an  influential  man  in  the  county,  and 
was  always  among  the  foremost  in  lending  a  hand  to 
improve  and  develop  the  county.  He  was  one  of  the 
three  first  County  Commissioners,  which  position  he  held 
for  several  years.  A  fort  was  erected  near  his  place  in 

1811,  which  took  the  name  of  Barney's  Fort.     It  was 
large  and  commodious,  sufficient  to  accommodate  all  the 
families  in  the  settlement.    A  well  may  yet  beseen,  which 
was  dug  within   the  fort,  a  relic  of  ye  olden  time.     In 

1812,  the  fort  was  felt  to  be  insecure,  and  all  the  parties 
moved    over   into  Indiana   and  passed  the  winter  in  a 
block-house.      In   the   spring    they   returned   to   their 
homes,  and  although  the  Shawnees  were  plenty  and  still 
hostile,  yet  the  settlers  of  Barney's  prairie  were  unmo- 
lested.    Mr.  Barney  died  many  years  ago,  on  his  farm 
in  section  23,  a  little  southwest  of  Frieudsville. 

Shortly  after  Mr.  Barney's  advent  here,  his  three 
sons-in-law  moved  into  the  settlement.  They  were  Ran- 
som Higgins,  Philo  Ingraham,  and  Wilbour  Aldridge. 
The  former  was  a  large  athletic  man,  and  possessed  of 
more  than  ordinary  courage.  He  built  one  of  the  first 
water-mills  in  this  region  of  the  country.  It  was  sit- 
uated on  Barney's  Prairie  creek,  and  was  constructed 
as  early  as  1813.  One  of  his  sons  was  accidentally  killed 
by  one  of  the  rangers  while  target  shooting  at  Barney's 
fort.  His  remains  were  buried  in  the  Friendsville  cem- 
etery, and  it  was  the  first  interment  made  there. 

Philo  Ingrah'am  located  in  section  twenty,  near  Mr. 
Barney,  where  he  lived  until  1840,  when  he  moved  to 
Clay  county.  Mr.  Aldridge  settled  on  the  northwest 
quarter  of  section  24. 

Nathaniel  Claypole  emigrated  here  in  1814,  and  set- 
tled in  section  thirty-two,  Friendsville  precinct.  He 
was  a  prominent  citizen,  and  very  popular  among  his 
acquaintances.  He  was  appointed  the  first  County  and 
Circuit  Clerk  after  the  organization  of  Edwards  county, 
and  died  while  in  office,  in  1815.  Thomas  Pulliam  came 
in  the  same  year  as  the  above,  and  located  in  section 
thirty-two,  township  two  north,  range  12  west.  His 
name  appears  upon  the  records  as  the  assessor  of  Em- 
barras  township  as  early  as  1817.  He  lived  here  on  his 
farm  until  his  death,  which  occurred  long  ago.  Near 
Pulliam 's  lived  John  and  Moses  Decker.  Their  settle- 
ment was  also  made  in  1814.  The  prairie  upon  which 
they  located  bears  their  name. 

One  of  the  most  prominent  settlers  of  1813  or  '14  was 
Seth  Gard,  who  came  from  Ohio,  and  permanently 
located  in  section  twenty-eight,  now  Lick  Prairie  pre- 
cinct. The  locality  where  he  settled  was  known  as 
Card's  Point,  and  the  post-office  established  there  in  an 
early  day,  is  still  known  by  that  name.  Judge  Gard 
was  a  man  of  great  force  of  character,  and  endowed  with 
more  than  ordinary  ability  and  cool  judgment  He 
possed  a  quiet  vein  of  humor,  a  keen  sense  of  the  ridic- 
ulous, and  thorough  convictions  of  right  and  justice. 
He  was  a  representative  man  in  every  sense  of  the  word, 
and  his  counsel  was  sought  on  every  hand  by  the  early 
settlers  When  Edwards  county  was  organized,  he  was 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


chosen  to  represent  its  people  in  the  Territorial  Legisla- 
ture, which  position  he  occupied  until  the  admission  of! 
the  State,  in  1818.     He  was  appointed  one  of  the  judges  j 
of  the  first  County  Court,  and  was  one  of  the  members 
of  the  Constitutional  Convention  at  Kaskaskia,  in  1818.  ' 
In  fact,  he  was  in  public  life  until  he  became  too  infirm 
to   longer  bear   the  responsibilities  incurred   thereby. 
Aaron  Waggoner,  a  nephew  of  Judge  Gard,  came  with  \ 
him  and  located   near  his  premises.     He  was  a  stone-  j 
mason  by  trade,  and  proved  a  useful  acquisition  to  the 
little  colony.     In  the  same  year,  Jacob  Claypole  settled  I 
in  section  four,  township  one  north,  range  thirteen  west. 

William  Jordan,  Nathaniel  Osgood,  Benjamin  Rey-  i 
nolds,  and  Henry  I.  Mills  settled  in  what  is  now  Lan- 
caster precinct  in  1814.  The  former  was  from  Kentuckyj 
and  had  a  family  of  four  children.  In  about  1818,  he 
erected  a  large  distillery  on  his  premises.  He  remained 
on  his  farm  until  his  death.  The  Osgood  family  came 
from  Ohio.  It  consisted  of  a  married  son,  Nathaniel, 
and  four  other  children.  Reynolds  was  from  Kentucky, 
and  had  a  family  of  three  sons,  John,  Richard,  and 
Harrison,  and  four  daughters.  In  1820  he  built  a  j 
horse-mill  and  distillery  on  his  farm.  He  lived  here 
until  his  death.  Col.  Henry  I.  Mills  remained  here  but  | 
a  few  years,  when  he  moved  over  into  Edwards  county,  j 
a  sketch  of  whom  has  already  been  given.  John  Ar- 
nold, son-in-law  of  William  Jordan,  came  with  the  latter 
from  Kentucky,  and  settled  near  his  father-in-law.  He 
was  among  the  early  Justices  of  the  Peace,  and  in  1832, 
was  commissioned  captain  in  the  Black  Hawk  war. 
He  subsequently  moved  to  Wayne  county,  where  he  died. 
Tarlton  Borin  was  a  settler  of  1815.  He  permanently 
located  in  Lancaster  precinct.  In  about  1828,  he  es- 
tablished  a  tannery,  which  was  a  great  convenience  to 
the  settlement.  One  daughter,  Mrs.  Cunningham,  re- 
sides in  the  precinct. 

John  Mclntosh,  an  influential  pioneer,  was  a  native 
of  Virginia,  born  of  Scotch  parents.  As  early  as  1785, 
he  emigrated  from  Kentucky,  and  from  thence  to  Illinois, 
in  1814.  He  then  had  a  family  of  six  children.  He 
first  stopped  in  the  Compton  fort  a  few  months,  when  he 
moved  to  section  23,  Wabash  precinct,  where  he  re- 
mained but  a  short  time,  removing  to  Coffee  precinct. 
Not  liking  this  section  of  the  country,  he  returned  to 
Wabash  precinct,  where  he  made  a  permanent  settle- 
ment in  section  23.  He  was  a  representative  man,  and 
popular  with  the  people.  On  the  organization  of  Ed- 
wards county,  he  was  appointed  one  of  the  three  mem- 
bers of  the  County  Court,  which  position  he  held  for 
several  terms.  In  1816,  he  was  selected  counsel  for  that 
court  in  the  place  of  Thomas  C.  Browne.  He  was  a 
public  spirited  man,  and  did  much  in  aiding  to  organize 
and  regulate  the  affairs  of  the  county.  His  death  oc- 
curred at  his  farm  in  1829.  Some  are  residing 
in  the  county.  Charles  Garner,  a  son  in-law 
of  Judge  Mclntosh,  also  came  from  Kentucky,  in 
1814,  and  settled  in  section  23,  Wabash  precinct.  Other 
settlers  of  this  precinct,  in  1815,  were  Benjamin  Hul- 


bert,  Henry  Leek,  Samuel  Simcoe,  John  Armstrong, 
Joseph  Gardner,  and  Peter  Keen.  The  former  came 
from  New  Jersey,  having  a  large  family  of  children 
when  he  made  his  advent  here.  He  located  in  section 
13.  Henry  Leek  was  a  son-in-law  of  Hulbert,  and  was 
noted  as  a  great  hunter,  and  a  skilled  mechanic.  He 
remained  but  a  short  time,  when  he  moved  to  other 
parts.  Armstrong  came  from  Tennessee,  and  settled  in 
section  15.  He  had  six  sons,  one  of  whom,  Abner,  was 
appointed  the  first  sheriffof  Edwards  county.  Another 
son,  Thomas,  represented  Wabash  county  in  the  Legis- 
lature one  term,  and  was  also  Judge  of  the  County 
Court.  Gardner  settled  in  section  9.  Peter  Keen  came 
to  the  county  on  a  prospecting  tour  in  1814,  when  he 
returned  to  his  family  in  Ohio.  The  spring  following 
he  came  to  the  county,  and  after  shifting  about  for  a 
few  years  he  permanently  settled  in  section  14,  town- 
ship 1  north,  range  13  west.  He  remained  here  until 
his  death  in  1850.  Two  of  the  pioneer  children 
are  yet  living,  Shulamite  and  Ira.  The  latter  resides  at 
Friendsville,  and  is  eighty  two  years  of  age. 

William  Mclntosh  settled  in  the  north  part  of  Mt. 
Carmel  precinct,  as  early  as  1814.  He  owned  a  large 
tract  of  land  known  as  "  Mclntosh "  Reserve."  He 
erected  quite  a  large  mansion,  for  those  days,  situated 
near  the  Wabash,  at  the  foot  of  the  rapids.  He  was  a 
single  man,  but  had  colored  servants  to  conduct  his 
household  affairs.  He  died  many  years  ago. 

A  prominent  early  settler  was  Henry  Utter,  who  came 

!  to  the  county  in  about  1814  or  '15,  and  located  in 
Friendsville  precinct.  He  was  elected  a  member  of  the 
Legislature  in  1818,  the  year  of  the  State's  admission 

'  into  the  Union.  In  1824,  he  was  again  elected  to  fill 
the  same  position.  In  1821,  he  was  one  of  the  members 

|  of  the  county  board.  Some  of  his  descendants  are  liv- 
ing in  the  county.  Gervase  Hazleton  was  one  of  the 
first  settlers  at  old  Palmyra.  The  first  courts  were  held 
at  his  residence.  He  was  the  third  County  Clerk  of 
what  was  then  Ed  wards  county,  serving  from  1821  to  1823. 

I  A  settlement  was  formed  at  Campbell's  Lauding,  in 
Coffee  precinct,  as  early  as  1810.  One  of  the  most  prom- 

|  nent  settlers  was  James  Campbell,  of  Scotch  descent. 
He  came  from  Kentucky,  and  had  quite  a  large  family, 

I  besides  owning  thirteen  slaves,  whom  he  set  at  liberty 
some  time  after  coming  to  Illinois.  It  is  said  that  eleven 
of  them  were  subsequently  kidnapped  and  sold  back  into 

i  slavery.  At  one  time  the  family  was  obliged  to  flee 
across  the  river  to  save  being  massacred  at  the  hands  of 
the  Piafikashaws.  Others  of  the  settlement  were,  Henry 
Painter,  Henry  Gambrel,  a  man  by  the  name  of  Parks, 
John  Cannon,  and  his  son  in-law,  John  Starks,  and  John 
Grayson.  The  latter  located  in  section  31.  He  was  a 
man  of  push  and  enterprise,  and  was  the  first  to  erect  a 
water-mill  in  this  part  of  the  county.  Some  of  his  de- 

i  scendants  are  residing  here.     A  portion  of  the  Cannon 

!  family  were  massacred  by  the  Indians,  an  account  of 
which  will  be  found  in  this  chapter. 

Daniel  Keen  and  David  Wright  also  located  in  this 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND    WABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


77 


settlement  iu  about  1815.  The  former  was  a  sou  of 
Peter  Keen,  heretofore  mentioned.  He  became  an"  in- 
fluential citizen  iu  the  neighborhood,  and  was  elected  a 
member  of  the  county  board,  which  office  he  filled  for 
several  years.  Wright  came  from  Ohio.  He  was  then 
a  widower.  He  afterwards  married  Sarah  Mclntosh, 
and  settled  in  section  22,  range  13  west.  Robert  E. 
Wright,  a  son,  now  r<  siding  at  Mt.  Oarinel.  Other  early 
settlers  of  Coffee  precinct  may  be  mentioned,  Elijah 
Compton,  Walter  Garner,  James  Lansdowu,  John 
Craddock,  Charles  P.  Burns,  who  was  one  of  the  first 
Justice  of  the  Peace ;  Daniel  Groves,  John  McCleary, 
Thomas  Baird,  Reuben  Blackford,  Henry  Bignon,  Jas. 
Chism,  Elias  Jordon,  the  Cowlings,  James  and  John 
Gray,  James  Kennerly,  John  Nesler,  and  others. 

In  1816,  quite  a  little  colony  left  Alleghany  county, 
New  York,  to  make  their  homes  upon  the  wild  frontiers. 
Among  these  with  their  families,  were  George  W.  Hig- 
gins,  John  Higgios,  Willis  Higgins,  Edward  Brines, 
Henry  Utter,  Lemuel  Haskins,  David  Moss,  John 
Harrison,  Benjamin  Smith,  and  Levi  Couch.  They 
secured  boats  at  the  Alleghany  river  and  floated  down 
to  the  Ohio,  and  thence  to  Evansville.  Here  they  pro- 
cured keel-boats  and  came  up  the  Wabash,  landing  at 
Old  Palmyra.  Of  this  little  band  of  emigrants,  five 
families  settled  in  Lancaster  precinct,  John  Higgins, 
Couch,  Moss,  Harrison  and  Smith.  The  others  located 
in  Friendsville.  Others  of  an  early  date  who  located  in 
Lancaster  precinct  were,  Isaac  Harues,  Henry  Cusick, 
James  McMullen,  George  and  David  Pugh,  George  and 
Andrew  Knight,  James  Rollins,  Jessie  Jones,  Geo.  Glick> 
Elias  Baily,  Rozander  Smith,  Samuel  Fisher  and  others. 

The  first  settlers  of  Bellmont  precinct  were  John  and 
Jacob  Arnold,  Staly  D.  McKlure,  and  a  man  by  the 
name  of  Mpturey.  This  was  in  1816  The  latter  settled 
in  section  24,  town  1  south,  range  14  west.  John 
Arnold  came  with  his  family  from  Kentucky.  He  was 
a  distinguished  hunter  and  had  no  fixed  abiding  place- 
He  subsequently  moved  to  Missouri,  James,  his  brother, 
a  single  man,  afterwards  married  and  settled  in 
section  5,  township  2  south.  McKlure  was  also  from 
Kentucky.  He  located  in  section  28,  towiship  1,  range 
13  west,  where  he  remained  until  his  death.  Other  early 
settlers  of  Btllmont  precinct  were,  William  Wilson, 
George  Wheeler,  William  Tanquary,  Jonathan  Gilkin- 
son,  William  Deputy,  Robert  James,  and  Samuel  Riggs, 
Andrew  T.  Dyar,  Joseph  Ballard,  Christ  Ernsc,  Samuel 
Fettinger,  Rodarn  Kenner,  William  Hunter,  John 
Proctor,  William  Weir,  A.  W.  Cory,  Joseph  Sloan  and 
John  Frair. 

Cornelius  Vanderhoof  was  a  settler  of  Wabash  pre- 
cinct as  early  as  1816.  S.  E.  Goff  settled  in  section  14, 
of  the  same  precinct  at  about  the  same  time.  Among 
others  who  made  early  settlements  in  this  precinct  may 
be  mentioned,  John  W.  Buchanan,  William  Johnson, 
Mrs.  Margaret  Filpot,  Hugh  Calahan,  John  Andrew, 
Joseph  Wright,  John  Buchanon,  John  Snider,  Thomas 
Cisel,  Isaac  Smith  and  James  Payne. 


One  of  the  prominent  early  settlers  of  Mt.  Carmel 
precinct,  was  the  Rev.  Thomas  S.  Hinde,  a  native  of 
Virginia.  He  came  from  Ohio  to  Illinois,  in  1817,  and 
in  connection  with  others,  founded  the  city  of  Mt.  Car- 
mel. He  was  a  man  of  strict  moral  convictions,  and  did 

i  much  good  in  the  age  which  he  lived  Hediedat  Mt  Car- 
mel in  1846.  Other  early  settlers  of  Mt.  Carmel  precinct 
were,  Rev.  William  Beauchaimp,  Hiram  Bell,  Joshua 
and  James  Beall,  Isaac  Ingersoll,  Edward  Ulm,  Scoby 
Stewart,  Aaron  Gould,  Joseph  Jones,  James  Townshend, 
James  Black,  Abraham  Russell,  William  Simonds, 
William  Stone,  Beauchamp  Harvey,  John  Tilton,  Capt. 
James  Sharp  and  others.  Capt.  Sharp  is  yet  living,  and 
is  a  citizen  of  Mt.  Carmel. 

John  Dale  settled  in  Friendsville  precinct,  in  1815,  on 
section  20.  He  was  a  farmer  and  mechanic,  and  was 
noted  for  his  cleverness  in  horse  trading.  In  the  same 
year,  Henry  McGregor  located  here  not  far  from  Dale. 
Among  others  of  early  times,  who  came  to  this  precint 
were,  John  Smith  Jr.,  William  and  James  Pool,  Josiah 
Higgins,  Ephraim  Reed,  the  Knapps,  John  Shadle, 
Charles  and  John  McNair,  the  Osgoods,  George  Lither- 
land,  William  Brown,  John  White,  Benjamin  Taylor, 

I  Z.  Warner,  David  Daily  and  some  others. 

Philip  Hull  settled  iu  Lick  Prairie  precinct,  in  1815, 

I  section  28.  Ephraim  Armstrong  from  Tennessee,,  locat- 
ed in  section  30,  near  Hall.  Samuel  Mundy,  Louis 
Armstrong,  William  Ulm,  James  Wiley,  Jacob  Gupton, 
Calvin  Morgan,  Benjamin  T.  Hill,  Adam  Baird,  Fred- 

j  erick  Miller  and  John  Moore  were  also  early  settlers  in 

!  the  precinct. 

Pioneer  Mills. — Among  the  first  were  the  "  band 
Mills."  A  description  of  one  will  not  prove  uninterest- 
ing.  The  plan  was  cheap.  The  horse  power  consisted 
of  a  large  upright  shaft,  some  ten  or  twelve  feet  in  hight 
with  some  eight  or  ten  long  arms  let  into  the  main  shaft 
and  extending  out  from  it  fifteen  feet.  Auger  holes 
were  bored  into  the  arms  on  the  upper  side  at  the  end, 

!  into  which  woooden  pins  were  driven.  This  was  called 
the  ''  big  wheel,"  and  was  as  has  been  seen,  about  twenty 
feet  in  diameter.  The  raw  hide  belt  or  tug  was  made  of 
skins  taken  off  of  beef  cattle,  which  were  cut  into  str'ps 
three  inches  in  width  ;  these  were  twisted  into  a  round 
cord  or  tug,  which  was  long  enough  to  encircle  the  cir- 
cumference of  the  big  wheel.  There  it  was  held  in  place 
by  the  wooden  pins,  then  to  cross  and  pass  under  a  shed 
to  run  around  a  drum,  or  what  is  called  a  "trunnel 
head,"  which  was  attached  to  the  grinding  apparatus. 
The  horses  or  oxen  were  hitched  to  the  arms  by  means 
of  raw  hide  tugs.  Then  walking  in  a  circle  the  machin- 
ery would  be  set  in  motion.  To  grind  twelve  bushels 

!  of  corn  was  considered  a  good  day's  work  on   a   band 

I  mill. 

The  most  rude  and  primitive  method  of  manufactur- 
g  meal  was  by  the  use  of  the  Grater.     A  plate  of  tin 

!  is  pierced  with  many  holes,  so  that  one  side  is  very 
rough.  The  tin  is  made  oval,  and  then  nailed  to  a 

i  board.     An  ear  of  corn  was  rubbed  hard  on  this  grater 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  W ABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


whereby  the  meal  was  forced  through  the  holes,  and  fell 
down  into  a  vessel  prepared  to  receive  it.  An  improve- 
ment on  this  was  the  Hand  mill.  The  slones  were 
smaller  than  those  of  the  band  mill,  and  were  propelled 
by  man  or  woman  power.  A  hole  is  made  in  the  upper 
stone,  and  a  staff  of  wood  is  put  in  it,  and  the  other  end 
of  the  staff  is  put  through  a  hole  in  a  plank  above,  so 
that  the  hole  is  free  to  act.  One  or  two  persons  take 
hold  of  this  staff  and  turn  the  upper  stone  as  rapidly  as 
possible.  An  eye  is  made  in  the  upper  stone,  through 
which  the  corn  is  put  into  the  mill,  instead  of  a  hopper. 
A  mortar,  wherein  corn  was  beaten  into  meal,  is  made 
out  of  a  large  round  log  three  or  four  feet  long.  One 
end  is  cut  or  burnt  out  so  as  to  hold  a  peck  of  corn, 
more  or  less,  according  to  circumstances.  This  mortar 
is  set  one  end  on  the  ground,  and  the  other  up,  to  hold 
Ihe  corn.  A  sweep  is  prepared  over  the  mortar  so  that 
the  spring  of  the  pole  raises  the  piston,  and  the  hands  at 
it  force  it  so  hard  down  on  the  corn  that  after  much 
beating,  meal  is  manufactured. 

The  trials,  inconveniences,  dangers  and  hardships  of 
the  pioneers  would  fill  volumes.  As  early  as  1811,  each 
settlement  was  obliged  to  have  its  fort  or  block-house  to 
flee  to  at  a  moment's  warning  for  protection  from  the 
marauding  bands  of  Indians.  Several  of  these  forts 
have  already  been  mentioned.  The  Greathouse  fort  was 
situated  on  Greathouse  creek,  in  section  30,  township  1 
south,  range  13  west.  From  1811  to  1815,  this  fort  was 
occupied  by  more  or  less  families.  Tradition  relates  of 
an  episode,  that  occurred  at  fort  Ramsey  in  about  1812. 
In  the  most  troublesome  times  the  women  and  children 
were  placed  in  the  forts,  while  the  men  would  work  in 
the  fields,  gun  in  hand,  ready  for  any  emergency.  Others 
were  detailed  to  scout  around  and  to  keep  a  sharp  look- 
out for  the  murderous  red  skins.  One  Ramsey  was  too 
fearless  to  go  into  the  fort,  declaring  he  could  protect 
himself.  The  rangers  had  been  out  on  a  scout,  and  on 
return  thought  they  would  give  him  a  scare,  his  cabin 
being  not  far  from  the  fort,  they  gave  a  terrific  war 
whoop,  fired  their  guns,  and  came  thundering  toward 
the  fort.  Captain  Higgins,  inside,  cried  out,  "  The 
Indians,  the  Indians.  Every  man  to  his  post!  At  this 
moment  the  ponderous  gate  swung  open,  and  an  army 
seemed  to  be  entering.  The  women  screamed,  believing 
that  they  all  would  soon  be  scalped.  Cries,  prayers,  and 
snatching  of  babies  by  women  in  undress  continued  for 
some  time  to  the  amusement  of  the  Rangers.  The  joke 
turned  out  far  more  serious  for  the  women  than  it  did 
for  Ramsey.  The  only  means  of  grinding  their  meal  in 
the  forts,  was  by  crushing  it  in  a  mortar.  Families 
would  take  turns  in  performing  this  slow  and  arduous 
task,  for  it  must  be  remembered  these  were  times  when 
a  small  army  had  to  be  fed.  Harrison  Ingraham,  who 
died  in  Clay  county,  Illinois,  a  few  years  ago,  in  an  ar- 
ticle of  the  Pioneer  Times,  published  in  one  of  the  Mt. 
Carmel  papers  centennial  year,  says  that  he  was  born  in 
Fort  Barney,  and  that  he  has  heard  his  mother  relate 
that  the  day  before  he  was  born,  she  went  to  the  fields 


and  plucked,  wheat,  rubbed  it  out  with  her  hands, 
crushed  it  in  a  mortar,  and  made  a  cake  to  set  before  her 
friends  on  that  occasion.  This  was  said  to  be  the  first 
wheat  bread  manufactured  in  Wabash  county. 

A  circumstance  occurred  in  1815,  which  threw  the 
early  settlers  into  a  fever  of  fear  and  excitement.  It 
was  what  has  passed  into  history  as 

THE    CANNON    MASSACRE. 

The  account  of  the  sad  affair  as  related  by  one  of  Mr. 
Cannon's  daughters  a  few  years  ago,  is  substantially  as 
follows :  Mr.  Cannon  and  his  sons  cajne  across  the  Wabash 
from  the  Indiana  side,  and  constructed  a  cabin  near 
Campbell's  Landing  in  Coffee  precinct,  on  the  ground 
where  the  Painter  grave-yard  is  now  located.  No  signs 
of  Indians  were  seen  while  they  were  engaged  in  the 
work,  and  they  supposed  they  had  all  left.  After  com- 
pleting the  cabin,  they  crossed  the  river  to  bring  over 
the  family.  Late  in  the  afternoon  of  the  same  day,  they 
all  moved  over  and  settled  in  their  new  home.  While 
building  their  house,  they  had  found  a  bee-tree,  and  after 
becoming  fairly  settled,  the  men  went  into  the  timber  to 
cut  it.  While  thus  engaged  a  band  of  Indians  suddenly 
j  fell  upon  them.  Mr.  Cannon  was  instantly  killed,  and 
the  others  fled  for  their  lives.  Samuel,  a  son,  was  soon 
overtaken  and  dispatched  by  the  murderous  foe.  They 
cut  off  his  head  and  otherwise  mutilated  the  body,  leav- 
ing it  where  he  fell.  Mrs.  Cannon,  a  daughter,  and  a  son- 
in-law  by  the  name  of  Starks,  were  captured  and  carried 
off  by  the  Indians.  They  were,  however,  subsequently 
ransomed.  Mr.  Cannon  and  his  son  were  buried  by  two 
neighbors,  Samuel  Mclntosh  and  Henry  Gambrel.  They 
were  wrapped  in  a  horse  skin  and  placed  in  one  grave. 
This  was  the  first  interment  made  in  the  Painter  burial 
ground. 

HABITS   AND   MODES   OF   LIVING  OF  THE   PIONEERS  AND 
FIRST   SETTLERS. 

The  pioneers  were  destitute  of  many  of  the  conven- 
iences of  life,  and  of  some  things  that  are  now  con- 
sidered necessaries  ;  but  they  patiently  endured  their  lot 
and  hopefully  looked  forward  to  better.  They  had 
plenty  to  wear  as  protection  against  the  weather,  and  an 
abundance  of  wholesome  food.  They  sat  down  to  a  rude 
table  to  eat  from  tin  or  pewter  dishes ;  but  the  meat 
thereon  spread— the  flesh  of  the  deer  or  bear;  of  the 
wild  duck  or  turkey  ;  of  the  quail  or  squirrel— was  su- 
perior to  that  we  eat,  and  had  been  won  by  the  skill  of 
the  head  of  the  house  or  of  that  of  his  vigorous  sons. 
The  bread  they  ate  was  made  from  corn  or  wheat  of 
their  own  raising.  They  walked  the  green  carpet  of  the 
grand  prairie  or  forest  that  surrounded  them,  not  with 
the  air  of  a  beggar,  but  with  the  elastic  step  of  a  self-re- 
spected freeman. 

The  settler  brought  with  him  the  keen  axe,  which  was 
indispensable,  and  the  equally  necessary  rifle  ;  the  first 
his  weapon  of  offense  against  the  forests  that  skirted  the 
water-courses,  and  near  which  he  made  his  home ;  the 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


second  that  of  defence  from  the  attacks  of  his  foe,  the 
cunniug  child  of  the  forest  and  prairie.  His  first  labor 
was  to  fell  trees  and  erect  his  unpretentious  cabin,  which 
was  rudely  made  of  logs,  and  in  the  raising  of  which  he 
had  the  cheerful  aid  of  his  neighbors.  It  was  usually 
from  fourteen  to  sixteen  feet  square,  and  never  larger 
than  twenty  feet,  and  was  frequently  built  entirely  with- 
out glass,  nails,  hinges  or  locks. 

The  manner  of  building  was  as  follows:  First  large 
logs  were  laid  in  position  as  sills  ;  on  these  were  placed 
strong  sleepers,  and  on  the  sleepers  were  laid  the  rough- 
hewed  puncheons,  which  were  to  serve  as  floors.  The 
logs  were  then  built  up  till  the  proper  height  for  the 
eaves  were  reached ;  then  on  the  ends  of  the  building 
were  placed  poles,  longer  than  the  other  end-logs,  which 
projected  some  eighteen  or  more  inches  over  the  sides, 
and  were  called  "  butting  pole  sleepers ;  "  on  the  project- 
ing ends  of  these  was  placed  the  "  butting  pole  "  which 
served  to  give  the  line  to  the  first  row  of  clap-boards. 
These  were,  as  a  matter  of  course,  split,  and  as  the  gables 
of  the  cabin  were  built  up,  were  so  laid  on  as  to  lap  a 
third  of  their  length.  They  were  often  kept  in  place 
by  the  weight  of  a  heavy  pole,  which  was  laid  across 
the  roof  parallel  to  the  ridge-pole.  The  house  was  then 
chinked,  and  daubed  with  a  coarse  mortar. 

A  huge  fire-place  was  built  in  at  one  end  of  the 
house,  in  which  fire  was  kindled  for  cooking  purposes, 
for  the  settlers  generally  were  without  stoves,  and  which 
furnished  the  needed  warmth  in  winter.  The  ceiling 
above  was  sometimes  covered  with  the  pelts  of  the  rac- 
coon, opossum,  and  of  the  wolf,  to  add  to  the  warmth 
of  the  dwelling.  Sometimes  the  soft  inner  bark  of  the 
bass  wood  was  used  for  the  same  purpose.  The  cabin 
was  lighted  by  means  of  greased  paper-windows.  A  log 
would  be  left  out  along  one  side,  and  sheets  of  strong 
paper,  well  greased  with  coon-grease  or  bear-oil,  would 
be  carefully  tacked  in. 

The  above  description  only  applies  to  the  very  earliest 
times,  before  the  rattle  of  the  saw-mill  was  heard  within 
our  borders. 

The  furniture  comported  admirably  with  the  house 
itself,  and  hence  if  not  elegant,  was  in  most  perfect  taste. 
The  tables  had  four  leg*,  and  were  rudely  made  from  a 
puncheon.  Their  seats  were  stools  having  three  or 
four  legs.  The  bedstead  was  in  keeping  with  the  restj 
and  was  often  so  contrived  as  to  permit  it  to  be  drawn 
up  and  fastened  to  the  wall  during  the  day,  thus  afford- 
ing more  room  to  the  family. 

The  entire  furniture  was  simple,  and  was  framed  with 
no  other  tools  than  an  axe  and  auger.  Each  was  his  own 
carpenter;  and  some  displayed  considerable  ingenuity 
in  the  construction  of  implements  of  agriculture,  and 
utensils,  and  furniture  for  the  kitchen  and  house. 
Knives  and  forks  they  sometimes  had,  and  sometimes 
had  not.  The  common  table-knife  was  the  pack- knife 
or  butcher-knife.  Horse-collars  were  sometimes  made 
of  the  plaited  husk  of  the  maize  sewed  together.  They 
were  easy  on  the  neck  of  the  horse,  and  if  tug  traces 


were  used,  would  last  a  long  while.  Horses  were  not 
used  very  much,  however,  and  oxen  were  almost  exclu- 
'.  sively  used.  In  some  instances  carts  and  wagons  were 
constructed  or  repaired  by  the  self-reliant  settler ;  and 
the  woful  creakings  of  the  untarred  axles  could  be  heard 
at  a  great  distance. 

The  women  corresponded  well  with  the  description  of 

the  virtuous  woman  in  the  last  chapter  of  Proverbs,  for 

they  "  sought  wool  and  flax,  and  worked  willingly  with 

i  their  hands."     They  did  not,  it  is  true,  make  for  them- 

i  selves  "  coverings  of  tapestry,"  nor  could  it  be  said  of  them 

that  their  "clothing   was  silk  and  purple;"  but  they 

"  rose  while  it  was  yet  night,  and  gave  meat  to  their 

household,"  and  they  "girded  their  loins  with  strength 

and  strengthened  their  arms."  They  "looked  well  to  the 

1  ways  of  their  household,  and  eat  not  the  bread  of  idle- 

!  ness."     They  laid  "  their  hands  to  the  spindle  and  to  the 

'  distaff,"  and  "  strength  and  honor  were  in  their  cloth- 

|  ing." 

I      In  these  days  of  furbelows  and  flounces,  when  from 

|  twenty  to  thirty  yards  are  required  by  one  fair  damsel 

i  for  a  dress,  it  is  refreshing  to  know  that  the  ladies  of 

j  that  ancient  time  considered  eight  yards  an  extravagant 

amount  to  put  into  one  dress.     The  dress  was   usually 

made  plain  with  four  widths  in  the  skirt,  and  two  front 

ones  cut  gored.     The  waist  was  made  very  short,  and 

across  the  shoulders   behind  was  a  draw-string.      The 

sleeves  were  enormously  large,  and  tapered  from  shoulder 

to  wrist,  and  the  most  fashionable — for  fashion,  like  love, 

rules  like  the  "  court  and  grove" — were  padded  so  as  to 

resemble  a  bolster  at  the  upper  part,  and  were  known  as 

"  mutton-legs,"  or  "  sheep-shank  sleeves."    The  sleeve 

was  kept  in  shape  often  by  a  heavily  starched  lining. 

Those  who  could  afford  it  used  feathers,  which  gave  the 

sleeve  the  appearance  of  an  inflated  balloon  from  elbow 

1  up,  and  were  known  as  "  pillow-sleeves." 

Many  bows  and  ribbons  were  worn,  but  scarcely  any 
jewelry.  The  tow  dress  was  superseded  by  the  cotton 
I  gown.  Around  the  neck,  instead  of  a  lace  collar  or  ele- 
j  gant  ribbon,  there  was  disposed  a  copperas-colored 

neckerchief. 

!      The  women  manufactured  nearly  all  the  clothing  worn 

I  by  the  family.     In  cool  weather  gowns  made  of  "linsey 

woolsey "   were  worn  by  the  ladies.     The   chain   was 

of  cotton  and  the  filling  of  wool.  The  fabric  was  usually 

plaid  or  striped,  and  the  differing  colors  were   blended 

according  to   the  taste  and    fancy   of  the   fair  maker. 

Colors  were  blue,  copperas,  turkey-red,  light  blue,  etc. 

Every  house  contained  a  card-loom  and  spinning-wheels, 

which  were  considered  by  the  women  as  necessary  for 

'  them  as  the  rifle  for  the  men.      Several  different  kinds 

of  cloth  were  made.    Cloth  was  woven  from  cotton.  The 

i  rolls  were  bought  and  spun,  on   little  and  big  wheels, 

j  into  two  kinds  of  thread;  one  the   "chain,"   and   the 

other  the  "  filling."     The  more  experienced  only  spun 

the  chain  ;  the  younger  the  filling.    Two  kinds  of  looms 

:  were  in  use.    The  most  primitive  in  construction  was 

called  the  "  side-loom."     The  frame  of  it  consisted   of 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WABASII  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


two  pieces  of  scantling  running  obliquely  from  the  floor 
to  the  wall.  Later,  the  frame  loom,  which  was  a  great 
improvement  over  the  other,  came  into  use. 

The  men  and  boys  wore  "jeans"  and  linsey-woolsey 
shirts.  The  "jeans"  were  colored  either  light  blue  or 
butternut.  , 

Many  times  when  the  men  gathered  to  a  log-rolling  or 
barn-raising,  the  women  would  assemble  bringing  their 
spinning-wheels  with  them.  In  this  way  sometimes  as 
many  as  ten  or  twelve  would  gather  in  one  room,  and 
the  pleasant  voices  of  the  fair  spinners  were  mingled 
with  the  low  hum  of  the  spinning-wheels.  "Oh!  golden 
early  days!" 

Such  articles  of  apparel  as  could  not  be  manufactured 
were  brought  to  them  from  the  nearest  store  by  the  mail- 
carrier.  These  were  few,  however.  The  men  and  boys, 
in  many  instances,  wore  pantaloons  made  of  the  dressed 
skin  of  the  deer,  which  then  swarmed  the  prairies  in 
large  herds.  The  young  man  who  desired  to  look  capti- 
vating to  the  eye  of  the  maiden  whoni  he  loved,  had  his 
"  bucks  "  fringed,  which  lent  to  them  a  not  unpleasing 
effect.  Meal-sacks  were  also  made  of  buckskin.  Caps 
were  made  of  the  skins  of  the  wolf,  fox,  wildcat  and 
muskrat  tanned  with  the  fur  on.  The  tail  of  the  fox  or 
wolf  often  hung  from  the  top  of  the  cap,  lending  the 
wearer  a  jaunty  air.  Both  sexes  wore  moccasins,  which 
in  dry  weather  were  an  excellent  substitute  for  shoes. 
There  were  no  shoemakers,  and  each  family  made  its 
own  shoes. 

The  settlers  were  separated  from  their  neighbors  often 
by  miles.  There  were  no  church-houses  or  regular  ser- 
vices of  any  kind  to  call  them  together ;  hence,  no  doubt, 
the  cheerfulness  with  which  they  accepted  invitations  to 
a  house-raising,  or  a  log-rolling,  or  a  corn-husking,  or  a 
bee  of  any  kind.  To  attend  these  gatherings  they  would 
go  ten  and  sometimes  more  miles. 

Generally  with  the  invitation  to  the  men  went  one  to 
the  women  to  come  to  a  quilting.  The  good  woman  of 
the  house  where  the  festivities  were  to  take  place  would 
be  busily  engaged  for  a  day  or  more  in  preparation  for 
the  coming  guests.  Great  quantities  of  provisions 
were  to  be  prepared,  for  dyspepsia  was  unknown  to  the 
pioneer,  and  good  appetites  were  the  rule  and  not  the 
exception. 

At  all  the  1-g-rol  lings,  and  house-raisings  it  was  cus- 
tomary to  provide  liquor.     Excesses  were  not  indulged 
in,  however.     The  fiddler  was  never  forgotten.    After 
the  day's  work  had  been  accomplished,  out  doors  and  in, 
by  men  and  women,  the  floor  was  cleared  and  the  merry  : 
dance   began.      The   handsome,   stalwart  young   men,  | 
whose  fine  forms  were  the  result  of  their  manly  outdoor  | 
life,  clad  in   fringed   buckskin    breeches  and   gaudily  j 
colored  hunting  shirts,  led  forth  the  bright-eyed  buxom  ' 
damsels,  attired  in  neat-fitting  linsey  woolsey  garments,  ! 
to  the  dance,  their  cheeks  glowing  with   health,  and  j 
eyes  speaking  of  enjoyment,  and  perhaps  of  a  tenderer  ! 
emotion. 

The  amusements  of  that  day  were  more  athletic  and 


rude  than  those  of  to-day.  Among  the  settlers  of  a  new 
country,  from  the  nature  of  the  case,  a  higher  value  is 
set  upon  physical  than  mental  endowments.  Skill  in 
woodcraft,  superiority  of  muscular  development,  accu- 
racy in  shooting  with  the  rifle,  activity,  swiftness  of  foot, 
were  qualifications  that  brought  their  possessors  fame. 
Foot  racing  was  often  practised,  and  often  the  boys  and 
young  men  engaged  in  friendly  contests  with  the  Indians. 
Every  man  had  a  rifle,  and  kept  always  in  good  order  ; 
his  flints,  bullet-molds,  screw  driver,  awl,  butcher-knife 
and  tomahawk  were  fastened  to  the  shot-pouch  strap  or 
to  the  belt  around  the  waist  Target-shooting  was 
much  practised,  and  shots  were  made  by  the  hunters  and 
settlers,  with  flint-lock  rifles,  that  cannot  be  excelled  by 
their  descendants  with  the  improved  breech-loaders  of 
the  present  day. 

At  all  gatherings  jumping  and  wrestling  were  indulged 
in,  and  those  who  excelled  were  thenceforth  men  of  no- 
toriety. Cards,  dice,  and  other  gambling  implements 
were  unknown.  Dancing  was  a  favorite  amusement.  It 
was  participated  in  by  all. 

At  their  shooting-matches,  which  were  usually  for  the 
prize  of  a  turkey,  or  a  gallon  of  whisky,  good  feeling 
always  prevailed.  If  disputes  arose,  they  were  settled 
often  by  a  square  stand-up  fight,  and  no  one  thought  of 
using  other  weapons  than  fists. 

The  picture  here  drawn  of  the  pioneers,  their  modes 
of  living,  their  customs  and  amusements,  while  lacking 
entire  completeness,  we  feel  is  not  inaccurate  and  un- 
truthful. 


CHAPTER   VIII. 


CIVIL  HISTORY. 


EDWAKDS    COUNTY. 

HE  formation-  of  Edwards  county  dates  back 
to  1814,  and  is  the  sixth  county  organized 
within  the  present  territory  of  the  State  of 
Illinois.  It  embraced  an  immense  area,  in- 
cluding about  one-third  of  the  State,  besides  a  large 
portion  of  the  State  of  Wisconsin  and  a  part  of  Michigan. 
As  another  writer  said,  "  In  the  presence  of  the  stupend- 
ous changes  in  this  State,  it  is  hard  to  imagine  that 
sixty  nine  years  ago,  when  Edwards  county  was  organ- 
ized, neither  Cook  county  or  Chicago  had  any  existence, 
but  the  present  Cook  county  was  in  the  jurisdiction  of 
Edwards  county,  and  its  county  seat  at  Palmyra  at  the 
falls  of  the  Big  Wabash,  a  town  which  has  long  since 
ceased  to  be." 

The  following  is  a  copy  of  the  original  paper  prepared 
by  the  Territorial  Legislature  creating  Edwards  county  . 
"An  act  for  the  division  of  Gallatin  county.  Sec.  1.  Be 
it  enacted  by  the  Legislature,  Council,  and  House  of 
Representatives  of  the  Illinois  territory,  and  it  is  here- 
by enacted  by  the  authority  of  the  same,  that  all  that 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AXD  WAR  A  fill  COUXTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


.81 


tract  of  country  within  the  following  boundaries  (to  wit)  : 
Beginning  at  the  north  of  Borapast  (Boupas)  creek  on 
the  big  Wabash,  and  running  thence  due  west  to  the 
Meridan  line,  and  due  north  till  it  enters  the  line  of  j 
Upper  Canada  to  the  line  that  separates  this  territory 
from  Indiana  territory,  and  thence  with  the  said  dividing  i 
line  to  the  beginning,  shall  constitute  a  separate  county 
to  be  called  Edwards,  and  the  seat  of  justice  for  said 
county  shall  be  at  the  town  now  called  Palmyra,  on  the 
Wabash,  provided  the  proprietor  or  proprietors  of  said 
land  shall  give  to  the  said  county,  for  the  purpose  of 
erecting  the  public  buildings,  a  quantity  of  land  at  said 
place,  not  less  than  twenty  acres,  to  be  laid  off  into  lots 
and  sold  for  the  above  purpose.  But,  if  such  proprietor 
or  proprietors  refuse  or  neglect  to  make  the  donation 
aforesaid,  then  in  that  case  it  shall  be  the  duty  of  the 
Court  of  Common  pleas,  who  shall  be  appointed  for  said 
county,  to  fix  up  jn  some  other  place  for  the  seat  of  j 
justice  as  convenient  as  may  be  to  the  different  sett  e- 
ments  in  said  county. 

Sec.  2.  Be  it  further  enacted  that  the  Court  of  Com-  j 
mon  Pleas  shall   sit  in  said  county   at   the   following 
periods  (to-wit.)     The  court  for  the  civil  and  criminal 
•business  on  the  fourth  Mondays  of  March,  July,  and 
November,    yearly   and   every   year,   and   three  other 
courts  shall  be  holden  on  the  fourth  Mondays  of  Jauu-  ; 
ary,  May,  and  September  4  yearly  and  every  year. 

Sec.  a.  Be  it  further  enacted  that  it  shall  and  may  be  ; 
lawful  for  the  governor  of  this  territory  immediately  to 
constitute  the  militia  in  this  county,  thus  laid  off  into 
one  battalion,  the  commanding  officer  of  which  shall 
have  the  same  power  to  order  out  the  militia  as  is  now 
proposed  by  the  Lieutenant-Colonels  of  the  respective 
regiments. 

Sec.  4.  And  be  it  further  enacted  that  the  said  county 
of  Edwards  is  hereby  entitled  to  one  representative  in 
the  House  of  Representatives  of  this  territory,  who  shall 
be  elected  agreeably  to  law  and  be  entitled  to  all  the  : 
immunities,  powers,  and  privileges  prescribed  by  law  to 
the  members  of  the  House  of  Representatives.  And 
whereas  the  next  general  election  for  representatives  to 
the  legislature,  will  not  take  place  before  the  month  of 
September,  in  the  year  1816,  and  in  consequence  thereof 
the  said  county  will  be  unrepresented  in  the  House  of 
Representatives  until  the  time  for  remedy  thereof. 
An  election  is  hereby  directed  to  be  held  in  the  seat  of 
justice  for  said  county,  on  the  first  Thursday  in  March 
next,  and  continued  open  three  days,  and  to  be  conducted 
in  all  other  respects  by  the  persons  and  in  the  manner 
prescribed  by  law,  at  which  said  election  the  persons 
entitled  to  vote,  may  elect  a  representative  to  the  House 
of  Representatives,  who  shall  continue  in  office  until  the 
10th  day  of  October,  1816,  and  shall  during  his  con- 
tinuance in  office  be  bound  to  perform  the  same  duties, 
and  entitled  to  the  same  privileges  and  immunities  that 
are  prescribed  by  law  to  a  member  of  the  House  of  Re- 
presentatives. 

Sec.  >r>.  Be  it  further  enacted  that  whereas  the  counties 
11  * 


of  Gallatin  and  Edwards  compose  one  district  for  the 
purpose  of  electing  a  member  of  the  Legislative  Council, 
the  citizens  of  said  county  entitled  to  vote  may  at  any 
election  for  a  member  of  the  Legislative  Council  to  re- 
present said  district,  proceed  to  vote  for  such  members ; 
and  it  shall  moreover  be  the  duty  of  the  sheriff  of  the 
said  county  of  Edwards,  within  ten  days  after  the  close 
of  said  election,  to  attend  at  the  court-house  of  the 
county  of  Gallatin,  with  a  statement  of  the  votes  given 
in  the  said  county  of  Edwards,  to  compare  the  polls  of 
the  respective  counties,  and  it  shall  be  the  duty  of 
the  sheriff  of  Gallatin  county  to  attend  at  such  time  and 
place  with  a  statement  of  the  votes  of  Gallatin  county, 
and  upon  counting  the  votes  of  the  respective  counties, 
it  shall  be  the  duty  of  the  said  sheriff  of  Gallatin  and 
Edwards  counties  to  make  out  and  deliver  to  the  person 
duly  elected  a  certificate  thereof.  If  the  said  sheriff,  or 
either  of  them,  shall  refuse  or  fail  to  perform  the  duty 
required  by  this  section,  such  delinquent  shall  forfeit 
and  pay  the  sum  of  two  hundred  dollars,  to  be  recovered 
by 'action  of  debtor  indictment,  one  half  to  the  use  of  the 
territory,  and  the  other  half  to  the  person  suing  the 
same. 

Sec.  6.  Be  it  further  enacted  that  the  citizens  of  said 
county  of  Edwards  are  hereby  declared  to  be  entitled, 
in  all  respects,  to  the  same  rights  and  privileges  in  the 
election  of  a  Delegate  to  Congress,  as  well  as  a  member 
to  the  House  of  Representatives  of  the  territory,  that  are 
allowed  by  law  to  the  other  counties  of  this  territory, 
and  all  elections  are  to  be  conducted  at  the  same  time 
and  in  the  same  manner,  except  as  is  excepted  in  this 
law  as  is  provided  for  in  other  counties.  This  act  shall 
commence  and  be  in  force  from  and  after  the  passage 
thereof. 

Approved  this  28th  Nov.,  1814. 

RISDON  MOORE,  Speaker  of  the  House  of  Representa- 
tives. 

BENJAMIN  TALBOT,  President  of  the  Council, pro  tern. 
NINIAN  EDWARDS. 

NAT.  POPE,  Secretary  of  Illinois  Territory. 

It  will  thus  be  seen  that  the  grand  old  county  of 
Edwards,  which  once  contained  many  millions  of  acres 
within  its  boundaries,  has  become  one  of  the  smallest 
counties  in  the  State.  It  received  its  name  in  honor  of 
the  Hon.  Ninian  Edwards,  first  territorial  governor  of 
Illinois  territory. 

COUNTY  GOVERNMENT  AT  PALMYRA. 

Palmyra,  the  county  seat  named  in  the  act,  was 
accepted  by  the  county  court  as  the  proper  point  for 
establishing  the  capital  of  the  county,  upon  the  propri- 
etors of  said  town  offering  to  donate  twenty  acres  of 
ground  for  said  purpose.  The  town  of  Palmyra  was 
created  the  22d  day  of  April,  1815,  by  the  joint  act  of 
Seth  Gard,  Peter  Keen,  Gervase  Hazletou,  Levi  Comp- 
ton,  and  John  Waggoner,  which  was  known  as  Seth 
Gard  &  Co.  It  was  situated  at  a  sluggish  bend  on  the 
river  within  the  confines  of  two  fractional  lots,  numbers 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


four  and  five,  in  township  1  south  of  the  base  line,  in 
range  12  west  of  the  second  meridian.  For  some  reason 
the  proprietors  of  the  town  withheld  the  deed  of  donation 
to  the  county  until  the  7th  of  May,  1816. 

From  the  county  court's  record  of  the  February  term, 
1815,  we  find  the  following  in  relation  to  the  acceptance 
by  the  court,  and  the  boundaries  of  the  twenty  acres 
donated  to  the  county  :  "  Ordered  that  the  court  accept 
the  donation  of  twenty  acres  made  by  the  proprietors, 
lying  in  the  following  manner,  viz.  :  Beginning  at  the 
northwest  corner  of  the  public  .square,  and  running  north 
and  west,  so  as  to  include  a  square  of  twenty  acres.  It 
is  also  ordered,  that  no  person  cut  any  timber  off  the 
said  twenty  acres  except  it  be  for  public  use." 

The  subject  is  brought  up  again  at  the  April  term 
following,  as  the  action  of  the  court  was  not  satisfactory 
to  the  donors  of  the  land.  The  record  reads,  "  Judge 
Card,  as  a  branch  of  this  court  objects  to  the  manner 
and  form  in  which  the  donation  was  received  by  the 
court  from  the  proprietors  on  the  6th  February  last. 
The  objection  was  heard  and  agreed  to  by  Judge  Mcln- 
tosh  ;  therefore,  it  is  ordered  that  the  former  donation 
made  by  the  proprietors  be  made  null  and  void,  and 
agreeable  to  the  act  of  the  legislature  in  that  case  made 
and  provided  on  the  28th  day  of  November,  1814,  it  is 
ordered  that  the  donation  be,  and  is  hereby  rescinded  in 
the  following  manner,  viz. :  Commencing  at  the  north- 
west corner  of  the  public  square  and  running  due  north  j 
forty-eight  rods,  three  and  a-half  feet,  thence  west  twenty- 
two  rods,  thence  south  parallel  with  the  first  line,  thence 
at  right  angles  east  and  north  to  the  place  of  beginning,  j 
so  as  to  include  the  twenty  acres ;  and  whereas  one  or 
more  lots  hath  been  given  to  Solomon  Frear,  etc.,  for 
building  upon,  the  said  proprietors  bind  themselves  to 
give  the  court  one  to  the  same  value,  if  the  said  Frear 
should  build  and  hold  the  said  lot." 

At  the  third  meeting  of  the  county  court  it  was  or-  ; 
dered  that  N.  Claypoole  be  appointed  agent  for  the  county 
of  Edwards,  to  advertise  and  sell  the  lots  that  the  court 
should  think  proper,  for  the  use  of  defraying  the  ex-  \ 
penses  of  the  public  buildings,  on  twelve  months'  credit, 
by  taking  bond  and  approved  security,  the  sale  to  con- 
tinue until  all  lots  were  sold.  At  a  subsequent  meeting 
of  the  court  an  order  ia  made  that  the  lots  shall  not  be 
sold  for  less  than  $15  per  lot.  Palmyra  was  only  a 
frontier  town  of  the  most  primitive  character,  the  build- 
ings being  constructed  wholly  of  logs,  and  the  site  was 
most  unfortunately  chosen.  It  was  situated  on  low 
ground,  surrounded  by  sloughs  and  marshes,  and  was 
therefore  one  of  the  most  sickly  portions  of  the  West.  It 
was  for  this  reason,  perhaps,  that  lots  brought  such  a 
meager  price  in  the  market. 

The  First  County  Court.*— The  following  is  a  synopsis 
of  the  doings  of  the  first  county  court,  the  session  being 
held  at  the  house  of  Gervase  Hazleton,  Monday,  Jan.  2o, 
1815:  "  At  a  county  court  of  Edwards  county,  begun 
and  held  in  the  town  of  Palmyra,  the  seat  of  justice  of 

•William  Barney  was  one  of  the  members  of  the  county  court,  Kin  was 
not  i.reH..nt:.t  it-  fir-t  -.•s-i..,,. 


said  county  and  territory  of  Illinois,  agreeable  to  an  Act 
of  the  Legislature  passed  at  Kaskaskia  November  28th, 
1814— Members  present: 

JOHN  MclNTOSH, )  T  * 

:  N.  CLAYPOOLE,  Clerk.      SETH  GARD,         j  Juages. 
ABNER  ARMSTRONG,  Sheri/." 

After  being  duly  sworn,  the  clerk  and  sheriff  pro- 
duced their  bonds  with  security,  which  was  approved 
by  the  court,  when  they  proceeded  to  business  as  fol- 
lows: The  first  order  of  the  court  was  for  the  establish- 
ment of  a  ferry  from  the  town  of  Palmyra  across  the 
Wabash  river  to  the  opposite  shore,  in  the  name  of 
Hazleton  &  Co.,  the  rates  being  fixed  as  follows  :  "  Each 
wheel  of  a  cart,  carriage  or  wagon,  18?c. ;  and  each 
horse  drawing  the  same,  12}  cents.  For  every  man  and 
horse,  from  the  first  day  of  December  until  the  last  day 
of  May  inclusive,  be  25  cents ;  and  from  the  first  day  of 
June  until  the  last  day  of  November  inclusive,  be  12} 
cents ;  and  for  every  footman  and  each  head  of  cattle, 
6}  cents;  and  each  head  of  sheep  and  hogs,  3  cents." 

The  second  order  reads  :  "  That  a  road  be  reviewed 
from  Palmyra  for  the  nearest  and  best  route  to  the 
county  line  dividing  Edwards  county  and  Gallatin;  on 
a  direct  line  to  Shawneetown  ;  and  that  Levi  Compton, 
Ransom  Higgins  and  John  Campbell  be  and  are  hereby 
•appointed  to  review  the  same,  and  make  return  against 
the  6th  day  of  February  next."  The  next  order  pro- 
vides for  a  road  to  be  reviewed  from  Palmyra  to  the 
nearest  and  best  route  to  Vallies'  Ford  on  the  river 
Wabash.  John  Compton,  Wm.  B.  Smith  and  Alex- 
ander AVood  were  appointed  reviewers.  The  foregoing 
constituted  the  first  day's  business.  On  convening  the 
court  the  day  following,  Robert  Baird  was  appointed  to 
"  cess  and  take  in  all  land  and  county  tax  in  the  county 
of  Edwards."  One  of  the  most  important  actions  of  the 
court  was  the  dividing  of  the  great  county  of  Edw.irds 
into  two  townships.  The  order  reads :  "  That  the 
county  of  Edwards  be  and  is  hereby  divided  into  two 
townships,  by  a  line  running  with  the  Embarras  creek, 
and  all  that  county  above  to  be  included  in  one  town- 
ship, and  be  called  Lamot  township  ;  and  all  the  country 
south  of  the  said  Embarras  creek,  to  include  the  other 
township  and  called  Palmyra  township."  It  will  be 
seen  from  the  description  of  the  foregoing  boundaries, 
that  Lamot  township  comprised  a  territory  of  very  great 
dimensions,  and  was  probably  the  largest  township  on 
record  in  this  or  any  other  state,  as  it  embraced  all  thaf 
country  between  the  eastern  and  western  boundaries  of 
Edwards  county,  and  extending  from  the  Embarras  to 
Upper  Canada. 

At  the  same  session,  Ransom  Higgins  and  John  Still- 
well  were  appointed  supervisors  of  the  poor  for  Palmyra 
township ;  and  Thomas  Kennedy  and  James  Baird  for 
Lamot  township.  The  court  also  ordered,  "  that  the  jail 
for  Edwards  county  be  let  to  the  lowest  bidder  on  Mon- 
day, the  6th  day  of  February  next,  at  3  o'clock  p.  si." 
Until  the  completion  of  the  jail,  it  would  seem  that  the 
prisoners  were  confined  under  guard  within  certain 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  II  .1  A'.l.sV/  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


limits,  as  the  following  action  of  the  court  would  verify  : 
"  Ordered,  that  no  person  in  the  prison  bounds  go  further  ! 
than  the  southwest  corner  of  Lot  No.  3,  in  block  M,  and 
thence  wiih  an  alley  to  the  southeast  corner  of  lot  No.  5  ! 
in  block  B,  and  thence  north  to  the  northeast  corner  of  ' 
lot  No.  6  in  block  D,  thence  west  with  an  alley  to  the  ! 
corner  of  lot  No.  2  in  block  O,  thence  south  to  the  place 
of  beginning." 

Subsequent  Proceedings. — At  a  special  meeting  of  the 
court,  held  Feb  6,  1815,  the  reviewers  of  the  road  from 
Palmyra  to  the  line  dividing  Edwards  and  Gallatin 
counties  made  their  report,  when  the  court  decided  that 
said  road  would  be  of  public  utility,  and  Joseph  Wood 
was  appointed  supervisor  of  so  much  of  the  road  as  lay 
between  Crawfish  and  Coffee  Creeks,  including  the  prai- 
ries Pulliam  and  Banker.  August  Laviolette  (Lavu- 
lette)  was  appointed  supervisor  of  that  part  of  the  road 
lying  between  Coffee  creek  and  Boupas ;  and  Thomas 
Jjeavins,  supervisor  of  that  part  between  Bonpas  and 
the  county  line.  The  reviewers  of  the  road  between 
Palmyra  and  Vallie's  Ford  also  reported,  which  being 
accepted,  Joshua  Jordan  was  appointed  supervisor  of  the 
same. 

The  first  license  for  the  sale  of  spirituous  liquors  was 
granted  to  Robert  Erwin,  on  payment  to  the  county  of 
the  sum  of  two  dollars  ;  the  rate  fixed  for  the  sale  was 
twelve  and  a-half  cents  per  half  pint.  This  was  done  at 
a  special  term,  April  4th,  1815.  At  the  same  session, 
Francis  Vallie  was  licensed  to  establish  a  ferry  across 
the  Wabash  river,  from  his  house  to  the  opposite  shore, 
the  rates  fixed  as  follows :  For  every  man  and  horse,  25 
cents ;  footman,  12J  cents;  for  each  wheel  of  cart,  car- 
riage or  wagon,  18J  cents ;  for  each  head  of  cattle,  6J 
cents  ;  for  each  head  of  sheep  or  hogs,  3  cents 

William  B  Adams  was  appointed  constable  for  Pal- 
myra township;  Thos.  C.  Browne  was  appointed  prose- 
cuting attorney  for  EJ  wards  county;  Robert  Beard  was 
recommended  by  the  court  to  the  territorial  governor 
for  county  surveyor,  and  Gervase  Hazleton  was  recom- 
mended for  justice  of  the  peace. 

The  following  are  the  rates  of  the  first  tax  levy,  as 
fixed  by  this  court :  "  Each  ferry,  $8  ;  each  horse,  mare, 
mule  or  ass,  50  cents ;  each  stud  horse  at  the  rate  he 
stands  the  season  ;  every  bond  servant,  $1.00,  and  10 
cents  for  every  hundred  dollars  worth  of  land." 

The  first  case  before  the  court  came  up  at  the  August 
term,  1815,  and  is 'thus  placed  of  record  :  '  "Richard 
Easton,  assignee  of  Andrew  J.  Walker,  vs.  John  Wal- 
drup."  The  case  was  ordered  to  be  continued  until  the 
next  session  of  court. 

At  the  beginning  of  court  session  in  February,  1816, 
it  would  seem  that  this  honorable  body  had  grown  in 
importance  and  dignity,  as  the  record  reads :  "  Present 
—The  Worshipfuls  John  Mclutosh.  Seth  Card  and  Wil- 
liam Barney."  As  there  is  nothing  in  the  records  to 
show  wherein  this  court  received  any  emoluments  for 
their  services,  we  are  led  to  infer  that  the  title  of"  Wor- 
shipful "  was  the  only  compensation  to  which  this  august 


body  was  entitled  The  first  business  transacted  was 
ordering  an  allowance  of  fifty  dollars  salary  to  the 
sheriff,  Abner  Armstrong,  for  one  year's  salary. 

On  the  petition  of  James  Martin,  he  was  licensed  to 
keep  a  public  house  in  the  town  of  Palmyra,  by  paying 
the  sum  of  one  dollar  for  the  use  of  the  county.  The 
"  tavern  "  rates  were  fixed  as  follows  :  "  For  half  pint 
of  whisky,  12Jc.  ;  night's  lodging,  12}c.  ;  for  each  diet, 
25c.  ;  horse  to  hay  all  night,  25c.  ;  each  horse  feed,  12Jc.  ; 
each  quart  of  cider,  121c.  ;  pint  of  rum,  wine  or  brandy, 
50  cents." 

The  same  session  Thomas  C.  Browne,  prosecuting  at- 
torney, was  allowed  ten  dollars  attorney  fees  for  the 
county  in  the  year  1815.  Following  the  above  is  an 
order  that  Levi  Cumpton,  John  Tome  and  Gervase 
Hazleton  be  appointed  to  contract  for  the  building  of  a 
court-house  in  Palmyra,  and  that  said  commissioners 
take  no  action  in  the  matter  until  further  instruction. 
The  first  business  on  the  following  morning  the  commis- 
sioners, by  an  order  from  the  court,  are  instructed  to 
contract  for  the  building  of  the  house  upon  the  best 
possible  terms,  and  have  the  work  done  immediately. 
Later  in  the  day  the  following  appears  :  "  Ordered  that 
the  order  this  day  made  directing  the  commissioners 
appointed  to  contract  for  the  building  of  the  court- 
house be  set  aside." 

John  Shadle  was  allowed  twenty  dollars  for  putting  a 
shingle  roof  on  the  jail,  which  was  to  be  completed  by 
the  next  term  of  court. 

"  Ordered  that  the  sum  of  eight  dollars  be  allowed  to 
Gervase  Hazleton  for  the  use  of  his  house  for  the  court's 
last  year's  session. 

•'Ordered  that  the  sum  of  $235  be  allowed  to  David 
Wright,  as  full  compensation  for  the  building  of  a  jail 
in  Palmyra,  and  that  the  treasurer  pay  the  same  as  soon 
and  as  fast  as  money  comes  into  his  hands,  this  being 
the  senior  claim  against  the  county." 

Settlement  was  made  with  the  county  treasurer  Feb- 
ruary 16,  1816,  with  the  following  showing: 

Amt.  received  by  treasurer  for  1815,  including  claims  by  sheriff   8179  62}$ 


Amt.  rec'd  from  Seth  Gar.l  for  purchs 
Amt  rec'd  from  tavern  license 


ey  of  lot  in  Palmyra       31  00 


At  the  May  meeting  of  thia  year  Lamot  township 
was  divided  with  boundaries  as  follows  :  "Beginning  at 
the  Wabash  river  at  the  corner  between  townships  Nos. 
5  and  6,  and  running  with  said  line  due  west  to  the 
meridian  line,  thence  with  said  line  to  the  township  line 
between  Nos.  2  and  3,  thence  with  the  fifth  township 
lines  to  the  Wabash ;  and  that  the  same  be  known  by 
the  name  of  Embarras  township." 

At  the  same  session  Abner  Armstrong  filed  his  bond 
as  collector  of  the  revenue  of  the  county  of  Edwards. 

John  Mclutire  was  appointed  counsel  for  the  court  in 
the  place  of  Thomas  C.  Browne,  at  the  August'tern,  1816. 

The  following  appears  on  the  record  of  the  November 
term  following  :  On  the  petition  of  Adam  Gollahart  and 


HISTORY  OF  KDWAKDS,  LAWRKXCK  AND  WABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


William  Douglas,  trustees  to  the  Shakers,  it  is  ordered 
that  a  writ  of  ad  quod  damnum  be  issued  in  their  name 
to  view  a  mill-seat  on  Erabarras  river,  on  the  southwest 
quarter  of  sec.  28,  tp.  5,  range  12,  and  that  a  writ  be 
directed  to  the  sheriff  commanding  him  to  summon 
twelve  good  and  lawful  men — householders — to  meet  on 
the  premises  Friday,  the  8th  day  of  November,  1816. 
The  su  bscquent  action  of  the  court  granted  the  prayer  of 
the  peiitioners,  and  the  mill  was  located  on  the  river,  in 
the  southwest  qr.  of  sec.  28,  tp.  5,  range  12,  being  the  first 
water  flouring  mill  authorized  to  be  built  in  the  county. 
A  reward  was  offered  at  the  rate  of  twenty  five  cents 
for  male  wolf  scalps  and  two  dollars  for  female  scalps. 
George  Barney  received  the  first  reward  under  this 
law.  At  the  above  session  the  record  reads :  "  Ordered 
that  the  sum  of  one  dollar  and  fifty  cents  be  allowed 
George  Barney  for  killing  two  wolves." 

SECOND  COURT.  * 

John  Mclntosh,  William  Barney,  Robert  Frazer, 
commissioners.  At  the  February  term,  1817,  important 
charges  were  made  in  the  subdivision  of  the  county 
i  nto  townships.  It  was  ordered  that  the  county  be  di- 
vided and  laid  off  as  follows:"  1,  township  called  Coffee 
township,  to  begin  at  the  mouth  of  Bonpas  creek,  and 
running  up  the  Wabash  river  to  the  line  between  towns 
one  and  two,  and  with  that  line  to  the  meridian  line,  and 
all  that  part  of  the  county  south  of  the  line  between 
towns  one  and  two  compose  township  No.  1 ;  and  that 
part  of  the  county  between  the  upper  boundary  of  Coffee 
township  and  the  base  line  running  west  to  the  meridian 
line,  compose  township  No.  2,  called  Palmyra  township; 
and  that  part  of  the  county  Ijing  between  the  upper 
boundary  of  Palmyra  township,  and  the  line  between- 
towns  one  and  two  north  of  the  base  line  running 
due  west,  compose  township  No.  3,  called  Prairie  town- 
ship ;  and  that  that  .part  of  the  county  lying  north  of 
Prairie  townthip  to  the  northern  boundary  of  the  coiTnty, 
compose  township  No.  4,  called  Embarras  township." 

Robert  Frazer  was  appointed  assessor  in  Coffee  town- 
ship, Samuel  Marshall  in  Palmyra  township,  ^"eth  Gard 
in  Prairie  township  and  Thomas  Pulliam  in  Embarras 
township. 

At  the  same  session  the  rates  of  taxation  were  fixed 
as  follows : 

Each  mare,  horse, mule  or  ass- ' $60 

Each  stud-horse,  the  rates  he  stands  the  season 

Each  bond-servant  or  >lave , 1  00 

Each  young  man  not  having  taxable  property  to  the  amount  of  two 

hundred  .1,, liars 1  00 

li.Mil..-ii  .Ionian's  ferry 1  00 

Samuel  Marshall's  ferry 1  no 

i  alette-i  terry •  • 2  00 

<}*rvi»se  Ha/.leton's  ferry 400 

Francis  Vallies'  ferry 3  00 

Joseph  LavuU-It.'V  iVnv 2  00 

"All  town  lots,  houses  iu  town,  out-lots  and  mansion- 


houses  in  the  country  above  the  value  of  two  hundred 
dollars  and  upwards,  all  water  and  wind-mills,  at  thirty 
cents  on  the  one  hundred  dollars'  worth." 

A  peculiar  feature  appears  in  the  record  of  this  ses- 
sion, trom  the  fact  that  the  clerk  states  :  "  At  a  county 
court  begun  and  held  at  the  court-house  in  Palmyra," 
etc.,  while  there  is  nothing  in  the  prior  proceedings  of 
the  court  to  show  that  any  court-house  had  ever  been 
constructed,  or  any  moneys  appropriated  for  the  same. 
At  a  subsequent  day's  meeting  of  the  same  session,  the 
following  appears  :  "  Ordered  that  this  court  adjourn  to 
the  house  of  Gervase  Hazleton,  and  that  the  house  be 
considered  the  court-house  for  one  year,  and  he  ac- 
knowledges the  receipt  of  six  and  one-fourth  cents  a  full 
cousideration  for  the  use  of  said  house  for  the  courts 
and  elections,  and  the  clerk  and  sheriff  are  to  have  the 
use  of  one  room  for  their  office  in  his  house." 

THIRD   COURT. 

William  Barney  and  Samuel  Marshall,  1817  to  Spring 
of  1818. 

;  •    There  is  nothing  in  the  records  of  this  term  of  court 

I  to  show  that  there  were  more  than  the  above-named 

;  members  constituting  it.    It  must  be  borne  in  mind  that 

|  the  act  of  congress  creating  the  state  of  Illinois  was 
passed  in  April,  1818,  therefore  this  court  only  had  ju- 

i  risdiction  of  public  matters  to  that  time  under  the  "laws 
of  the  territorial  government.  While  the  affairs  of  the 
state  stood  in  atatu  quo  from  the  time  of  the  passage  of 
the  act  until  the  adoption  of  the  constitution  and  or- 
ganization of  the  state,  the  several  justices  of  the  peace 
within  Edwards  county  constituted  the  county  court, 
and  transacted  the  affairs  peculiar  to  that  body. 

At  the  October  meeting,  1817,  the  following  order 
was  made:  "Ordered  that  the  sura  of  fifty  dollars  be 
allowed  to  Levi  Comptou,  late  treasurer  of  the  county, 
for  taking  lists  of  land  tax  for  the  years  1815-16,  and 
that  4ie  same  be  certified  to  the  auditor  of  public 

,  accounts. 

Three  writs  of  ad  quod  damnum  for  the  purpose  of 
reviewing  mill-seats  were  applied  for  at  this  session. 

;  John  Grayson  desired  to  erect  a  mill  on  Bonpas  creek, 
in  the  northwest  quarter  of  section  34,  township  No.  2, 
range  14,  west;  Joseph  Wright  asked  the  privilege  to 
build  a  mill  on  the  Bonpas,  in  section  26,  township  2 
south,  range  14  west;  Leonard  White  desired  to  con- 

1  struct  a  mill  on  the  Little  Wabash,  in  section  7,  town- 

i  ship  1,  range  9. 

The  Court  ordered  that  all  the  hands  living  north- 

i  west  of  the  "  Old  Trace  "  and  Indiana  creek,  who  had 
been  fined  for  not  working  on  the  road  leading  from 
Small's  mill  to  the  Beaver  Holes,  be  exonerated  from  the 
payment  of  said  fines. 

It  was  further  ordered  that  it  be  certified  that  Wil- 
liam Bodger  is  a  man  of  good  demeanor  and  moral  char- 


«lecte<l.  S.i  lo.iiras  thr  jud 


ohapter  one  court,  though  ; 
may  have  been  re-elected. 


1818. 


JUSTICES      COURTS 

and  held  f°r  the  COUIlty  °f  Edwards>  March  23' 
Present,  Gervase  Hazleton,  Joseph  Baird,  Ran- 


COURT       HOUSE. 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


85 


som   Higgius,  William  Smith,  John   Gravson,   Samuel 
Newell,  and  James  Martin. 

At  this  session  five  parties   were   granted   license  to  ] 
vend  domestic  spirits,  and  the  amount  of  twenty-eight 
dollars  was  allowed  for  wolf  scalps. 

It  was  also  ordered  that  the  clerk  of  this  court  pro- 
cure such  weights  and  measures  aa  the  law  directs. 

John  Hunt,  Robert  Anderson,  Daniel  Keen,  Robert 
Bell,  and  John  Higgins,  were  recommended  to  his  Ex- 
cellency, Ninian  Edwards,  for  Justices  of  the  Peace  of 
Edwards  county. 

Abner  Armstrong,  sheriff  of  the  county,  was  allowed  I 
fifty  dollars  for  official  services  for  the  year  1817. 

At  the  July  session  the  following  order   was  made: 
"  Ordered,  that  Guy  W.  Smith,  John  D.  Wolverton  and 
John  Shadle,  be  agents,  for  this  county,  to  contract  for  [ 
building  a  court-house,  and  selling  the  county  lots  in  the  \ 
town  of  Palmyra  ;  and  that  the  county  agents  give  pub-  j 
lie  notice  in  one  of  the  Vincennes  papers,  and  the  paper 
published  at  Shawneetown,  at  least  twenty  days  previous 
to  the  day  of  sale."     At  the  following  day's  session,  an 
order  was  passed  that  the  county  agents  should  not  sell 
any  lots  for  less  than  twenty  dollars.     Guy  W.  Smith 
was  empowered  to  execute  deeds  to  the  said  lots. 

The  commissioners  appointed  to  contract  for  the  build- 
ing of  a  court-house  were  instructed  as  follows,  relating 
to  plans  and  specifications  of  the  said  building:  "To 
be  a  frame,  of  good  and  sufficient  timbers,  36  feet  wide 
by  44  feet  long,  and  20  feet  high  from  the  foundation  to 
the  wall  plates,  and  to  be  well  weather-boarded,  with 
good  seasoned  poplar  plank  of  a  proper  thickness,  a 
good  and  sufficient  roof  of  good  sound  shingles,  with  a 
balcony  eight  feet  square  and  twelve  feet  high,  and  a 
steeple  23  feet  in  height.  The  building  to  be  let  to  the 
lowest  bidder,  who  shall  be  bound  in  a  bond  with  such 
security  as  the  said  commissioners  may  deem  sufficient 
for  the  just  and  true  performance  of  the  contract,  with- 
in six  months  from  the  first  Monday  in  September  next, 
when  the  building  of  said  court-house  is  to  be  let." 

At  the  November  session,  on  the  application  of  Wm. 
Beauchamp,  agent  for  Thos.  Hinde  and  William  Mc- 
Dowell, it  was  ordered  that  they  be  permitted  to  estab- 
lish a  ferry  across  the  Wabash  at  the  mouth  of  White 
river  from  their  land  to  the  opposite  shore. 

Augustus  Tougas  was  permitted  to  keep  tavern  and 
vend  spirits  for  one  year,  from  the  first  of  July,  1818, 
by  paying  a  tax  of  two  dollars. 

"Ordered,  that  Edward  Burns  be  allowed  the  sum  of 
seventeen  dollars  extra  for  building  a  bridge  across 
Crawfish  creek. 

At  a  special  meeting  of  the  court  in  April,  1819,  the 
county  was  again  sub-divided  into  townships  having  the 
following  names  :  Enabarras,  Palmyra,  Coffee,  Bon- 
pas  and  Prairie  township. 

The  judges  of  election  for  the  several  townships,  were 
respectively  as  follows  :  John  McClelland,  Samuel  New- 
ell, William  Denison,  Seth  Gdrd,  William  Barney, 
Hezekiah  Clark,  Levi  Compton,  Elias  Jordan,  Philip 


Plough,  Robert  Anderson,  Hugh  Stewart,  Alan  Em- 
merson,  James  McMillan,  Shadrach  Ruark,  Richard 
B.  McCorkle. 

FIRST  COUNTY   COMMISSIONERS*    COURT. 

John  Armstrong,  Robert  Frazer,  John  Higgins.  1819 
—1820. 

The  court  convened  June  7,  1819,  the  only  business 
of  the  day  being  the  appointment  of  Jesse  B.  Browne, 
County  Clerk,  and  William  Beauchamp,  County  Treas- 
urer. On  the  following  day  the  order  for  the  appoint- 
ment of  the  latter  was  rescinded,  and  Scoby  Stewart  ap- 
pointed in  his  stead. 

Jesse  B.  Browne  was  allowed  thirty  dollars  for  ser- 
vices as  County  Clerk  for  the  year  1818. 

Reuben  T.  Baker  was  licensed  to  keep  a  tavern,  and 
to  vend  spirits  in  Mt  Carmel ;  John  Pitcher  was  granted 
a  like  license  in  Albion. 

At  the  September  term,  1819,  John  Small  was  allowed 
sixty  dollars  for  making  three  seals  for  the  county  of 
Edwards,  under  the  territorial  government,  he  promis- 
ing, by  his  attorney,  to  alter  the  aforesaid  seals  to  State 
seals  when  required. 

It  was  also  ordered  that  the  rates  of  toll  across  the 
Bonpas  bridge  should  be  as  follows : 


Empty  cart 

Loaded  cart 

Empty  wagon-two  horses 

Loaded  wagon     "       "        

Team  of  four  horses— wagon  empty  . 

Team  of  four  horses— wagon  loaded 1  00 

Each  neat  head  of  cattle 6%  cents 

Each  head  of  sheep  or  hogs 3%     " 

December  6, 1819,  the  proprietors  of  Albion  petitioned 
to  establish  a  mill  on  Bonpas  creek  in  section  30,  town- 
ship 1,  range  14.  The  greater  portion  of  the  time  of  the 
court  at  this  session  was  occupied  in  establishing  new 
roads  in  various  parts  of  the  county. 

"Ordered,  that  John  Youngman  be  allowed  four  dol- 
lars for  the  use  of  his  house  as  a  court-room,  beginning 
the  25th  day  of  March,  1819,  and  ending  the  same  day 
and  month,  in  1820." 

At  the  March  term,  1820,  Guy  W.  Smith  was  allowed 
seventy  dollars  for  taking  the  census  of  Edwards  county, 
in  the  year  1818.  Abner  Armstrong  was  allowed  eight 
dollars  for  furnishing  four  "ticket"  boxes.  The  Clerk 
of  the  Court  was  allowed  thirty  dollars  for  his  services 
for  the  year  1819. 

SECOND  COUNTY  COMMISSIONERS*  COURT. 

John  Higgins,  Henry  Utter,  William  Clark.  1820— 
1821. 

John  B.  Griffith  was  allowed  ten  dollars  for  making 
fires  and  furnishing  water  for  the  court.  At  this  session 
appears  the  first  allowance  to  any  member  of  the  court 
for  official  services.  The  order  reads:  "Ordered,  that 
John  Higgins,  Esq.,  be  allowed  the  sum  of  five  dollars 
for  a  part  of  his  services  as  County  Commissioner  for 
the  year  1819."  The  first  petit  jury  appointed  by  the 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LA  WHENCE  AND  W ABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


authority  of  this  court,  were  as  folltfws :  George  Field, 
Zeba  French,  John  Phipps,  Charles  Garner,  Aaron 
Gould,  Enoch  Greathouse,  Daniel  Greathouse,  Seth 
Gard,  Thomas  Garder,  John  Gray,  James  Gray,  John 
Grayson,  Ransom  Higgins,  John  Higgin?,  John  Han- 
nison,  Asa  Hannison,  Gervase  Hazleton,  Lemuel  Has- 
kins,  Benjamin  Halbert  Isaac  Harness,  Ptlick  Hull, 
Havilah  Green,  John  Graves,  and  Daniel  Graves. 

COUNTY     GOVERNMENT    AT    ALBION. 
THIRD  COUNTY  COMMISSIONERS*  COURT. 

Henry  Utter,  George  May.     1821—1822. 

For  this  term  but  two  commissioners'  names  appear 
in  the  records  of  the  proceediugs  of  the  court.  It  was 
in  this  year  that  the  county  seat  was  located  at  Albion. 
Mu'ch  bitterness  of  feeling  sprang  out  of  this  change,  and 
for  a  time  a  county  war  between  the  factions  was  im- 
minent.  It  is  said  that  several  companies  of  militia 
were  raised  and  drilled  in  the  eastern  part  of  the  county, 
and  they  were  about  to  march  on  Albion  and  take  pos- 
session of  the  records  by  force  of  arms.  Before  any 
overt  act  had  been  committed  the  matter  was  compro- 
raised. 

No  action  of  the  court  appears  on  the  record  book 
from  March  7,  1821,  to  December  third  following.  This 
discrepancy  is  explained  by  the  fact  that  the  court 
records  were  spirited  away  and  hidden  for  a  time  while 
the  warfare,  relating  to  the  removal  of  the  county  seat, 
was  in  progress.  There  were  three  rival  towns  besides 
Palmyra,  that  were  clamoring  for  the  seat  of  justice ; 
Albion,  Wanborough,  and  Centerville.  The  following 
is  the  report  made  to  the  County  Commissioners'  Court  to 
permanently  locate  the  county  seat :  "  To  the  Com- 
missjoners"  Court  of  Edwards  county,  State  of  Illinois — 
Pursuant  to  an  act  of  the  Legislature  in  the  last  session, 
dated  February  1,  1821,  entitled  an  act  to  provide  for 
the  removal  of  the  Seat  of  Justice  of  Edwards  county, 
having  met  agreeable  to  law,  and  fixed  on  Albion  as  the 
permanent  Seat  of  Justice;  and  we  also  designate  and 
appoint  the  Public  Library  room,  in  said  town,  as  a 
temporary  house  to  hold  court  until  the  public  buildings 
are  prepared.  Given  under  our  hands  and  seals  this 
tenth  day  of  April,  1821, 

DAVID  TADE, 

A.  G.  L.  WIGHT, 

AARON  WILLIAMS.  J  L.  s.  J 

On  the  same  day,  the  commissioners  appointed  to  as-  j 
sess  the  damages  to  the  town  of  Palmyra  in  consequence  i 
of  the  removal  of  the  county  seat,  made  their  report,  i 
The  judgment  was  one-hundred  dollars  damages,  and 
that  said  amount  be  (qually  distributed  among  the  pro-  j 
prietors  of  the  town  of  Palmyra.  (signed) 

A.  G.  S.  WIGHT, 
WILSON  LAGOW, 
AARON  WILLIAMS, 
DAVID  TADE. 


The  first  session,  held  at  Albion,  was  commenced  the 
3rd  day  of  December,  1821,  and  the  following  is  the 
first  action  of  the  court : 

"Ordered,  that  although  the  report  of  the  commis- 
sioners appointed  to  fix  the  county  seat  of  this  county 
was  never  properly  made,  received  or  recognized  by  this 
court;  the  report  being  in  no  particular  in  compliance 
with  the  law,  yet  as  the  proceedings  of  this  court  at  Pal- 
myra have  been  decided  by  the  judge  of  the  Circuit  Court 
to  be  illegal  and  void,  refusing  to  latify  the  proceediugs 
thereof;  therefore,  to  avoid  the  dilemma  to  which  the 
people  of  this  county  may  be  reduced,  the  future  sessions 
of  this  Court  shall  be  held  at  Albion  until  the  Legisla- 
ture determine  otherwise." 

It  was  further  ordered  that  that  part  of  Edwards  coun- 
ty lying  on  the  east  side  of  B  jnpn  creak,  f  jrm  one  p  irt  of 
election  precinct  to  be  called  Palmyra,  and  that  all  elec- 
tions for  said  precinct  shall  be  held  at  the  town  of  Pal- 
myra. 

Henry  I.  Mills,  sheriff,  was  allowed  four  dollars,  which 
sum  he  had  paid  to  four  men,  for  guarding  James  Mar- 
tin who  had  been  convicted  of  larceny. 

Henry  Cusiek  was  allowed  three  dollars  and  seventy- 
five  cents  for  guarding  James  Allen  to  Crawford  jail, 
who  had  been  commited  for  horse  stealing, 

At  the  June  term,  1822,  the  following  appears  : 

"  Ordered  that  Thomas  Pulliam  be  allowed  seventy- 
six  dollars  for  keeping  John  Stratton,  from  the  time  he 
was  sold  (probably  a  pauper)  at  the  court-house,  until 
the  first  Monday  in  May,  1822. 

FOURTH   COUNTY   COMMISSIONERS*    COURT. 

Cyrus  Danforth,  Samuel  Munday,  Ephraim  Phor. 
1822-1824. 

It  seems  that  at  the  convening  of  this  court  there  existed 
a  contest  for  the  county  clerkship,  as  this  order  appears 
upon  the  record.  ''  Whereas,  Jesse  B.  Browne  and  Ger- 
vase Hazelton  are  at  this  time  both  executing  the  duties 
of  clerk  of  the  County  Commissioners'  Court  of  Edwards 
county,  and  the  Commissioners  of  said  county  are  not  in 
possession  of  such  legal  evidence  as  that  they  can  at  this 
time  determine  which  of  the  said  persons  are  entitled  to 
Hhe  said  office.  It  is  therefore  ordered  by  the  court  that 
Jesse  B.  Browne  do  perform  the  duties  of  clerk  of  the 
court  until  the  same  be  legally  determined." 

David  Tade  was  allowed  twenty  dollars  for  twelve  days 
services  attending  the  legislature  for  the  purpose  of  ob- 
taining an  act  to  permanently  locate  the  county  seat  of 
Edwards  county. 

"  Ordered,  that  Dr.  Ezra  Baker  be  allowed  8120.00 
for  medical  attendance  on  John  L.  Jones,  a  poor  tran- 
sient person." 

At  the  July  term  in  1823,  the  certificate  of  Association 
of  the  "  Albion  Library  Company  "  was  ordered  to  be 
placed  on  record.  The  company  was  composed  of  twelve 
members,  Richard  Flower  being  the  chairman. 

At  the  March  term  in  1824,  William  White  was  al- 
lowed thirty  dollars  for  making  a  coffin,  and  erecting  a 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WAS  ASH  COUN1IES,  ILLINOIS. 


87 


gallows  for  the  execution  of  Shadrach  Perry,  who  had 
been  accessory  in  the  committing  of  a  capital  offence. 
Perry  was  subsequently  pardoned  by  the  govornor. 

June  7th,  1824,  Henry  I.  Mills,  sheriff,  was  allowed 
$38.25  for  grand  jury  rooms  and  candles  found  and  pro- 
vided for  the  Circuit  Court  in  the  years  1823-4. 

At  the  above  session  Hiram  Bell,  County  Treaesurer, 
settled  with  the  court  for  the  year  1823,  when  it  was 
found  that  he  had  a  balance  of  $36  86  in  his  hands  due 
the  county. 

FIFTH    COUNTY   COMMISSIONERS'    COURT. 

Elias  Jordan,  James  Hunt,  Moses  Bedell,  1824-1825. 

At  the  first  meeting  of  the  court,  the  following  action 
was  taken  relating  to  the  county  buildings  : 

"  It  appearing  to  the  court  that  the  building  com- 
menced for  the  court-house  and  gaol  will  be  insufficient 
for  the  purpose  intended,  it  is  ordered  that  the  same  shall 
be  raised  two  stories,  with  a  cupola  and  pediment,  and 
that  a  contract  to  that  effect  be  made." 

September  7th,  1824,  John  B.  Johnson  was  allowed 
$22.87  for  services  as  coroner  in  viewing  the  body  of  \ 
Jones  Hobson. 

"  Ordered,  that  the  lots  remaining  unsold,  donated  to 
the  county  of  Edwards  by  the  proprietois  for  the  erec-  ; 
tion  of  the  public  buildings,  be  offered  for  sale  on  the 
third  Monday  in  Obtober,  1824." 

SIXTH   COUNTY   COMMISSIONERS*    COURT. 

James  Hunt,  Joel  Churchill,  Alan  Emmerson,  1825- 
1826. 

The  rate  of  taxation  for  1825,  was  fixed  as  follows :  , 
One  half  per  cent,  on  all  town  lots,  carriages  for  the  con-  ' 
veyance  of  persons,  distilleries,  stock  in  trade,  horses 
three  years  old  and  upwards,  neat  cattle  three  years  old 
and  upwards,  clocks,  watches,  sheep  six  mouths  old  and 
upwards,  hogs  one  year  old  and  upwards,  leather,  small 
wagons,  road  wagons,  carts,  household  furniture,  to  wit ; 
bedsteads,  bed   curtains   and   bed  furniture,  tables,  bu- 
reaus, side-boards,  silver-plate ;  libraries  containing  twen- 
ty-five books  or  more,  whiskey  beer,  and  rifle  gins. 

Henry  I.  Mills  was  ordered  to  take  the  census  for 
1825.  - 

At  this  session  John  Robinson  was  allowed  $1.60  for 
repairing  the  market-house  for  the  convenience  of  hold-  i 
ing  the  April  term  of  -circuit  court,  1825.     The  county  ' 
revenue  for  this  year  was  $832.92i. 

"  Ordered,  that  Henry  I.  Mills  be  allowed  the  sum  of 
$11:».62,  for  his  services  in  the  cases  of  Kennedy,  Mere- 
dith and  Bottinghouse  for  murder  ;  and  in  the  cases  of 
Joseph  Toville,  John  Hall,  William  Wood,  Daniel  Or- 
ange, George  Flower,  Eliza  Andrews,  Wm.  Orange, 
Campbell,  et  al,  wherein,  the  people  failed,  and  for  other 
services  rendered  as  per  account  presented." 

SEVENTH   COUNTY   COMMISSIONERS*    COURT. 

James  Hunt,  Alan  Emmerson,  Chas.  Stennett,  1826-  ; 
1828, 
At  the  September  term,  1826,  the  court  ordered  that 


the  Circuit  Court  be  next  held  in  the  building  erected 
for  a  court-house,  in  the  town  of  Albion. 

The  4th  of  December  following,  the  coroner,  Moseg 
Thompson,  was  allowed  $14  98  for  holding  an  inquest  on 
the  body  of  Richard  Flower.  The  deceased  came  to  his 
death  by  the  crushing  of  his  skull,  caused  by  the  throw- 
ing of  a  bone  from  the  hand  of  one  James  Kennedy. 

EIGHTH   COUNTY   COMMISSIONERS*   COURT. 

James  Hunt,  James  Hean,  Chas.  Stennett,  1828-1830. 

At  the  December  term,  1828,  James  Gordan,  Sheriff 
of  Edwards  county,  was  allowed  $91.75,  for  services  in 
the  Circuit  and  County  Commissioners'  courts,  and  his 
commission  in  collecting  the  tax  for  1828.  On  his  set- 
tlement with  the  court  for  the  revenue  collected  in  the 
above  year,  he  was  found  indebted  to  the  county  the  sum 
of  $428  89. 

James  Hunt,  a  justice  of  the  peace,  reported  a  fine 
against  John  Crabtree  for  assault  and  battery.  The  fine 
was  paid  over  to  the  court,  but  the  clerk  fails  to  state 
the  amount  of  the  fine  in  his  record. 

From  the  following  it  will  be  seen  that  the  court-house 
was  utillized  for  boih  school  and  church  purposes.  In 
the  March  term,  1829.  "Ordered that  Thomas  Elton  be 
permitted  to  keep  a  school  in  the  court-room,  he  agreeing 
to  glaze  the  windows,  and  when  the  roof  shall  be  repair- 
ed to  repair  the  plastering,  and  keep  the  same  in  repair 
during  the  time  ha  occupies  it." 

'•  Ordered,  that  public  worship  be  permitted  to  be  held 
in  the  court-room  on  Sundays,  and  that  Jesse  B.  Browne 
be  authorized  to  take  charge  of  the  key  and  see  that  no 
damage  is  done." 

In  1830,  the  county  comprised  eight  road  districts 
with  the  following  named  persons  as  supervisors  :  First 
district,  George  Woodham ;  second  district,  Robert 
Daugherty;  third  district,  William  Triscut ;  fourth 
district,  George  Walser ;  fifth  district,  Thomas  Caruey  ; 
sixth  district,  John  Cowling;  seventh  district,  John 
Elder;  eighth  district,  Sidney  Spring. 

NINTH  COUNTY  COMMISSIONERS*  COURT. 

James  Hunt,  Alan  Emmerson,  Charles  Stennett  in 
1830-1832. 

At  the  September  term,  1830,  Alexander  Stewart 
was  allowed  $1.75  for  making  hand-cuffs  and  one 
night's  guarding  the  jail.  From  the  records  of  this 
session  it  would  seem  from  the  amounts  allowed  for 
guarding  the  jail,  that  either  the  jail  was  in  a  very  poor 
condition  or  an  extra  number  of  criminals  were  confined 
therein. 

At  the  same  session  Jesse  B.  Browne  was  allowed 
$3  25  for  shoes  and  socks  furnished  Belle  Tate,  a  run- 
away slave.  James  Jordan,  Sheriff,  was  allowed  $3.81 
for  clothing  furnished  to  the  same  party. 

"  Ordered,  that  Joel  Churchill  be  permitted  to  vend 
goods,  wares  and  merchandise  in  the  town  of  Albion  for 
one  year  by  paying  fifteen  dollars  into  the  county 
treasury."  Gibson  Harris,  Hugh  Ranalds,  and  Moses 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WAS  ASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


Smith  were  also  licensed  to  vend  goods,  etc.  The 
commissioners  appointed  to  adjust  the  finances  between 
Edwards  and  Wabash  counties  in  pursuance  of  the 
division  of  said  counties  in  1824,  made  their  report  to  the 
County  Commissioners'  court,  June  6th,  1831,  and  in 
substance  was  as  follows  :  That  the  county  of  Wabash 
pay  to  the  county  of  Edwards  the  sum  of  $787.83,  it 
being  the  half  of  the  debt  existing  at  the  time  of  the 
division  of  Edwards  county.  Commissioners,  Joel 
Churchill  and  Abner  Armstrong. 

TENTH   COUNTY  COMMISSIONERS*   COURT. 

James  Hunt,  Charles  Stennett,  Thomas  Carney.  1832- 
38. 

Thomas  Hunt  was  allowed  two  dollars  for  candles 
furnished  the  Circuit  Court  for  year  1831-32. 

September  2d,  1833,  George  Flower  was  authorized  to 
receive  from  the  State  Treasurer  one  hundred  dollars, 
amount  of  an  appropriation  granted  by  the  General 
Assembly  to  Edwards  county  for  the  purpose  of  building 
a  bridge  across  Bonpas  creek  on  section  22,  town  1  north, 
range  fourteen  west. 

At  the  September  term  in  1834,  Elias  -Waver  was 
allowed  $135.00  for  making,  painting  and  hanging 
window  blinds  to  each  and  every  window  in  the  court, 
Chouse  at  Albion,  the  same  to  be  paid  in  specie. 

On  the  7th  of  December,  Sidney  Spring  was  authorized 
by  the  court  to  act  in  conjunction  with  the  county 
surveyor  of  White  county  to  establish  the  southern 
boundary  line  of  Edwards  county,  beginning  at  the 
southwest  corner  of  section  18,  township  3,  south  of  range 
—  east,  and  from  thence  east  along  said  line  to  the 
Wabash  river  as  the  case  may  be,  and  that  said  survey 
be  made  in  pursuance  of  the  statute  in  such  cases  made 
and  provided. 

"  Ordered,  that  Henry  Bowman  be  and  is  hereby 
appointed  commissioner  and  agent  of  the  school  lands 
situated  in  the  county  of  Edwards." 

At  the  March  term  of  court  1837,  J  oel  Churchill  was 
authorized  to  receive  from  the  bank  of  Illinois  the  sum 
of  six  hundred  dollars,  the  same  being  deposited  there 
by  the  commissioner  of  the  sale  of  the  Gallatin  saline 
land  for  the  use  of  Edwards  county  agreeably  to  an  act 
of  the  legislature,  approved  January  16th,  1836. 

The  county  treasury  must  have  been  in  excellent 
condition  in  1837,  as  the  treasurer  was  authorized  to  loan 
several  hundred  dollars  of  the  county  money  at  the 
special  May  term  of  that  year. 

ELEVENTH  COUNTY  COMMISSIONERS'  COURT. 

James  Hunt,  Leonard  C.  Bond,  John  Tribe.  1838-40. 
Ed  wards  county  not  beingsupplied  with  a  poor  house,  the 
paupers  were  let  to  the  lowest  bidder.  The  following  order 
appears  at  the  September  term  ;  "  Ordered  by  the  court 
that  Ann  Hickson,  a  pauper  of  the  county,  be  let  to  the 
lowest  bidder  for  six  months,  and  thereupon  the  coroner 
proceeded  to  cry  her  ofl',  and  Alviu  R.  Kenner  agrees  to 
feed,  lodge  and  comfortably  clothe  the  said  Ann  Ilickson 


for  the  sum  of  $1.35  per  week,  and  the  court  agrees  to 
pay  the  said  sum  quarterly  in  county  orders." 

TWELFTH  COUNTY  COMMISSIONERS'  COURT. 

Leonard  C.  Bond,  John  Tribe,  J.  W.  Stevenson.  1840 
-1842. 

At  the  September  term  of  1840,  the  clerk  of  the 
county  court  was  ordered  to  notify  the  clerk  of  the  Cir- 
cuit court  that  grand  and  petit  jurors  be  allowed  seven- 
ty-five cents  per  day  for  services,  and  that  the  clerk  of 
the  Circuit  court  may  grant  his  certificates  of  allowance 
to  the  said  jurors. 

The  rate  of  taxation  for  the  year  1841,  was  fixed  at 
twenty  cents  on  every  hundred  dollars  worth  of  real  or 
personal  property.  Charles  P.  Burns  was  allowed 
seventy  dollars  for  assessing  property  for  the  above  year. 
The  total  amount  collected  was  $656  89  ;  the  amount  of 
delinquent  tax,  $36.60. 

THIRTEENTH   COUNTY   COMMISSIONERS*    COURT. 

J.  W.  Stevenson,  John  Tribe,  Britain  Walser.  1842- 
1849. 

At  the  special  April  term,  1843,  the  court 
ordered  that  the  respective  road  supervisors  cause  each 
able-bodied  male  person  between  the  ages  of  twenty-one 
and  fifty  years,  to  perform  four  days  road  labor.  In 
this  year  the  treasurer  of  the  county  was  instructed  to 
pay  the  State  bank  of  Illinois,  paper  which  had  been 
collected  for  revenue  up  to  that  time,  at  the  rate  of  fifty 
cents  on  the  dollar. 

In  1847,  the  county  constituted  four  precincts,  Albion, 
Mills,  Shelby  and  Boltinghouse  precincts.  Of  the  former 
Alan  Eratnerson,  Briant  Walker,  and  Alexander  West 
were  appointed  judges  for  the  April  election.  Of  Mills 
precinct,  William  A.  Montgomery,  John  Contrecht,  and 
Peter  Hinkle.  Shelby  precinct,  John  Bell,  John  War- 
moth,  and  Niel  Shelby.  Boltinghouse  precinct,  James 
Hean,  Simon  Johnson  and  Laban  G.  Russell. 

FOURTEENTH   COUNTY   COMMISSIONERS*   COUET. 

Alan  Emmerson,  J.  H.  Stevenson,  Matthew  Rice. 
1849-1850. 

The  greater  portion  of  the  time  of  the  above 
court  was  occupied  in  regulating  and  adjusting  the  road 
officers  of  the  county. 

The  only  important  action  of  the  commissioners  was 
the  authorizing  of  the  Albion  and  Gray  ville  Plank-road 
company  the  right  of  way  through  the  county  on  the 
highway  commonly  used  in  going  from  Albion  to  Gray- 
ville.  This  right  of  way  was  to  continue  for  thirty 
years,  with  stipulations  for  toll  over  said  road  as  follows : 
Not  to  exceed  for  a  horse  and  rider,  a  half  cent  per  mile ; 
one  horse  and  vehicle,  one  cent  and  a  half  per  mile ; 
four  houses  and  vehicle,  three  cents  per  mile.  The 
officers  of  the  road  were,  President,  John  Brissenden ; 
Directors,  Alan  Emmerson,  S.  Thompson,  Alexander 
Stewart,  John  Butler,  Daniel  Bulkley  and  John  B. 
Jolly. 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


FIRST   COUNTY   COURT.* 

Alan  Emmerson,  judge,  Matthew  Rice,  James  Hunt, 
associate  justices.     185'J-1853. 

At  the  June  term  a  notice  is  placed  on  record 
wherein  the  clerk  was  ordered  to  post  notices  to 
the  effect,  that  sealed  proposals  would  be  received 
until  the  tenth  of  June,  1851,  for  the  build- 
ing of  a  frame  court-house  to  be  thirty-six  feet  square, 
and  that  for  plan  and  specifications,  parties  were  asked 
to  call  at  the  clerk's  office.  At  a  special  term  of  the 
court  held  the  14th  of  June,  1851,  the  subject  of  build- 
ing a  new  court  house  was  taken  into  consideration, 
when  it  was  decided,  that  as  the  people  had  met  and 
expressed  themselves  in  favor  of  constructing  a  brick 
court-house,  the  court  ordered  that  further  action  upon 
the  same  be  postponed  for  the  present. 

September  1st,  1851,  the  commissioners  appointed  to 
mark,  view,  and   locate  a  state  road  from  Albion  to  j 
Salem  in  Marion  county,  made  their  report,  with  plat  of  | 
the  same.     The  road  was  subsequently  opened,  it  being 
a  distance  of  about  fifty  miles. 

The  following  is  a  table  of  the  property  assessed  and 
the  taxes  charged  in  the  county  for  the  year  1852: 

Aggregate  value  of  lands $358,002 

"  "       "     personal  property 177,461 

Total  value  of  taxable  property 535,463 

Amount  of  State  tax $32»>.r,2 

"    County  '.ax 1000.38 

Total  tai 4837.00 

On  the  5th  of  September,  1853,  notice  was  given  for 
the  sale  of  the  old  court-house.     It  was  to  be  sold  at 
auction  to  the  highest  bidder.    The  purchaser,  according 
to  the  conditions  of  the  notice,  was  entitled  to  a  credit  of  ' 
six  months,  and  was  required  to  remove  the  house  from  j 
the  square  within  nine  months  from  date  of  sale.     Gen.  j 
William  Pickering  subsequently  became  the  purchaser,  ! 
paying  the  sum  of  one  hundred  and   thirty  dollars.     At  i 
the  special  term  of  October  following,  the  new  court-house 
was  examined  and  accepted  by  the  court. 

Upon  settlement  of  the   county   treasurer  with    the 
rturt  at  the  December  term,  1853,  it  was  shown  that  , 
the  county  income  for  six  months,  plus  the  balance  in 
the  treasury,  was  $689.46  J  ;  and  that  the  amount  paid 
out  for  the  same  time  was  $689  3ji,  leaving  11  Jc.  in  the  i 
treasury. 

SECOND   COUNTY   COURT. 

Alan  Emmerson,  judge;  Matthew  Rice,  Jonathan 
Shelby,  associate  justices.  1853-1857. 

The  most  important  matter  brought  befoae  the  court  i 
in  this  term  was  the  petition  from  519  citizens  of  the 
county,  that  the  honorable  body  pass  an  order  at  the  < 
earliest   day   practicable  to   postpone  the   sale   of  all  ; 
swamp  lands  unsold  for  the  term  of  two  years ;  alleging 
in  their  prayer,  that  on  account  of  the  great  scarcity  of 
money  among  the  farming  population,  caused  by  the 
failure  of  the  corn  crop  of  the  preceding  year,  a  large 
portion  of  the  actual  citizens  were  unable  to   purchase 

«  In  the  fall  of  1849,  the  name  of  this  body  having  county  jurisdiction, 
was  changed,  and  uniil  1873,  was  known  as  tlie  County  Court,  having  a 
president  judge  and  two  assmtiuu:  JLL-tu:.:s. 

12 


said  lands,  which  being  the  case  would  render  it  easier 
for  foreign  speculators  to  secure  all  the  best  swamp 
lands  at  the  lowest  valuation.  The  petitioners  further 
prayed  that  the  court  would  invest  all  said  lands  in  the 
Alton,  Mt.  Carmel  and  New  Albany  Railroad;  and 
that  the  annual  revenue  arising  from  said  in  vestment  be 
forever  set  apart  for  school  purposes.  The  action  of  the 
court  upon  the  petition  was  substantially  as  follows : 
That  inasmuch  as  the  court  had  not  received  the  legal 
evidence  of  title  to  the  swamp  lands,  as  provided  by  an 
act  of  the  legislature,  the  sale  of  said  lands  should  be 
postponed ;  but,  should  the  inhabitants  of  the  county 
desire  to  make  such  investment  of  the  proceeds  of  the 
land  after  the  proper  evidences  of  title  were  had,  and 
the  expenses  for  surveying,  draining,  etc ,  were  paid  ; 
then  it  would  not  be  the  disposition  of  the  court  to  con- 
travene the  wishes  of  the  people,  provided  sufficient 
evidence  be  given  from  said  railroad  company  of  its 
ability  to  build  the  road  within  a  reasonable  time;  and 
provided  further,  that  interest  at  the  rate  of  six  per  cent, 
upon  said  investment  be  first  secured,  and  that  the  same 
be  applied  to  the  school  fund,  to  be  paid  semi-aunually 
in  advance. 

THIRD   COUNTY   COURT. 

Alan  Emmerson,  judge,  Jonathan  Shelby,  Britain 
Walser,  associate  justices.  1857-1861. 

At  the  September  term  of  court,  1858,  the  following 
petition  was  placed  before  the  court,  with  219  names 
attached  :  "  To  the  honorable  court  of  Edwards  county. 
The  undersigned,  residents  and  legal  voters  of  Albion 
precinct,  respectfully  request  your  honorable  body  not 
to  grant  any  license  in  said  precinct  for  the  retail  of 
spirituous  or  vinous  liquors  after  the  present  license 
shall  have  expired,  unless  a  majority  of  the  legal  voters 
of  said  precinct  shall  petition  for  such  license  to  be 
granted."  On  considering  the  prayer  of  the  petitioners, 
two  of  the  members  of  the  court  voted  against  granting 
the  prayer,  and  one  was  in  favor  of  it. 

At  a  meeting  of  the  citizens  of  Albion  and  vicinity, 
he'd  on  the  llth  of  May  1861,  a  resolution  was  passed 
in  substance  as  follows  :  That  Alan  Emmerson,  judge 
of  the  county  court,  is  hereby  requested  to  convene  a 
special  term  of  the  county  court  at  the  earliest  day  prac- 
ticable, for  the  purpose  of  taking  into  consideration  the 
following  resolution :  "  Resolved,  That  the  honorable 
court  of  Edwards  county  are  hereby  respectfully  re- 
quested to  pass  an  order  of  their  court,  to  pay  out  of  the 
county  treasury  a  sufficient  sum  of  money  to  pay  the 
cost  of  a  full  suit  of  uniform  for  the  use  of  the  Volun- 
teer Militia  Company  of  Edwards  county,  now  organized 
and  ready  for  marching,  and  waiting  for  the  orders  of 
the  governor  of  the  State  of  Illinois. 

The  court,  upon  considering  the  above  request,  passed 
an  order  in  compliance  with  the  resolution,  one  member 
dissenting  on  the  ground,  as  he  believed,  that  the  court 
was  not  vested  with  such  power.  At  the  September 
term  of  the  same  year,  an  order  was  passed  by  the  court, 
that  five  cents  on  each  hundred  dollars  be  assessed  for 


M 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


the  purpose  of  creating  a  fund  to  provide  for  the  families 
of  members  of  the  miliiary  companies  that  were  then,  or 
should  be  subsequently  organized  and  mustered  into  the 
United  States  service.  Jesse  Emmerson,  John  Smith, 
and  James  R.  Jacobs  were  appointed  by  the  court  to 
make  distributions  to  said  families,  with  stipulations  that 
they  exercise  careful  judgment  in  the  discharge  of  their 
duties. 

The  valuation  of  real  and  personal  property  in  the  county 

for  the  year  ISO),  was $1,124,393.00 

State  tax 7,533.45 

County  tax,  including  school  tax,  ete 6135.78 

Acres  "in  cultivation,  »lii.it,  tyKis  ;  com,  l:\lli  ;  olher  field 
products 9,607 

FOURTH  COUNTY  COURT. 

Samuel  R.  Hall,  judge  ;  Jacob  Kramer,  Sanford  Em- 
merson, associate  justices.  1861-1865. 

According  to  the  report  of  the  county  collector  for 
1863,  the  delinquent  tax  was  but  $30  70.  Only  nine- 
teen names  were  reported  as  not  paying  their  taxes, 
fifteen  of  whom  had  left  the  county— three  were  not 
found,  and  one  was  reported  dead. 

Nothing  of  an  unusual  character  came  before  this 
court,  its  time  being  mainly  occupied  in  regulating  road 
and  bridge  affairs. 

FIFTH   COUNTY   COURT. 

Samuel  R.  Hall,  judge;  Andrew  Huffman,  Daniel 
P.  Hunter,  associate  justices.  1865-1869. 

At  the  September  term  of  court,  1865,  the  following 
petition,  signed  by  fifty-seven  of  the  legal  voters  of  the 
county,  was  presented  for  the  court's  action  :  "  The  un- 
der.-igned,  legal  voters  of  Edwards  county,  do  hereby 
respectfully  petition  your  honorable  body,  that  you  will 
at  your  next  meeting  on  the  first  Monday  of  September, 
submit  to  the  voters  of  the  county  the  question  of  town- 
ship organization,  to  be  voted  on,  for  or  against,  at  the 
next  general  election.  The  court  ordered  that  a  vote 
should  be  so  taken  in  the  several  voting  prtcincts  at  the 
time  specified  in  the  petition. 

On  the  3d  December,  1866,  Saywell  Perkins'gave  his 
bond  as  sheriff  and  ex-officio  collector  in  the  sum  of  forty- 
two  thousand  nine  hundred  and  one  dollars. 

At  the  March  meeting  of  the  court  in  1868,  a  petition 
of  the  legal  voters  of  the  county  was  presented,  request- 
ing that  an  election  be  called  to  ascertain  if  the  citizens 
of  the  county  were  in  favor  of  taking  stock  in  the  Gray- 
ville  and  Mattoon  Railroad  to  the  amount  of  $150,000. 
The  court  ordered  an  election  to  be  held  on  the  28th 
day  of  March,  1868,  with  proper  stipulations  to  protect 
the  people  against  any  non-performance  of  agreement  or 
action  on  the  part  of  the  railrbad  company.  The  vote 
resulted  hi  favor  of  subscribing  for  the  above  amount  of 
stock. 

December  10th  of  the  same  year  another  election  was 
ordered  to  be  htld  on  the  16th  day  of  January,  1869, 
for  the  purpose  of  increasing  the  aforesaid  amount  to 
$180,000.  The  court,  at  a  special  session  in  the  same 
month,  rescinded  the  order  made  on  the  10th  inst.,  and 
substituted  an  order  that  an  election  should  be  held  on 
the  23d  of  January,  to  vote  for  or  against  taking  $40,- 


000  stock  in  the  road,  in  addition  to  the  $150  000  al- 
ready voted,— making  in  all  $190,000  stock  for  said 
railroad. 

On  account  of  the  order  made  by  the  court  at  the 
first  election,  giving  only  twenty-six  days' notice,  instead 
of  thirty  days  as  the  law  required,  said  appropriation 
became  null  and  void,  leaving  but  $40,000  stock  voted 
for  the  road.  From  this  fact  and  some  other  causes,  the 
company  built  the  road  passing  Albion  four  miles  to  the 
eastward.  For  the  benefit  of  future  readt-rs  of  history, 
we  will  here  state  that  the  road,  at  this  writing, is  known 
as  the  Peoria,  Decatur  and  Evansville  railway. 

SIXTH   COUNTY    COURT. 

Samuel  R.  Hall,  judge;  Andrew  Huffman,  Edward 
Handley,  associate  justices.  1869-1872. 

December  7,  1869,  John  B.  Orange,  a  justice  of  the 
peace,  made  report  that,  in  the  absence  of  the  coroner, 
he  had  held  an  inquest  on  the  body  of  James  Blackford, 
a  non-resident  of  the  county,  who  was  killed  at  the  house 
of  John  Carbaugh  on  the  21st  of  September,  1869,  and 
that  the  deceased  had  no  effects  on  his  person ;  therefore, 
the  petitioner  asked  that  his  fees  might  be  allowed  by 
the  court. 

At  the  March  term  in  1872,  the  court  ordered  that 
each  owner  of  dogs  in  Edwards  county  be  taxed  for  the 
year,  1872,  as  follows:  "That  one  dog  shall  be  exempt 
for  the  head  of  each  family,  and  that  all  over  and  above 
one  dog  be  taxed  two  dollars  per  head'' ;  and  it  was 
further  ordered  that  the  proceeds  of  such  tax  be  paid 
into  the  county  treasury. 

SEVENTH  COUNTY  COURT. 

Samuel  R.  Hall,  judge  ;  Andrew  Huffman  and  Alfred 
Brown,  associate  judges,  1872-1873.  March  4.  1873, 
Jesse  Emmerson  was  appointed  agent  of  Edwards 
county,  to  sell  all  the  swamp  lands  remaining  unsoH  • 
the  terms  of  sale  to  be  one-half  cash,  and  the  balance  on 
a  credit  of  twelve  months  time,  taking  mortgage  to 
secure  the  deferred  purchase  money. 

FIRST   BOARD   OF   COUNTY   COMMISSIONERS. 

Josiah  Dawes,  chairman ;  Andrew  Huffman,  Alfred 
Brown,  1873-1878. 

At  the  special  December  term,  in  1873,  George 
Michaels  was  appointed  sheriffand  ex-officio  collector  to  fill 
the  vacancy  caused  by  the  death  of  Maxwell  W.  Morgan. 
On  the  24th  of  March,  1874,  the  court  passed  an  order  that 
a  reward  of  one  hundred  dollars  be  offered,  to  be  paid 
at  the  county  expense,  for  the  capture  of  Christopher 
C.  Hunt,  a  fugitive  from  justice,  charged  with 
killing  one,  William  C.  Mading,  on  the  morning  of  the 
14th  of  March,  1874.  Hunt  was  subsequently  arrested, 
tried  and  acquitted.  At  the  June  term  following,  John 
Martin  was  allowed  the  sum  of  one  hundred  dollars,  the 
amount  of  the  reward  offered  for  the  arrest  of  said 
Hunt. 

SECOND   BOARD  OF   COUNTY   COMMISSIONERS. 

Josiah  Dawes,  chairman  ;  Alfred  Brown,  Francis 
Greathouse,  1878-1880. 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


THIRD    BOARD   OP   COUNTY   COMMISSIONERS. 

Josiah  Dawes,  chairman  ;  Francis  Greathouse,  Corap. 
ton  Woodbam,  1880  1881. 

On  the  third  of  March,  1881,  Doctors  John  C. 
MeClurkin  and  J.  Cameron  McClurkin  entered  into  a 
contract  with  the  court  to  furnish  medical  attendance  to 
the  paupers  of  Albion  p  ecinct  for  one  year,  commencing 
March  7,  1881,  for  the  sum  of  seventy  dollars.  The 
same  parties,  on  the  same  day,  contracted  to  furnish 
medical  attendance  to  the  paupers  of  Dixon  preciuct; 
one  year  for  nine  dollars.  For  the  same  time,  etc., 
George  W.  Gaddy  agreed  to  furnish  said  attendance  for 
the  sum  of  thirty-six  dollars  to  the  paupers  of  Shelby 
precinct.  Elisha  Jenner  for  same  services,  etc  ,  con- 
tracted to  wait  ou  the  paupers  of  Salem  precinct,  for  the 
sum  of  forty  dollars.  The  contract  for  French  creek 
precinct  was  given  to  Dr.  Loren  Burdick  for  the  sum 
of  fifty  dollars. 

At  a  special  term,  held  in  March,  1881,  a  compromise 
was  effected  between  the  county  and  the  Louisville,  New 
Albany,  and  St  Louis  railway,  now  Louisville,  Evans- 
ville,  and  St.  Louis  railway,  relating  to  back  taxes  of 
said  road  in  the  amount  of  $1951.55.  The  court  upon 
due  consideration  accepted  the  proposition  of  the  rail- 
road company,  to-wit,  that  the  company  pay  the  State 
and  school  taxes  due,  upon  conditions  that  the  board 
make  a  rebate  of  the  county  and  road  taxes  amounting 
to,  including  interest  and  printer's  fees,  the  sum  of 
$596.03,  with  this  proviso,  that  the  said  State  school  tax 
be  paid  within  six  months  from  the  passage  of  this  I 
order. 

FOURTH   BOARD   OF   COUNTY   COMMISSIONERS. 

Josiah  Dawes,  Coraptou   Woodham,  Charles  Walser,  i 
1881-1882. 

The  following  order  was  passed  by  the  board  at  the  i 
June  sessions,  1882  :  "  Ordered  that  the  authorities  of 
the  village  of  Albion  be  permitted  to  use  the  room  in  the 
county  jail,  known  as  the  debtor's  room,  for  a  calaboose,  | 
when  not  required  for  county  use  ;  provided,   that  the 
village  of  Albion  pay  all  damages   caused  by  prisoners 
who  may  be  confined  therein.     All  former  orders  of  the 
c  mnty  board  on  this  subject  are  hereby  rescinded  and 
annulled." 


of  all  the  taxable  property  in  the 
year 


14,002.77 
7-24.40 
4,350.66 


The  total  val 
188-',  w 

Total  n  .....  i|,t~  f.,r  the  same 
Total  county  order*  issued 
T  tal  jury  certificates 
Amount  in  treasury  after  paying  all  indebtedness 

The  salaries  of  the  county  officers,  from  and  after  the 
first  Monday  in  December,  were  fixed  as  follow  :  County 
Judge,  $500;  County  Clerk,  $1200;  Sheriff,  $1200; 
County  Treasurer,  $500  ;  County  Superintendent  of 
schools  to  employ,  not  exceeding  seventy-five  days,  in 
the  dischirge  of  his  official  duties. 

FIFTH    AND   PRESENT    BOARD   OF   COUNTY   COMMIS-  * 
8IONEK9. 

Compton  Woodham,  Charles  Walser,  Charles  Clark, 
1882. 


The  last  action  of  the  board  now  spread  upon  the  re- 
cords, made  December  6,  1882,  reads  as  follows:  "Or- 
dered by  the  board  that  from  and  after  this  date  road 
supervisors  shall  receive  for  their  services,  in  attending 
to  their  official  duties,  required  by  law,  the  sum  of  $1  50 
for  each  day  necessarily  spent  over  and  above  the  three 
days'  labor,  personally  required  of  each  ;  provided,  that 
the  entire  expenditures  of  such  supervisors,  shall  iu  no 
instance  exceed  the  amount  certified  by  the  county  clerk 
to  each,  unless  such  additional  expenditure  is  made  by 
consent  of  one  or  more  of  the  county  commissioners." 

PUBLIC   BUILDINGS. 

As  shown  on  a  preceding  page  of  this  chapter,  the 
first  courts  were  held  at  the  priva'e  residence  of  certain 
citizens  of  Palmyra,  and  also  that  an  order  of  the  county 
court  had  been  made  for  the  letting  and  contracting  for 
a  court  building,  yet  it  all  came  to  naught,  perhaps  on 
account  of  the  agitation  of  the  question  for  removing  the 
capital  of  the  county  to  some  other  point.  Albion  offered 
the  greatest  inducements  for  such  a  change,  the  pro- 
prietors of  the  town  entering  into  a  bond  in  the  sum  of 
$50,000  to  deed  to  the  county  twenty  acres  of  land  for 
county  use,  besides  binding  themselves  in  the  above 
amount  to  furnish  for  the  erection  of  public  buildings, 
70,000  bricks  or  perches  of  stone  to  the  same  amount ; 
also  20,000  feet  of  plank  ;  20,000  feet  of  scantlings ; 
20,000  shingles ;  also  to  furnish  $500  worth  of  hand  and 
team  labor,  and  further,  to  fit  up  the  market-house  con- 
venient for  holding  court  until  the  public  buildings 
should  be  completed.  This,  no  doubt,  was  the  great 
incentive  which  induced  the  commissioners  to  locate  the 
county  seat  at  Albion. 

A  contract  was  entered  into  July  9,  1823,  between  the 
court  in  behalf  of  the  county,  and  John  Robinson  and 
William  Wilson,  contractors,  to  construct  a  court-house 
of  certain  material  and  dimensions  for  the  sum  of 
$1800.  The  building  was  to  be  of  brick  material, 
26x30  feet  on  the  ground,  one  story  high,  and 
a  gaol  fitted  up  in  the  interior  of  the  building. 
On  the  24th  of  August,  1824,  another  contract  was 
entered  into  between  the  court  and  contractors(in  sub- 
stance as  follows  :  That  whereas  it  now  appears  to  the 
commissioners  that  the  building  heretofore  contemplated 
will  be  insufficient,  it  is  hereby  agreed  between  the  con - 
raissioners  and  contractors  that  the  plan  be  so  altered  as 
to  raise  the  building  two  stories,  the  brick  work  to  be  at 
least  twenty  feet  high,  and  the  building  fifty  by  thirty 
feet  in  size,  having  a  cupola  enclosed  with  Venetian 
blinds,  and  a  pediment  in  front.  The  main  room  on 
the  first  floor  was  to  be  divided  by  two  partitions,  making 
two  rooms  and  a  passage-way  and  stair-case  leading  to 
the  second  story.  The  two  west  and  north  rooms  on  the 
ground  floor,  were  to  contain  fire-places.  The  second 
story  was  to  contain  a  court-room  thirty  by  forty  feet, 
including  walls,  with  a  fire-place,  seats,  boxes,  etc.  The 
east  part  of  the  story  was  to  be  divided  into  a  stair-case 
and  a  prison  for  debtors,  also  to  be  furnished  with  fire- 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WABASB  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


place.  The  walls  were  to  be  plastered,  and  the  doors 
were  to  contain  panels,  the  whole  to  be  finished  in  a  work- 
manlifee  manner.  The  huilding  was  to  be  completed 
by  the  first  of  May,  1825.  The  contractors  were  to  re- 
ceive $1,200  additional  for  ihe  change  made  in  the  plan, 
making  a  total  cost  of  $3,000.  It  was  situated  in  the 
southwest  part  of  the  public  square,  and  on  completion 
of  the  present  building  it  was  sold  to  General  Pickering 
for  one  hundred  dollors. 

The  contract  for  building  the  present  court-house  was 
entered  into  the  second  of  March,  1852.  Elias 
Weaver  was  the  lowest  bidder,  offering  to  con- 
struct the  building  according  to  the  plan  and 
tprcificatiors  fixed  by  the  court,  for  the  sum  of 
$3,600.  It  was  to  be  built  of  brick,  forty  feet  square, 
and  two  stories  high,  with  s'one  foundation.  The  walls 
of  the  first  story  were  to  be  twelve  feet  high  and  eighteen 
inches  thick  ;  the  walls  of  the  second  story  ten  feet  high 
and  thirteen  inches  thick.  The  lower  story  was  to  con- 
tain eight  windows,  one  large  front  door,  on  the  south 
side  of  the  building,  with  side  lights  and  circular  sash  ; 
one  door  at  the  west,  entering  on  the  stair-case  leading 
to  the  second  story  ;  said  story  to  contain  four  rooms, 
with  a  passage-way  of  eight  feet  wide,  and  to  be  supplied 
with  ten  windows.  The  sills  for  the  doors  and  caps  of 
the  windows  were  to  be  of  stone ;  the  window  frames  and 
side  doors  to  be  black  wa'nut,  the  windows  to  be 
furnished  with  green  Venetian  shutters  ;  the  walls  to  be 
lathed  and  plastered,  all  to  be  finished  in  workmanlike 
order.  A  cupola  was  to  adorn  the  building  similar  in 
architecture  to  the  cupola  of  the  Carnai  court-house. 
Half  of  the  floor  of  the  lower  story  was  to  be  laid  iu 
brick,  the  other  half  to  be  plank  and  raised  ten  inches 
above  the  former.  The  judge's  bench,  clerk's  desk,  and 
jury  box  were  to  be  finished  in  similar  manner  to  those 
of  the  courthouse  at  Mt.  Carmel.  The  whole  of  the 
building  was  to  be  constructed  of  good  material,  and  to 
be  completed  on  or  before  the  15th  of  November,  1853. 

The  first  jail  built  in  the  county  was  at  Palmyra,  in 
1815.  It  was  constructed  of  hewed  logs,  a  puncheon  floor, 
shingle  roof,  and  cost  the  county  $255.  The  second 
jail-room  was  located  in  the  old  court  house  at  Albion. 
From  1853  to  1859,  the  county  was  without  any  build- 
ing wherein  to  confine  their  prisoners,  and  they  were 
conveyed  for  safe-keeping  to  either  Mt.  Carmel  or  Carmi. 

The  contract  for  the  present  jail  was  lei  to  Elias 
Weaver,  the  30th  day  of  April,  1859.  The  design  was 
substantially  as  follows:  The  material  for  the  walls 
was  to  be  of  brick ;  the  size,  42  by  24  feet  and  two 
stories  high.  A  hall  eight  feet  wide  to  extend  through 
the  center  of  the  building  both  above  and  below.  The 
lower  floor  to  contain  two  rooms  fifteen  by  twenty-two 
feet  each  ;  second  floor,  four  rooms  eleven  by  fifteen  feet 
each  ;  lower  story  9}  feet  high  ;  upper  rooms  eight  feet 
high.  The  main  entrance  to  the  hall  was  to  be 
a  single  door  with  side  and  transit  lights.  The  founda- 
tion was  to  be  of  blue  stone,  eighteen  inches  in  the 
ground,  and  deeper  where  necessary,  said  foundation  to 


extend  one  foot  above  the  ground  and  to  be  eighteen 
inches  in  thickness.  Oatside  and  partition  walls  were 
to  be  thirteen  inches  ;  the  rooms  for  the  cells  to  be 
floored  with  brick  after  being  raised  to  a  sufficient 
height  to  prevent  dampness  ;  the  four  windows  of  the 
cell  rooms  and  debtor's  room  to  be  of  iron  gratin.',  and 
all  the  windows  of  the  building  to  be  furnished  with 
shutters  with  green  Venetian  blinds,  the  door  leading 
into  the  cell  room  to  be  made  sufficiently  strong,  of  good 
sound  oak  ;  the  locks  of  cell  and  debtors'  rooms  to  be 
sufficiently  strong  for  jail  purposes,  and  in  general  the 
whole  building  to  be  completed  in  a  thoroughly  work- 
manlike manner.  For  the  completion  of  the  building 
the  contractor  received  $2,600.  It  is  situated  in  the 
court-house  square,  just  east  of  the.  court-building. 

SUMMARY    OF  TAXABLE  PROPERTY    IN    THE   COUNTY    IN 

1815. 

Of  all  the  vast  territory  comprised  within  the  bounda- 
ries of  Edwards  county,  there  were  but  two  hundred 
and  thirteen  citizens  who  were  subjected  to  taxation. 

The  following  is  the  listed  personal  property  for  the 
year  1815  : 

Saw  Mills  ..........................       1 

Mansion  Houses  ....................      .      1 

Horses  ...........................  324 

Studs  do  ..........................      4 

Neat  cattle  over  three  ye 


Bonded  Servants  and  Slaves  ................      2 

Henry  Beson  owned  the  greatest  number  of  horses, 
seven  in  number.  The  largest  number  of  cattle  owned 
by  any  one  person  was  40,  August  Tougas  owner. 
John  Stillwell  and  Augustus  Tougas  owned  one  slave 
each.  The  above  mentioned  "mansion  house"  was 
owned  by  Joseph  Tougas,  and  was  listed  at  $300.  The 
saw  mill  was  owned  by  John  Small  and  William  Spen- 
cer, and  was  assessed  at  $800. 

In  1816,  there  were  twenty-three  registered  slaves  in 
the  county.  From  the  register  of  that  date  we  copy 
the  following  :  Samuel  Marshall  has  brought  into  this 
Territory  a  negro  woman,  of  black  complexion,  about 
five  feet  three  inches  high,  named  Fanny  and  aged 
about  17  years,  who  this  day  acknowledged  before  me 
that  she  owed  her  said  master,  Samuel  Marshall,  fifty- 
nine  years'  service  from  this  date. 

September  23,  1816.  G.  W.  SMITH,  Clerk. 

A  few  years  later  by  the  papers  on  file,  it  seems  that 
the  bonded  slaves  of  Edwards  county  were  given  their 
freedom,  by  the  common  consent  of  their  masters.  One 
of  these  certificates  placed  on  record  reads  as  follows  : 
"  Whereas  Armstead,  otherwise  called  Arm,  a  young 
man  of  color,  has  this  day  produced  to  me  a  certificate 
of  freedom  and  discharge,  executed  by  John  Stillwell, 
his  former  master  and  owner,  and  duly  acknowledged 
before  Moses  Michels,  Esq.,  one  of  the  Justices  of  the 
Peace  of  Edwards  county  ;  Now  I  do  hereby  certify  to 
all  whom  it  may  concern,  that  said  Arm  tead  about 
twenty-two  years,  of  dark  commplexion,  about  five  feet, 
five  inches  high,  is  actually  free  and  is  permitted  to  set- 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  W ABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


tie  in  the  State  of  Illinois  pursuant  to  the  statutes  in 
such  case  made  and  provided. 

In  witness  whereof  I  have  hereunto  set  my  hand  and 
affixed  the  seal  of  Edwards  county  Commissioners' 
Court  this  6th  day  of  November,  1822. 

JESSE  B.  BROWNE,  Clerk." 

CIRCUIT  COURTS. 

The  first  Circuit  Court  held  in  Edwards  county  was 
convened  at  Palmyra  the  llth  of  July,  1815,  Judge 
Stanley  Griswold  presiding.  The  first  business  of  the 
court  was  to  appoint  N.  Claypole,  clerk  of  the  court. 
Judge  Griswold  then  produced  an  allotment,  desiring 
the  same  to  be  placed  of  record  which  was  as  follows : 
Territory  of  Illinois  ss. — Be  it  known  that  under  an 
act  of  Congress  entitled  an  act  regulating  and  defining 
the  duties  of  the  United  State  Judges  for  the  Territory 
of  Illinois ;  it  is  allotted  to  Jesse  B.  Thomas  to  preside 
in  the  first  circuit ;  to  William  Sprigg,  in  the  second 
circuit,  and  to  Stanley  G  -Uwjlrt  in  the  third.  Given 
under  our  hands  and  seals  this  29th  of  May,  1815. 

Thomas  C.  Browne  presented  his  commission  from  the 
Governor,  as  Prosecuting  Attorney  for  the  district  con- 
sisting of  the  counties  of  Edwards,  Gallatin  and  John- 
son. 'I  he  Sheriff,  Abner  Armstrong,  presented  the  fol- 
lowing panel  of  Grand  Jurors:  John  Wood  (foreman), 
James  Majors,  William  Arnold,  John  Neesler,  Philip 
Plough,  William  Jordan.  Spencer  Wood,  Hervy  Crooks, 
Isaac  Greathouse,  Enoch  Greathouse,  Thomas  Banks, 
John  Waggoner,  Thomas  Thompson,  Moses  Decker, 
Thomas  Pulliam,  Reuben  Blackford,  George  Goble  and 
Joseph  Lavulette;  "eighteen  good  and  lawful  men, 
tried  and  sworn."  The  jury  retired  and  found  indict- 
ments as  follows:  John  Stillwell,  assault  and  battery; 
Samuel  Stillwell,  assault  and  battery  ;  Patsey  and  Han- 
nah Still  well,  assault  and  battery;  George  Antis,  larceny; 
William  Spence,  using  an  estray. 

The  first  case  tried  was  the  United  States  vg.  John 
Stillwell  for  assault  and  battery.  The  following  jury 
was  empaneled :  Henry  Crooks,  John  Neesler,  Philip 
Plough,  James  Majors,  William  Arnold,  John  Arnold, 
Phil  Hull,  Thomas  Banks,  John  Shadle,  John  Arnold, 
James  Adams,  and  Charles  Garner.  The  defendant's 
attorney  moved  to  exclude  all  testimony  tending  to 
prove  an  assault  committed  on^any  day  except  on  the 
day  mentioned  in  the  indictment.  The  court  overruled 
the  motion.  The  jury  found  a  verdict  of  guilty,  whep 
the  court  assessed  a  fine  of  two  dollars  and  payment  of 
c  sts  of  prosecution.  It  will  be  seen  that  the  petit  jury 
was  composed  mostly  of  the  members  of  the  grand  jury 
who  found  the  indictments. 

In  the  case  of  United  States  tv».  Patsy  and  Hannah 
Stillwoll,  after  a  trial  by  jury,  the  prosecuting  attorney 
made  a  motion  that  the  pro-ecutrix  be  exonerated  from 
paying  costs  of  suit.  The  Judge  so  ordered.  The  in- 
dictment against  Samuel  Stillwell,  was  quashed  on  the 
ground  that  the  indictment  should  have  been  found  for 
mayhem  instead  of  assault  and  battery.  On  motion  of 
the  prosecuting  attorney  the  court  ordered  that  a  capias 


be  issued  in  the  cases  of  Armsted,  Antis,  and  Spencer, 
after  which  the  court  adjourned  until  court  in  course. 

At  the  July  term  of  court,  1816,  the  following  named 
applicants  were  admitted  to  practice  law  in  this  court: 
Adolphus  T.  Hubbard,  Elias  K.  Kane,  Thos.  H.  Baker, 
John  McLean,  Russell  E.  Heacock,  and  Jeptha  Hardin. 

FIRST   MURDER   TRIAL. 

This  case  came  up  at  the  special  term  of  court  in  Jan- 
uary, 1824,  on  the  presentment  of  the  grand  jury  of  an 
indictment  against  Shadrach  Perry  for  being  accessory 
to  the  wantonly  killing  of  one  Jones  Hobson.  On  mo- 
tion of  the  prosecuting  attorney,  the  court  ordered  that 
the  prisoner  be  brought  forth  for  trial.  On  being  ar- 
raigned to  make  his  plea,  the  prisoner  pleaded  not  guil- 
I  ty,  whereupon  the  following  jury  was  empaneled  to  hear 
the  case :  John  Hunt,  Joseph  Rodgers,  William  Cun- 
ningham, Daniel  Lynch,  Roland  Layne,  Stephen  Sim- 
;  mons,  Thomas  Hunt,  William  Stone,  Jonathan  Shelby, 
Benjamin  Skinner,  Christopher  W.  Wright,  and  James 
Stapleton.  The  trial  occupied  two  days.  The  jury  was 
out  but  two  hours,  when  they  returned  to  the  court-room 
and  pronounced  a  verdict  of  guilty. 

The  counsel  for  Perry  made  a  motion  for  a  new  trial, 
!  which  was  overruled  by  the  court.     Perry's  counsel  then 
1  moved  for  an  arrest  of  judgment  on  the  ground  that  the  in- 
dictment was  defective;  first,  that  it  did  not  set  forth  the  ve- 
1  uire  in  a  proper  manner,  and  that  the  names  of  the  grand 
i  jurors  were  not  in  the  indictment,  or  the  captain  thereof, 
etc.,  which  after  being  argued  was  also  overruled.     The 
!  court  then  proceeded  to  pronounce  sentence  in  the  fol- 
j  lowing  language :    "  The  judgment  of  the  law,  and  the 
:  court    pronounces  it,  is  that  you  be  taken  thence  to  the 
place  of  your  confinement  and  from  thence,  on  the  24th  of 
'  February  next,  to  some  convenient  place  within  half  a 
mile  of  the  seat  of  justice  of  this  county,  and  there,  be- 
i  tween  the  hours  of  eleven  and  three  o'clock  of  that  day, 
!  be  hanged  by  the  neck  until  you  are  dead,  and  that  the 
i  sheriff  execute  this  judgment."     WM.  WILSON,  Judge. 

The  evidence  summed  up  in  the  case  was  subitantial- 
!  ly  as  follows  :  That  one  Benjamin  Clark  engaged  in  an 
]  altercation  with  the  deceased,  Jones  Hubson,  in  a  certain 
j  saloon  in  the  town  of  Albion,  and  while  the  two  parties 
were  clenched  in  a  struggle  upon  the  floor,  the  former 
[  gave  Hobson  a  fatal  stab  with  a  butcher  knife.    Upon 
!  the  murderer's  attempt  to  escape,  Perry  stepped  forward 
:  with  his  rifle  in  hand,  saying  that  he  would  shoot  any 
man  who  attempted  the  arrest  of  Clark,  the  homicide 
thus  escaping  from  the  hands  of  justice.     It  is  said  that 
the  knife  by  which  Hobson  lost  his  life  is  among  the 
rubbish  in  the  present  court-house.     But  it  seems  that 
I  Perry  was  not  born  to  be  hanged.     While  confined  un- 
der sentence  of  death,  a  "  rough  "  by  the  name  of  Jack 
I  Ellis  who  lived  in  Albion,  had  a  conference  with  the  con- 
i  demned  and  proposed  to  him  that  for  his  rifle,  he  would 
1  attempt  to  obtain  his  pardon  from  Governor  Cole.   The 
bargain  was  made,  and  Ellis  mounted  his  horse  and  rode 
seventy-five  miles  to  Vandalia,  the  capital  of  the  state,  at 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


that  time.  Here,  by  mingling  with  the  rowdy  element, 
and  being  profuse  with  calling  out  the  drinks,  he  suc- 
ceeded in  getting  a  long  list  of  names  to  his  petition  for 
the  pardon  of  Perry.  On  presenting  it  to  the  governor, 
the  pardon  was  obtained.  In  justice  to  Governor  Cole, 
it  should  be  stated  that  he  was  ignorant  of  where  or  how 
the  names  to  the  petition  were  obtained,  thinking,  no 
doubt,  that  they  were  all  representative  citizens  of  Ed- 
wards county.  It  is  said  that  a  ludicrous  scene  occurred 
during  the  interview  of  Ellis  and  Perry,  on  the  former's 
return  with  the  pardon.  Perry  had  been  brought  from 
a  neighboring  jail  the  day  before  the  execution,  and  was 
chained  to  a  beam  in  a  house  at  Albion.  When  Ellis 
exhibited  the  pardon  to  the  prisoner,  he  made  a  demand 
for  the  rifle,  as  per  agreement.  Perry  flatly  refused  to 
give  it  up,  when  Ellis  remarked,  "  Very  well,  no  rifle,  no 
pardon,  here  goes  the  paper  into  the  fire ;  "  at  the  same 
time  tossing  it  on  to  the  ashes  near  the  flames.  Perry 
became  very  humble,  and  offered  not  only  the  lifle,  but 
his  ax,  cow,  and  all  he  possessed  for  the  precious  bit  of 
paper  that  was  to  save  bis  neck  from  the  halter.  The 
exchange  was  made  and  the  criminal  became  a  free 
man.  A  large  concourse  of  people  were  present  on  the 
day  named  for  execution,  as  it  was  not  known  he  had 
obtained  executive  clemency.  The  gallows  had  been 
erected,  a  cottin  made,  and  the  rope  procurtd  for  the 
purpose  of  the  scene  that  was  soon  to  be  enacted.  Af- 
ter liberation,  Perry  claimed  the  coffin  and  rope  which 
the  county  had  procured  for  his  especial  use.  They 
were  given  to  him,  and  the  former  became  a  fixture  in 
his  cabin  as  a  corner-cupboard. 

SECOND  MURDER  CASE. 

This  case  came  up  at  the  August  term  of  court,  1825, 
and  was  caused  by  the  death  of  Richard  Flower*  Jr., 
who  was  killed  at  the  hands,  as  alleged,  of  three  parties, 
James  Kennedy,  William  Meredith,  and  Dennis  Bolt- 
inghouse.  At  the  inquest  the  coroner's  jury  gave  the 
following  decision:  We,  the  jury,  empaneled,  and 
sworn  to  examine  the  body  of  Richard  Flower,  deceased, 
do  report  that,  in  our  opinion,  his  death  was  occasioned 
by  a  blow  on  the  right  side  of  his  head,  wilfully  given 
by  James  Kennedy,  William  Meredith,  and  Dennis 
Boltiughouse,  as  an  accomplice.  Albion,  July  13,  1825. 
J.  W.  Johnson,  Archibald  Spring,  Oswald  Warrington, 
Gibson  Harris,  Wm.  Woods,  John  Robinson,  John 
Dunn,  William  Burton,  William  Cooper,  James  Bur- 
ton, J  Carter.  An  indictment  was  found  against  Jas. 
Kennedy  and  William  Meredith  for  the  commission  of 
the  crime,  by  the  grand  jury,  in  the  following  terms : 

State  of  Illinois,      ) 
Edwards  County.    )      s 

Be  it  known  that  at  a  special  term  of  the  Circuit 
Court  begun  and  holden  at  the  court-house  at  Albion, 
in  and  for  the  said  county  of  Edwards,  on  the  eighth 
day  of  August,  in  the  year  of  our  Ljrd,  one  thousand 
eight  hundred  and  twenty-five,  in  pursuance  of  an  act 
of  the  General  Assembly,  of  said  State  of  Illinois, 


entitled  '•  an  act  constituting  and  regulating  the  Supreme 
and  Circuit  Courts  of  this  State,  approved  the  29th  of 
December,  A.  D.,  1824."  The  grand  jurors  of  the  people 
of  the  said  State  of  Illinois,  upon  their  oath,  present  that 
James  Kennedy,  late  of  the  township  of  Bonpas,  in  the 
county  of  Edwards,  aforesaid,  laborer,  and  William 
Meredith,  laborer,  not  having  the  fear  of  God  before 
their  eyes,  but  being  moved  and  seduced  by  the  instiga- 
tion of  the  devil,  on  the  twelfth  day  of  July,  in  the  year 
of  our  Lord,  one  thousand  eight  hundred  and  twenty- 
five,  with  force  and  arms,  at  the  township  aforesaid,  in 
the  county  aforesaid,  in  and  upon  one  Richard  Flower, 
Jr.,  in  the  peace  of  God  and  of  the  people  of  the  State 
of  Illinois,  then  and  there,  being  feloniously,  wilfully 
and  of  their  malice  aforethought,  did  make  an  assault, 
and  that  the  said  James  Kennedy  with  a  certain  bone  of 
no  value,  which  he  the  said  James  Kennedy,  in  his  right 
hand,  then  and  there  hid  and  held,  in  upon  the  right  sic'e 
of  the  head  of  him,  the  said  Richard  Flower,  then  aud 
there  feloniously,  wilfully  and  of  his  malice  aforethought 
did  cast  and  th.ow  ;  and  that  the  said  Richard  Flower, 
in  and  upon  the  right  side  of  the  head  of  him,  the  said 
Richard  Flower,  then  and  there  feloniously,  wilfully  of 
his  malice  aforethought,  did  strike,  fracture,  bruise  and 
wound,  giving  to  the  said  Richard  Flower,  by  the  cast- 
ing and  throwing  of  the  bone  aforesaid,  in  and  upon  the 
right  side  of  the  head  of  him,  the  said  Richard  Flower, 
one  mortal  bruise,  of  which  said  mortal  bruise,  he,  the 
said  Richard  Flower,  from  the  twelfth  day  of  July,  in 
the  year  of  our  Lord,  one  thousand  eight  hundred  and 
twenty-five,  at  the  township  of  Bonpas,  aforesaid,  in  the 
county  of  Edwards,  aforesaid,  did  languish  and  lan- 
guishing did  live,  on  which  thirteenth  day  of  July,  in 
the  year  of  our  Lord,  one  thousand  eight  hundred  and 
twenty-five,  aforesaid,  he,  the  said  Richard  Flower,  at 
the  township  aforesaid,  in  the  county  aforesaid,  of  the 
said  mortal  bruise  did  die.  And  that  the  said  William 
Meredith  then  and  there  feloniously,  wilfully,  and  of 
his  malice  aforethought  was  present,  aiding,  helping, 
abetting,  and  comforting,  assisting  and  maintaining  the 
felony,  and  moreover  aforesaid,  in  manner  and  form 
aforesaid  to  do  and  commit;  and  so  the  juors  aforesaid 
upon  their  oath  aforesaid,  do  say  that  the  said  James 
Kennedy  and  William  Meredith-,  the  said  Richard  Flower 
then  and  there  in  macfter  and  form  aforesaid,  wilfully 
and  of  their  malice  aforethought,  did  kill  and  murder, 
contrary  to  the  statute  in  such  case  made  and  provided 
and  against  the  peace  aud  dignity  of  the  people  of  the 
State  of  Illinois.  Signed, 

JOHN  ROBINSON,  Circuit  Attorney. 

The  case  was  tried  on  the  llth  of  August,  1825,  and 
was  submitted  to  the  jury,  when  they  retired  to  make  up 
their  verdict.  The  docket  states  that  on  the  following 
morning,  at  six  o'clock,  they  returned  into  the  court- 
room aud  pronounced  a  verdict  of  not  guilty.  The  ex- 
tenuating circumstances  in  the  case  which  came  out  in 
the  evidence  were,  that  the  bone  thrown  by  the  hand  of 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  W ABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


Kennedy,  was  cast  at  a  dog,  and  uot  with  the  intention  of 
injuring  Flower. 

The  public  whipping-post  was  resorted  to  in  the  early  : 
da}*?,  as  the  following  from  the  docket  of  the  June  term,  ' 
1821,  will  show.     One  James  Martin,  who  had  been  com  j 
victed  of  larceny,  was  sentenced  to  pay  a  fine  of  fifty 
dollars,  and  to  receive  twenty-five  lathes  upon  his  bare 
back,  the  sheriff  being  ordered  to  "execute  the  sentence 
immediately." 

FIRST  NATURALIZATION. 

The  following  was  placed  on  record  April  28,  .819:  j 
"  This  day  Morris  Birkbeck  personally  appeared  in  open 
court,  and  made  declaration  of  his  bonafide  intention  to 
become  a  citizen,  and  it  appearing  to  the  satisfaction  of 
the  court  that  the  said  Morris  Birkbeck  had  taken  his 
residence  in  the  United  States  two  years  and  more  pre-  j 
vious  to  this  declaration,  which  is  in  words  and  figuresj 
following  to  wit:     I,  Morris  Birkbeck,  a  native  of  Set- 
tle, in  Ei'gland,  of  the  age  of  fifty-three  years,  and  now, 
or  lately,  owing  allegiance  to  his  Majesty,  the  King  of  | 
the  United  Kingdom  of  Great  Britain  and  Ireland,  do  j 
hereby  declare  that  it  is  bona  fide  my  intention  to  be- 
come a  citizen  of  the   United  States,  and  to  renounce  ! 
forever  all  allegiance  and  fidelity  to  any  foreign  prince>  | 
potentate,  State  or  sovereignty  whatever,  and  particu- 
larly to  renounce  forever  all  allegiance  and  fidelity  to  j 
his    said    Majesty,    King  of    the    United     Kingdom 
of  Great  Britain  and  Ireland. 

Sworn  to  in  open  court." 

JUDGES  OF   THE  CIRCUIT   COURT. 

On  the  organization  of  the  county  in  1814,  the  State 
was  divided  into  three  circuits,  Edwards  county,  forming 
a  portion  of  the  third  judicial  circuit,  of  which  Stanley 
Griswold    was   judge,    and    presided    over    the    first 
session  of  the  Circuit  Court  until  1816.     During  the 
following  year  Thomas  Towles  presided.     From   1817 
to  1818,   Jeptha   Hardin  judge.     From  1818  to  1819, 
Thomas  C.  Browne  was  on  the  bench.     William  Wilson 
presided  from  1819  to  1825.     James  O.  Wattles  from  j 
1825  to  1827.    Thomas  C.  Browne  again  resumed  the 
bench  in  1827,  and  served  one  year.     William  Wilson 
served  from  1828  to  1835.     Justin  Harlan  from  1835 
to  1841.     William  Wilson  again  upon  the  bench  from 
1841  to  1849.     Justin  Harlan  from  1849  to  1851.  Sam-  j 
uel  S.  Marshall  upon  the  bench  in  1851,   and  resigned 
in  1854.     Downing  Baugh  served  one  year,  and  resigned  j 
1855.    Edwin  Btecher  from  1855  to  1865.    James  M. 
Pollock  from  1865  to  1873.     The  General  Assembly,  by  i 
act  of  March  28,  1»73,  divided  the  State  into  twenty -six 
judicial  circuits,  in  each  of  which  one  judge  was  elected 
for  the  term  of  six  years.     Edwards  county  then  formed  ] 
a  part  of  the  24th  circuit,  and  Tazewell  B.  Turner  was  j 
elected  judge  of  the  circuit.     In  1877,  by  an  act  of  the  i 
Legislature,  the  twenty-six  circuits  were  consolidated,  ' 
forming  thirteen  judicial  circuits,  the  twenty-first  and 
twenty-fourth  constituting  the  second  judicial  circuit  un-  j 
der  the  new  regime.     Under  this  law  three  judges  were 


required  to  preside  in  each  district.  John  H.  Halley,  of 
Newton,  was  elected  in  1877  to  form  the  required  num- 
ber  of  judges  in  this  circuit;  the  bench  then  beingJudges 
Tazewell  B.  Tanner,  James  C.  Allen,  and  John  H. 
Halley.  Since  1879,  Chancey  S.  Conger,  Thomas  S. 
Casey,  and  William  C.  Jones  have  presided  in  this  judi- 
cial circuit. 

FIRST   PROBATE  BUSINESS. 

From  the  records  on  file  it  appeals  that  no  regular 
record  was  kept  of  the  proceedings  of  the  Probate  Court 
until  1831,  when  Walter  L.  Mayo  occurs  as  the  first 
judge  then  presiding.all  prior  proceedings  being  simply 
the  recording  of  wills. of  various  parties.  The  first 
estate  regularly  probated  was  that  of  David  Robson,  at 
a  special  term  of  court,  held  the  19th  of  August,  1831. 
Robert  Mills  was  appointed  administrator  of  the  estate, 
and  entered  into  a  bond  of  one  thousand  dollars  for  the 
true  and  honest  discharge  of  his  duties,  giving  Robert 
Willis  and  Joel  C.  Churchill  security  for  the  due  perfor- 
mance of  the  same. 

THE  FIRST  WILL 

Was  executed  the  14th  of  September,  1815,  by  Edward 
Wilson.  The  following  is  a  synopsis  of  said  bequest: 
That  Edward  Wilson,  of  Edwards  county,  Illinois  Ter- 
ritory, being  weak  in  body,  but  of  sound  mind,  do  make 
and  publish  my  last  will  and  testament,  to  wit:  that  I 
bequeath,  after  my  body  be  decently  buried,  to  my 
daughter  Susanna  Bathe,  wife  of  George  Bathe,  five 
shillings;  also  my  daughter  Mary  Enlow,  wife  of  James 
Enlow ;  to  my  son  John  Wilson,  to  ray  daughter, 
Elenor  Enlow,  wife  of  Jesse  Enlow  ;  to  my  son  Joseph 
Wilson  ;  also  my  son  Isaac  Wilson  ;  also  my  son  James 
Wilson,  the  sum  of  five  shillings  each.  I  give  and 
bequeath  unto  my  grandson,  Edward  Wilson,  one  cow 
and  three  sows ;  that  I  give  and  bequeath  unto  my 
grand-daughter  Chiistiana  Wilson,  two  cows  on  the 
following  conditions:  that  the  said  John  Wilson  and  the 
said  Christiana  Wilson  continue  to  live  with  William 
Sampson  or  Jerry  Wilson,  obeying  all  reasonable  com- 
mands until  they  are  of  age.  I  further  bequeath  that 
the  remainder  of  my  estate  be  equally  divided  between 
my  daughter,  Jane  Sampson,  wife  of  William  Sampson, 
and  my  son  Jeremiah  Wilson.  And  I  here  nominate 
and  appoint  Henry  Enlow,  of  Bourbon  county,  Ken- 
tucky, executor  of  my  last  will  and  testament,  etc., 
hereby  revoking  all  former  wills  by  me  made. 

In  witness  whereof  I  have  hereunto  set  my  hand  and 
seal  the  fourteenth  of  September,  A.  D.  1815. 

Witnesses,  Smith  Shaw,  E.  N.  Cullom,  Andrew  Mont- 
gomery. 

PROBATE  JUDGES. 

Walter  L.  Mayo  served  as  Judge  of  probate  matters 
from  1831  to  1849.  After  the  adoption  of  the  constitu- 
tion of  1848,  and  the  organization  of  the  county  court, 
the  county  judge  was  given  jurisdiction  of  probate 
matters.  Under  this  administration  of  affairs  Alan 
Emmerson  served  the  county  as  county  judge  from  1849 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


to  1861.     Samuel   R.  Hall  was  then  elected,  and  filled 
the  office  to  1873.     Under  an  act  of  the  Legislature  of 
1871,  in  pursuance  of  a  provision  of  the  new  constitu- 
tion, the  probate  court  was  given  concurrent  jurisdic- 
tion with  the  circuit  court  in  all  law  cases  to  a  limited 
amount.     Judge  Hall  served  in  this  capacity  to  the  end  ' 
of  his  term,   1873.     In  the  above  year,  Judge  J.  M.  j 
Campbell  was  elected,  and  has  ably  filled  the  office  to  ! 
the  present  writing,  1883. 

FIRST  DEED  RECORDED. 

The  following  is  a  synopsis  of  the  first  deed  placed  on  ! 
record  in  Edwards  county  :  It  is  dated  the  7th  day  of 
January,  1815,  the  conveyors  being  Thomas  Pulliam  and 
Nancy,  his  wife,  for  and  in  considerateon  of  the  sum  of 
four  hundred  dollars,  do  convey  to  August  Lavulette 
dit  Tougas,  all  that  tract  of  land  lying  in  the  county  of 
Edwards,  Illinois  territory,  it  being  the  southeast  quar- 
ter of  section  24,  township  one  north,  range  twelve  west  ! 
which  the  said  Thomas  Pulliam  is  entitled  to  by  patent 
from  the  United  States,  bearing  date  the   30th  day  of  ! 
July,  1812.     This  deed  was  signed  and  sealed  in  the  j 
presence  of  Robert  and  Joseph  Baird. 

DELEGATES  TO  CONSTITUTIONAL    CONVENTION. 

In  the  constitutional  convention  held  at  Kaskaskia  in  ! 
1818,  Seth   Gard  and   Levi  Corapton  represented   the  | 
people  of  Edwards  county.     Alvin    R.   Kenner  repre-  ] 
sented  the  counties  of  Edwards  and  Wayne  in  the  con-  • 
stitutional  convention  of  1847.    At  the  convention  of  I 
18B2  R.  P.  Hanna  represented  Edwards  and  Wayne.  | 
The  constitution  framed  by  this  convention  was  rejected 
by  the  people.     lu  the  framing  of  the  present  constitu- 
tion in  1870,  Edwards  and  White  counties  constituted 
the  fourteenth  district,  and  was  represented  by  Charles 
E.  McDowell,  of  White  county. 

THE  COUNTY   IN   THE   GENERAL   ASSEMBLY. 

On  the  organizing  of  the  county  in  1814,  the  act  pro- 
vided for  a  special  election  to  be  held  at  the  seat  of 
justice  in  March,  1815,  for  the  purpose  of  electing  a  rep-  j 
resentative  for  the  county  to  the  territorial  legislature> 
whereupon  Seth  Gard  was  duly  elected,  which  position 
he  held  until  the  admission  of  the  state  into  the  Union 
in  1818.  Guy  W.  Smith  was  the  state  senator  in  the 
first  General  Assembly,  and  Henry  Utter  was  the  first 
representative  in  the  lower  house.  The  second  General 
Assembly,  1820-22.  Robert  Frazier  was  in  the  senate, 
and  Alexander  Campbell  representative.  Third  Gtn- 
eral  Assembly,  1822-24,  Robert  Frazier  in  the  senate,  j 
and  Gilbert  F.  Pell  representative.  Fourth  General 
Assembly,  1824-26,  Stephen  Bliss,  senator,  Henry  Utter,  j 
representative ;  Fifth  General  Assembly,  1826-28,  Ed-  \ 
wards  and  Wabash  counties  formed  one  senatorial  dis- 
trict which  was  represented  by  Stephen  Bliss,  Henry  I. 
Mills,  representative  ;  at  the  Sixth  General  Assembly, 
1828-30,  Edwards,  Waba-h  and  Wayne  counties  consti- 
tuted one  senatorial  district  and  was  represented  by 
Enoch  Beach  of  Wayne  county,  Gilbert  T.  Pell,  repre- 
sentative ;  Seventh  General  Assembly,  1830-32,  Enoch 


Beach  was  re-elected,  James  Jordan  representative ; 
Eighth  General  Assembly,  1832-34,  Henry  I.  Mills, 
senator,  Thomas  Hunt,  representative.  Both  of  the 
above  were  re-elected  to  the  Ninth  and  Tenth  General 
Assemblies,  1834-35,  36-38;  Eleventh  General  As- 
sembly, 1838-50,  Henry  I.  Mills,  senator,  Alan  Emmer- 
s«n,  representative ;  Twelfth  General  Assembly,  1840- 
42,  Kigdon  B.  Slocum,  senator,  Alan  Emmerson,  repre- 
sentative ;  Thirteenth  General  Assembly,  1842-44, 
Rigdon  B.  Slocum  re-elected  senator,  William  Picker- 
ing, representative;  Fourteenth  General  Assembly, 
1844-46,  Charles  H.  Constable,  senator,  William  Pick- 
ering, re-elected  ;  Fifteenth  General  Assembly,  1846-48, 
Charles  H.  Constable,  senator,  William  Pickering,  rep- 
resentative. Prior  to  the  convening  of  the  Sixteenth 
General  Assembly,  1848-50,  the  constitution  of  1848 
.had  been  adopted  which  provided  that  the  state  be 
divided  into  twenty-five  senatorial  districts  and  fifty-four 
representative  districts,  the  counties  of  Edwards,  Effing- 
ham,  Jasper,  Clay,  Richland,  Lawrence,  and  Wabash 
forming  the  eighth  senatorial  district.  Alfred  H.  Grass 
of  Lawrence  county  was  elected  state  senator  to  repre- 
sent this  district;  Edwards  and  Wabash  counties  formed 
the  eighth  Representative  district,  William  Pickering  of 
Edwards  county,  representative;  Seventeenth  General 
Assembly,  1850-52,  Alfred  H  Grass,  senator,  William 
Pickering,  representative;  Eighteenth  General  Assembly, 
1852-54,  Mortimer  0  Kean  of  Jasper  elected  senator,  Vic- 
tor H.  Bell  of  Wabash,  representative  ;  Nineteenth  Gen- 
eral Assembly,  1854-56,  Mortimer  O'Kean,  senator,  C.  C. 
Hopkins  of  Edwards,  representative,  changed  to  the 
tenth  district ;  Twentieth  General  Assembly,  1856-58, 
Mortimer  O'Kean,  re-elected,  Charles  P.  Burns  of  Ed- 
wards, representative ;  Twenty-first  General  Assembly, 
1858-60,  Mortimer  O  Kean,  senator,  R.  T.  Forth  of 
Wayne  county,  representative.  (\Vayne  county  had 
been  placed  with  the  tenth  representative  district) 
Twenty-second  General  Assembly,  1860-62,  Presley 
Frunkhouser  of  Effingham,  senator,  Nathan  Crews  of 
Wayne,  representative. 

In  1861,  the  General  Assembly  made  a  general  re- 
vision of  the  senatorial  and  representative  districts, 
Edwards,  Hamilton,  Wabash,  Wayne,  Clay,  Richland, 
White  and  Lawrence  counties  constituted  the  second 
senatorial  district,  and  Edwards  and  White  the  four- 
teenth representative  district.  Hugh  Gregg  represented 
the  former  district  in  the  Twenty-third  General  Assembly 
and  Chauncy  L.  Congor  of  White  county  was  in  the 
lower  house;  Twenty-fourth  General  Assembly,  1864- 
66,  John  W.  Wescott,  senator,  Jonathan  Shelby,  repre- 
sentative; Twenty-fifth  General  Assembly,  1866-68, 
John  W.  Wescott,  senator,  Patrick  Dolan,  representa- 
tive; Twenty-sixth  General  Assembly,  1868-70,  J.  J. 
R.  Turney,  senator,  John  Landrigan,  representative. 

After  the  adoption  of  the  new  constitution  another 
change  was  made  in  the  districts.  Twenty-seventh  Gen- 
eral Assembly,  1870-72,  John  Landrigan  of  Albion, 
was  in  the  senate,  and  Walter  L.  Mayo  in  the  lower 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WAS  ASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


97 


house;  Twenty-eighth  General  Assembly,  1872-74, 
George  W.  Henry,  senator,  Isaac  N.  Jacquess,  Robert 
T.  Forth,  and  David  W.  Barkley.  The  senatorial  dis- 
trict was  numbered  forty-fourth,  the  representative 
district  being  the  same  number.  Twenty-ninth  General 
Assembly,  1874-76,  Goerge  W.  Henry,  senator,  Samuel 
R.  Hall,  Byron  J.  Rotan  and  John  Landrigan,  repre- 
sentatives; Thirtieth  General  Assembly,  1876-78, 
Robert  P.  Hanna,  senator,  Hiram  H.  Chesslry,  Wm. 
R.  Wilkinson  and  George  D.  Ramsey,  representative. 
Thirty-first  General  Assembly,  1878-80,  Robert  P. 
Lanna,  senator;  Jacob  Zimmerman,  William  Bower, 
and  Charles  Churchill  representatives ;  Thiny-second 
General  Assembly,  1880-1882,  John  R.  Tanner  senator, 
Nathan  Crews,  James  Keen,  E.  B.  Kean,  representa- 
tives. Present  General  Assembly,  John  R.  Tanner, 
senator,  E.  Rowland,  John  S.  Simonds,  and  Henry 
Studer,  representatives. 

COUNTY   CLERKS. 

Nathaniel  Claypoole,  1815.  (Died  shortly  after 
appointment.)  G.  W.  Smith,  1815-18  ;  Jessie  B.  Brow- 
ne, 1818-21:  Gervase  Hazleton,  1821-23;  Jesse  B. 
Bro*ne,  1823-31 ;  Walter  L.  Mayo,  1831-70  ;  William 
B.  Tribe,  1870-77  ;  Charles  Emmerson,  1877-83,  present 
incumbent. 

CLERKS   OF  THE   CIRCUIT   COURT. 

N.  Claypoole  was  appointed  first  circuit  clerk  in  1815. 
(Died  in  1815.)  G.  W.  Smith,  1815-18;  Jesse  B. 
Browne,  1818-31 ;  Walter  L.  Mayo,  1831-68  ;  William 
B.  Tribe  since  1868. 


51 ;  Cyrus  Rice,  1851-!il ;  Edgar  W.  Brandon,  1861- 
65 ;  (Subsequent  to  this  date  the  name  of  the  office  is 
changed  to  county  superintendent  of  schools.)  Lothrop 
T.  Rude,  1865-G9;  Levinus  Harris,  1869  to  present 
time. 

SURVEYORS. 

The  first  surveyor  was  Robert  Baird,  appointed  in 
1815,  and  served  for  several  years.  It  was  not  until 
1839,  that  it  became  an  elective  office,  from  which  time 
the  following  is  a  roster  of  the  county  surveyors :  Sidney 
Spring,  1839-43;  Thomas  R.  Birkett,  1843-59;  Joseph 
Phillips,  1859-61  ;  Thomas  R.  Birkett,  (re-elected)  1861 
-67  ;  Francis  W.  Eberman,  1867-69 ;  Thomas  R.  Bir- 
kett, 1869-79;  Edward  L.  Chalcraft,  1879  to  the 
present,  1883. 

CORONERS. 

John  Tome,  1820-22.  John  Love,  1822-2J;  (Re- 
signed.) Moses  Thompson,  1824-26;  Samuel  Arthur, 
1826-32  ;  John  Skeavington,  18:j2-34 ;  Henry  Bowman, 
1834-36  ;  James  Carter,  1836-38  ;  A.  R.  Kenner,  1838 
-40;  James  McDonald,  1840-46;  James  Kenner,  1846 
-48;  Andrew  Huffman,  1848-56;  John  Boyd,  1856- 
60 ;  William  W.  Brown,  1860-62 ;  F.  B.  Thompson, 
1862-64;  Say  well  Perkins,  1864-66;  H.  H.  Clark, 
1866-68;  John  Brown,  1868-71;  F.  B.  Thompson 
elected  in  1871,  to  fill  vacancy,  served  until  1872;  H. 
H.  Clark,  1872-78  ;  Henry  C.  Reno,  elected  in  1878, 
and  failed  to  qualify;  Alvin  C.  Low,  1879-80;  J.  C. 
McClurkin,  1880-82;  Smith  D.  Low,  1882,  and  is  pres- 
ent incumbent. 


Abner  Armstrong,  1815-20  ;  Henry  I.  Mills,  1820- 
26;  James  Jordan,  1826-30;  Thomas  Hunt,  1830-32 ; 
Henry  Bowman,  1832-38 ;  James  Carter,  1838-42  ;  A. 
R.  Kenner,  1842-48  ;  Jesse  Emmerson,  1848-50  ;  James 
Kenner,  1850-52 ;  William  Woods,  1852-58 ;  William 
A.  Montgomery.  1858-60  ;  George  Michels,  1860-62  ; 
Jesse  Emmerson,  1862-64;  William  W.  Brown,  18iii- 
66;  Saywell  Perkins,  1866-68;  Lee  Woods,  1868-70; 
Maxwell  W.  Morgan,  1870-73  ;  (Died  iu  office.)  George 
Michels  was  appointed  to  fill  vacancy  to  1874,  when  he 
was  elected  for  two  successive  terms.  Charles  Hall, 
1878-80;  Joseph  Green,  1880-82  ;  Frank  Dalby,  1882; 
and  is  present  incumbent. 

COUNTY   TREASURERS. 

Levi  Campton,  1815-19;  Scoby  Stewart,  1819-21  . 
Hiram  Bell,  1821-24  ;  Robert  Frazier,  1824-30  ;  John 
Woods,  1830-32 ;  Daniel  Stennett,  1832-35  ;  Charles  P. 
Burns,  1835-37 ;  Alan  Emmerson,  1837  ;  (Resigned.) 
John  Woods,  1837-71 ;  George  Michels,  1871-73;  John 
Woods,  1873-75  ;  George  Bower,  1875  to  present  time 
1883. 

SCHOOL  COMMISSIONERS  AND  COUNTY  SUPERINTENDENTS. 

Henry  Bowman,  1838;  (Died  soon  after  appoint- 
ment) Henry  I  Mills,  1838-42  ;  James  Hcau,  1842- 


LAWRENCE  COUNTY. 

The  territory  of  Lawrence  formed  a  part  of  the  county 
of  Illinois   until  April   27th,    1790.  when   Arthur   St. 
Clair  divided  the  vast  territory  into  various  counties. 
The   east   boundary  line   of  St.   Clair   county  was  the 
meridian  line  passing  through  FortMassacon  the  Ohio  ; 
thus  the  territory  along  the  Wabash,  was  detached  from 
the  rest  of  Illinois  and  formed  a   component  part  of 
Knox  county.     The  separation  of  the  Territory  north- 
west of  the  river  Ohio  into  those  of  Ohio,  May  7th,  1800, 
and  Indiana  July  4th,  1800,  left  matters  in  statu  quo. 
The  organization  of  the  Territory  of  Illinois,  February 
3d,  1809,  led  to  a  new  formation  of  counties,  to  wit,  St. 
Clair  and. Randolph,  April  28th,  1809.     The  St.  Clair 
county  of  1760  was  bounded  on  the  east  by  the  Fort 
!  Massac  meridian,  on  the  north  by  the  Ohio,  on  the  west 
i  by  the  Mississippi  and  on  the  north  by  the  Illinois  river. 
|  The  county  St.  Clair  of  1809  extended  from  the  Wabash 
•  to  the  Mississippi, was  bounded  on  the  south  by  township 
',  lines  between  towns  three  and  four  south  of  the  base  Hue 
extending    north    to    the    English    possessions.     This 
territory  (now  comprising  Lawrence)  remained  a  part  of 
j  St.  Clair  county  until  November  28th,  1814,  when  the 
I  county  of  Edwards  was  organized  of  which  it  formed  a 
:  component  part  until  it  was  organized  into  a  separate 
county.  The  northern  part  of  Lawrence  county  however 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  W ABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


belonged  to  the  county  of  Crawford  from  December  31st, 
1816,  to  January  16th,  1821. 

The  county  of  Edwards,  whose  center  of  population  at 
the  time  of  its  organization  was  in  the  territory  of  (»  hat 
is  now  Wabash  and  Lawrence  counties)  appears  to  have 
been  represented  in  the  territorial  legislature  of  1816- 
1817  for  the  first  and  only  time,  when  Seth  Card  was  a 
member  of  the  house.  The  Illinois  legislative  directory 
of  1881  does  not  mention  the  name  of  the  gentlemen, 
who  represented  the  county  in  1817  and  1818.  Willis 
Hargrave  is  mentioned  as  a  member  from  White. 

Seth  Card  and  Levi  Compton  were  delegated  to  the 
constitutional  convention  of  1818.  In  the  first  and 
second  General  Assembly  of  Illinois,  the  counties  were 
represented  by  Guy  W.  Smith  and  Robert  Frazier  in  the 
Senate  and  by  Henry  Utter,  Alexander  Campbell  and 
Moses  Michaels  in  the  House. 

This  county,  organized  under  a  special  act  of  the 
legislature,  was  by  the  organization  of  Richland  county, 
February  24th,  1841,  reduced  to  the  following  boundary, 
to  wit,  on  the  East  by  the  Wabash  river,  on  the  South 
by  Wabash  county,  on  the  West  by  Richland  county, 
and  on  the  North  by  Crawford  county.  'Its  area  now 
comprises  seven  full  congressional  townships,  four  frac- 
tional ones,  along  the  Wabash,  and  four  parts  of  town- 
ships on  the  north  boundary  line.  The  county'  was 
named  after  the  famous  James  Lawrence,  captain  U.  S. 
N.,  whose  dying  words :  "  Don't  give  up  the  ship!  "  are 
alive  on  the  lips  of  every  true  American. 

The  act  of  the  General  Assembly  of  Illinois  which 
called  the  county  of  Lawrence  into  existence,  is  in  words 
and  figures  as  follows : 

The  bi'll  to  organize  the  new  county,  was  introduced 
in  the  house  of  Representatives  by  the  Hon.  Moses 
Michaels,  member  from  Edwards,  the  26th  of  December, 
18-20,  and  upon  motion  of  Hon.  Wickliffe  Kitchell, 
advanced  to  a  second  reading  on  the  day  following.  On 
motion  of  Hon.  Henry  Eddy,  of  Gallatin,  the  bill  was 
referred  to  a  committee  of  the  whole  House  and  made 
the  order  of  the  day  for  December  30th,  when  it  was 
referred  to  »  select  committee.  This  committee  reported 
progress  and  obtained  leave  to  "  sit "  again  on  said  bill. 
On  the  4th  of  January  the  committee  reported,  giving 
the  new  county  the  name  of  "  Perry."  Blackwell  of  St. 
Clair  sought  to  amend  the  bill  by  substituting  the  word 
"  Dubois  "  in  lieu  of  Perry,  which  amendment  was  lost, 
Eddy  tried  the  name  of  "  Decatur ;"  it  was  lost ;  then 
Blackwell  suggested  first  "  Pike  "  and  then"Azby," 
all  to  no  purpose,  when  Kitchell  .succeeded  to  have  his 
amendment,  to  call  the  new  county  "Lawrence," 
adopted. 

An  Act  for  the  formation  of  a  new  county  out  of  the 
counties  of  Edwards  and  Crawford. 

Approved  January  16th,  1821. 

§  1.  Be  it  enacted  by  the  people  of  the  State  of  Illinois, 
represented  in  the  General  Assembly:  That  all  that 
tract  of  country  contained  within  the  follow  ing  boundary, 


to  wit:  Beginning  on  the  great  W  abash  river,  seven 
miles  north  of  the  base  line,  thence  west  to  Wayne  county 
'  line,  thence  north  two  miles  north  of  town  four,  thence 
j  east  to  the  said  Wabash  river,  thence  with  said  river  to 
the  place  of  beginning,  shall  constitute  a  new  county,  to 
be  called  the  county  of  Lawrence;  and  for  the  purpose 
of  fixing  a  permanent  seat  of  justice  therein,  the  follow- 
ing persons  were  appointed  commissioners,  to  wit:  David 
Porter,  Moses  Thompson  and   William  Wilson,   which 
said  commissioners,  or  a  majority  of  them,  shall  meet  at 
the  house  of  Toussaint  Dubois,  on  the  first  Monday  of 
May    next,  and   after  being  duly  sworn  before   some 
j  Justice  of  the  Peace  in  this  State,  to  faithfully  take  into 
view  the  convenience  of  the  people  and  the  situation  of 
the  settlements,  with  an  eye  to  the  future  population  and 
the  eligibility  of  the  place,  shall  proceed  to  determine  on 
|  the  place  of  the  permanent  seat  of  justice,  and  designate 
the  same.     Provided:   The  proprietor  or  proprietors  of 
the  land  shall  give  to  the  county,  for  the  purpose  of 
erecting  public  buildings,  a  quantity  of  land,  not  less 
than  twenty  acres,  to  be  laid  off  into  lots  and  sold  for 
!  that  purpose.     But  should  the  proprietor  or  proprietors 
refuse  or  neglect  to  make  the  donation  aforesaid,  then 
and  in  that  case  it  shall  be  the  duty  of  said  commission- 
ers to  fix  on  some  other  place  for  the  seat  of  justice 
as  convenient  as  may  be  to  the  inhabitants  of  said  county, 
which  place,  when  fixed  and  determined  upon,  the  said 
'  commissioners  shall  certify  under  their  hands  and  seals, 
i  and  return  the  same  to  the  next  commissioners'  court  in 
the  said  county, which  court  shall  cause  an  entry  thereof 
to  be  made  on  their  books  of  record  ;  and  until  the  pub- 
lic building   be  erected,  the  court  shall  be  held  at  the 
house  of  Toussaint  Dubois,  in  the  said  county. 

§  ?.  Be  it' further  enacted:    That  the  commissioners 

shall  receive  a  compensation  of  two  dollars  for  each  day's 

j  attendance  that  may  be  necessary  in  fixing  the  aforesaid 

j  seat  of  justice,  to  be  paid  out  of  the  county  treasury  by 

an  order  from  the  commissioners'  court. 
!      §  3.   Be  it  further  enacted:  That  the  citizens  of  Law- 
I  rence  county  are  hereby  declared  to  be  entitled,  in  all 
I  respects,  to  the  same  rights  and  privileges  as  are  in  gen- 
j  eral  allowed  other  counties  in  the  State. 

§  4.  Be'it  further  enacted  :  That  the  county  of  Law- 
rence shall  be  and  compose  a  part  of  the  second  judicial 
circuit,  and  the  courts  shall  be  holden  therein  at  such 
times  as  shall  be  specified  by  law. 

j      At  the  time  of  the  organization  of  the  county  as  such, 
!  a  very  large  portion  of  the  public  lands  had  become  the 
|  property  of  individuals,  and  in  order  to  show  clearly 
which  parts  of.  the  county  were  settled,  and  who  the 
settlers  were,  we  shall  here  introduce  the  names  of  the 
freeholders  in  each  congressional  township,  having  been 
i  residents   thereof  prior   to    1821.      Non-resident   land- 
holders, of  whom  there  were  not  many,  will  also  be  men- 
tioned. 

Town  3  North,  Range  10  West.— Henry  Cassady,  Rob- 
ert Bunting,  J.  B  Tougas,  J.  B.  Chartier,  Heirs  of  Du- 
rnais,  Thomas  Jones,  Paul  Gamelin,  Pierre  Carnoyer, 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


John  Elliot,  Franjois  B.>sseron,  John  Askin,  J.  B. 
Bassine,  Joseph  Laraot,  Laurent  Bassine,  Joseph  Ham- 
trarnac,  Hugh  Hawl  (Hall),  Fran9ois  Vigo,  William 
H.  Harrison,  Lawrence  Slaughter,  Daniel  Sullivan, 
Pierre  Bonneau,  Larant  Hainlan  and  Henry  Giilhara. 
These  twenty-three  individuals  owned  2,960  acres  of 
land,  all  French  locations,  varying  in  area  from  34  to 
201  acres.  None  of  the  government  lands  d  scribed  in 
the  usual  manner,  by  sections,  etc.  were  entered  prior  to 
1821. 

Town  4  North,  Range  10  West— William  Hogue,  A. 
F.  Snapp,  William  Clark,  James  Baird,  William  Mcln- 
tosh  (speculator).  Toussaint  Dubois,  Abner  Reeves  and 
Andrew  Robinson.  These  eight  persons  owned  2,196 
acres,  also  French  locations,  and  militia  rights  ;  no  gov- 
ernment lands  entered  prior  to  1821 

Town  5  North,  Range  10  West. — Laurent  Bazadon, 
Heirs  of  Stockwell,  and  Willia-n  Hogue,  owned  422 
acres,  all  locations. 

Town  2  North,  Range  11  West.— William  Mclntosh, 
Louis  Ravellate,  Joseph  Tougas,  Pierre  Grimmayre, 
and  Widow  Clairmont  owned  2,27-  acres,  French  loca- 
tions, improvements,  and  militia  rights. 

Town  3  North,  Range  11  West :  Toussaint  Dubois, 
Htirs  of  Dubois,  William  Morrison,  John  Small,  W. 
M.  Small,  and  T  H.  Small  owned  2.430  acres,  all  loca- 
tions, improvements  and  militia  rights. 

Towns  4  &  5  North,  Range  II. — Samuel  Harris  Eli 
Harris,  Israel  Price,  Henry  Price,  Andrew  Pinkstaff, 
Michael  Price,  Charles  Emmons)  John  Pinkstaff,  James 
Bryan,  Adam  Lackey,  jr,  John  Dollaham,  Edward 
Mills,  J.  McCord,  R  ,bert  McCord,  Samuel  McCord, 
David  McCi>rd,'Lion  Morris,  John  Morris,  Joshua  An- 
derson, Daniel  Travis,  Thomas  Baggott,  James  Baggott 
Eady  Cole,  John  Dunlap,  John  Conner,  Samu-1  Allison, 
John  McMillen,  William  Howard,  Moses  Turner,  John 
Hart,  John  M-  Cleave,  J.  M.  Cawley,  John  Ashbrook, 
Henry  Johnston,  E.  H.  Allison,  Samuel  Leneve,  John 
Allison,  Alexander  Turner,  Joseph  Ridgeway,  David 
Travis,  Moses  Turner,  Thomas  Anderson,  Joseph  Berry, 
J.  R.  Adams,  John  Berry,  G.  W.  Kinkade,  William 
Huston,  Thomas  McCall,  Samuel  Gaston,  Abraham 
Cams  (Cairns),  Francis  Boggs,  Scott  Biggs,  Ben. 
Matthew,  Aivlrew  McClure,  David  Ruby,  Francis  Cul- 
lom,  Peter  Price,  Edward  Inlow  and  Cornelius  Vaun- 
ausdell  had,  during  the  years  from  1814  to  1822,  entered 
11,500  acres  of  congress  land. 

Town  2  North,  Range  12  West.— Victor  Buchanan, 
Adam  Corrie  (an  English  speculator,  who  entered  over 
5.000  acres  of  land  in  this  township  about  the  year  1818), 
Thomas  Brooks,  J.  B.  Vale  urs,  J.  B  Chartier,  William 
Spencer,  John  Davis,  August  Tougas,  Shadrach  Ru- 
ark,  jr.,  John  Gibson,  James  Johnson  and  William 
Leach  entered  7,676  acres  prior  to  1822. 

Town  3  North,  Range  12  West  —Toussaint  Dubois 
possessed  in  this  township  five  "locations,"  aggregating 
764  acres,  and  Henry  Faile,  William  Smith,  John  Beu- 
uefield,  Peter  Lewis,  William  Spencer,  B.  McCleave, 


William  French,  Adam  Claycomb,  William  Jones,  Con- 
stant McMahan,  Samuel  Newell,  Nathan  Rawlings, 
John  Richardson,  Elijah  Atherton,  Patrick  Doherty, 
Daniel  Grove,  John  Richardson,  Larkin  Ryle,  John 
Buchanan,  Absalom  Milton,  Rezin  Clubb,  Thos.  Fish, 
John  Scott,  Alley  Miller,  John  Wilson,  Rezin  Ragen, 
John  Gillespie,  Samuel  Parr,  James  Ryan,  Samuel  S. 
Chi  Ids,  John  Andrew,  Jarvis  Burroughs,  Benjamin 
Gibbs,  Win.  Kinkade,  John  Clark,  William  Dennison, 
John  Powers,  John  Osburn  and  Joshua  Butler  possessed 
6,472  acres  of  c.mgress  land  prior  to  1822. 

Towns  4  and  5  North,  Range  12  West.  —Thomas  Kell, 
A  Gallaher,  C.  White,  Robert  Bennefield,  Solomon 
Breginaw,  George  Westner,  Joseph  P.  Badollet,  Corne- 
lius Vanansdale,  T.  Roseman,  James  Stewart,  John 
Bennefield.'Thomas  Tyffe,  Thomas  Landau,  Moses  Petty, 
Joshua  Allender,  Peter  Shidler,  Willi-m  Speucer  and 
William  Douglas  were  in  possession  of  4,480  acres  of 
land  in  these  towns  prior  to  1822. 

Towns  2,  3,  4  and  5  North,  Range  13  West  —Adam 
Corrie,  Jacob Sch rader,  Shadrach  Ruark,  And  w.  Christy, 
Elijah  Clubb,  Moses  Laws,  Wm.  Laws,  John  Laws, 
Samuel  H.  Clubb,  Wm.  Martin,  Benjamin  Sumner, 
Richard  Heath,  Hugh  Drennon,  Richard  B.  McCorkle, 
Alexander  Frazier,  and  P.  and  J.  Pargin  owned  6,400 
acres  in  this  the  most  western  part  of  the  county  in  its 
present  limits. 

From  the  foregoing  list  it  would  appear  lhat  46,828 
j  acres,  or  ab.mt  one-fifth  the  area  of  the  county,  was  in 
possession  of  private  individuals,  a  large  and  overwhelm- 
ing majority  of  whom  were  actual  settlers. 

The  population  of  the  county  at  the  time  of  its  organ- 
ization consisted  of  the  families  of  about  250  freeholders 
and  of  probably  as  large  a  number  of  "  squatters," 
Crawford  and  Edwards  counties,  according  to  the  census 
of  1820,  had  a  population  of  6,443  in  that  year,  which 
increased  to  11,136  during  the  next  decade.  The  terri- 
tory of  those  two  counties  in  1820  was,  in  1830,  divided 
into  four  counties,  to  wit:  Crawford,  with  a  population 
3117;  Edwards,  with  1649;  Lawrence,  with  3668;  and 
Wabash,  with  2710.  Allowing  that  the  increase  in 
population  by  immigration  and  otherwise  was  uniform 
in  those  four  counties,  it  is  safe  to  assume  ihat  the  popu- 
lation of  Lawrence  county  at  the  time  of  its  organization 
amounted  to  2250  souls. 

Early  Deaths. — The  probate  records  of  1821  and  1822 
mention  the  following  estates  put  under  administration, 
to  wit:  John  Richardson,  whose  personal  property  was 
valued  at  $801.70;  Peter  Lewis,  whose  personal  property 
brought  8468.86;  Joshua  Gifford,  value  $153  37i  ;  Eli 
Harris,  whose  personal  property  amounted  to  $-302  81, 
whose  real  estate  was  appraised  at  $1950 ;  Samuel 
Norton,  $526.50;  Thomas  Evans,  $311.37;  William 
Dukes,  $613  85  ;  Bennet  Organ,  $263.87  ;  Ben  Matthew, 
8227.50  ;  and  Thomas  Baird,  $666.75. 

None  of  those  estates  would  in  our  days  be  called  a 
large  one,  but  each  was  solvent,  with  a  small  surplus; 
the  most  remarkable  feature  of  those  early  estates  is, 


100 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LA  WRENCE  AND  W ABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


however,  that  they  differ  but  slightly  in  amount.    Prices 
paid  in  those  days  for  the  various  products  of  the  land 
were  fair.     A  yoke  of  oxen  would  bring  from  $36  to 
$40,  cows  $9  and  $10,   hogs  sold  for  $1.50,  corn  was  I 
worth  20c.  a  bushel,  cotton  12jc.  a  pound,  etc. 

The  first  will  probated  in  the  court  of  Lawrence  was  | 
filed  for  record  on  the  20ih  of  August,  1821,  a  verbatim  j 
copy  of  which  is  here  introduced  : 

Last  Will  of  John  Pargin.—  Know  all  men  by  these 
presents  that  I,  John  Pargin,  of  Lawrence  county  and 
state  of  Illinois,  being  in  my  right  mind  and  sences, 
and  a  low  state  of  health,  I  make  and  ordain  my  last  j 
will  and  testament.  In  the  name  of  God,  amen :  First,  ' 
I  will  that  Samuel  H.  Clubb  and  Cossier  Pargin  be  the  j 
executors  of  this  my  last  will  and  testament ;  secondly, 
I  will  that  all  my  just  deabts  be  pade  by  my  executors ; 
thirdly,  I  will  and  bequeath  unto  my  son,  Peter  Pargin, 
my  young  sorrel  mare  and  my  rifle  gun  and  my  steel  ! 
trap ;  forthly,  I  will  and  bequeath  one  hundred  dollars 
of  my  money  that  I  now  have  to  be  lade  out  in  land  at 
congress  price,  in  the  county  of  Lawrence,  in  the  name 
of  Polly,  John  and  Jacob  pargin,  my  three  youngest  chil- 
dren as  their  part  of  my  estate ;.  sixthly,  I  will  and  be- 
queath sade  lande  as  a  home  for  my  wife  during  her 
widerhood ;  seventh,  I  will  and  bequeath  to  my  wife, 
"  Cossier "  pargin,  all  the  reste  of  my  property  and 
money  as  longe  as  she  remains  a  wider,  to  raise  the  chil- 
dren on  and  to  go  to  them  at  her  death  if  anything  is 
left ;  eight,  I  will  that  the  taxes  of  sade  lande  be  pade 
out  of  my  estate  until  the  three  children  comes  of  lawful 
age.  Sinde  and  sealed  in  the  presents  of  us  this  eleventh 
day  of  March  in  the  year  of  our  Lord  1821. 

JOHN  PARGIN. 

This  will  was  witnessed  by  Samuel  Stoltz  and  Aaron 
Vanetta  and  probated  on  the  20th  of  August,  1821,  be- 
fore H.  M.  Gillhain,  judge  of  probate. 

The  form  of  this  will  differs  from  the  average  in  the 
opening  sentence;  the  "know  all  men"  introduction 
causes  the  reader  to  presume  that  the  author  of  said  will 
was  guided  by  the  phraseology  used  in  writing  deeds. 

Looking  over  the  list  of  marriages  in  the  Pioneer  chap- 
ter the  reader  will  observe  that  Mrs.  "  Cossier  pargin  " 
did  not  remain  in  the  state  of  "  widderhood  "  for  a  great 
length  of  time.  The  "  widder  Cossier"  Pargin  became 
Mrs.  Casiah  Barney  on  the  3d  of  July,  1822. 

COUNTY   GOVERNMENT. 

We  introduce  here  the  proceedings  of  the  first  session 
of  the  county  commissioners'  court.  The  act  creating 
the  county  of  Lawrence  did  not  provide  for  a  special 
election  of  commissioners,  hence  it  is  to  be  inferred  that 
those  officers  were  appointed  by  Gov.  Shadrach  Bond- 

The  Proceedings : — 
STATE  OF  ILLINOIS,")  .     .,  1  .   1891 
Lawrence  county,   j     F          ' 

This  being  the  first  meeting  of  the  county  commission- 
ers'court  for  the  county  of  Lawrence,  there  were  present 


John  Dunlap,  James  Lanterman  and  William  Martin, 
who  were  duly  sworn  and  qualified  into  office  by  Tlioruas 
Anderson,  Esq,  a  justice  of  the  peace  for  said  county. 
Toussaint  Dubois  was  then  appointed  clerk  for  the 
county  commissioners'  court  of  Lawrence  county,  who 
being  duly  sworn  and  having  given  bond  and  security 
faithfully  to  discharge  the  duties  of  said  office,  pro- 
ceeded immediately  to  fulfill  the  same. 

Ordered,  that  Samuel  H.  Clubb  be  and  he  is  hereby 
appointed  treasurer  of  the  county  of  Lawrence,  and  he 
having  given  b  nd  and  security  faithfully  to  discharge 
the  duties  of  said  office,  was  duly  sworn  and  qualified. 

Ordered,  that  Thomas  Ashbrook  and  Thomas  Bland 
be,  and  they  are  hereby  appointed  constables  for  the 
county  of  Lawrence. 

Ordered,  that  the  following  named  persons  be  sum- 
moned to  serve  as  petit  jurors  for  the  first  term  of  the 
circuit  court  to  be  holden  on  the  first  Monday  in  June 
next:  William  P.  Blanchard,  John  Ruark,  William 
Leach,  Aaron  Vannatta,  Victor  Buchanuau,  Jacob 
Helphestine,  John  Mills,  Samuel  Lancave,  John  Adams, 
William  Ashbrook,  Jeremiah  Robinson,  Alexander 
Turner,  William  Spencer,  Joseph  Lamotte,  James  Ryan, 
Jacob  Trout,  Harris  McCord,  Jonathan  Allison,  Joseph 
Baird,  Asa  Norton,  William  Westrope,  Hugh  Kinkade 
and  James  Gibson.  Adjourned,  etc. 

At  the  second  term,  a  special  one  held  on  Wednesday, 
the  16th  of  May,  1821,' the  report  of  the  state  commis- 
misioners  for  locating  the  permanent  seat  cf  justice  for 
Lawrence  county  was  returned  to  the  court,  in  words  as 
follows,  to  wit : 

To  the  honorable  the  county  commissioners  for  the 
county  of  Lawrence,  state  of  Illinois,  for  locating  the 
permanent  seat  for  said  county,  do  certify  that  we  have 
determined  upon  twenty  acres  of  land,  situate  on  the 
west  side  of  river  Erabarras,  about  300  yards  north  of 
Dubois  mills,  on  a  ridge  to  the  left  of  the  St.  Louis 
road,  laid  off  in  a  square,  and  have  designated  as  the 
centre  of  said  twenty  acres  of  land  a  white-oak  stump 
with  a  peeled  stake  sticking  by  its  side,  as  the  permanent 
seat  of  justice  for  said  county  of  Lawrence,  in  the  state 
of  Illinois. 

Given  under  our  hands  and  seals  this  9th  day  of 
May,  1821. 

M.  THOMPSON, 
WILLIAM  WILSON. 

The  expenses  of  these  commissioners  amounted  to 
$22  00  for  themselves  and  $8. 00  for  David  Porter.  The 
warrants  issued  to  those  parties  were  the  first  issued  by 
the  court.  John  Dunlap  was  appointed  to  make  a  sur- 
vey of  the  "donation  land"  made  to  the  county,  and 
also  to  lay  off  the  town  of  Lawrenceville  into  streets 
and  alleys.  These  lots  were  ordered  to  be  sold  on  the 
first  Monday  and  Tuesday  of  July,  1821,  and  the  clerk 
was  instructed  to  advertise  the  sale  in  the  "  Indiana 
Sentinel"  and  "  Western  Sun,"  printed  at  Vincenues, 
and  also  in  the  "Illinois  Gazette"  and  the' "Illinois 
Intelligencer,"  printed  in  this  state. 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS.          101 


The  sale  of  those  county  lots  did  not  fill  the  treasury 
of  the  new  county  as  was  expected.     Money  was  scarce 
and  although  easy  terms  were  granted,  the  old  settlers  ! 
of  1820  were  too  cautious  and  reluctant  to  contract  debts  ' 
of  any  kind.     The  want  of  money  was  so  severely  felt 
throughout  the  State,  that  the  legislature  resorted  to  a 
scheme  of  creating  money.     It  is  but  recently    that  the 
people  of  these  United  States  have  seen  a  new  party — 
the  "  Greenback  party  "  for  short — spring  ioto  life,  with 
the  avowed  object  of  abolishing  the  use  of  gold  and  sil- 
ver as  measures  of  values  and  substituting  tluir  fiat 
money  for  it.     The  older  people  of  the  county  have  had  j 
some  experience  in   this  matter,  for  there   was  a  time  ; 
when  the  county  authorities  flooded  the  county  with  a  i 
paper  currency,  based  on  an  empty  treasury.     The  few  j 
remarks  introduced  here  are  intended  for  the  generation  j 
now  starting  out  into  political  life.     It  is  presumed  to  ; 
be  know  by  all,  that  almost  every  person  residing  in  ! 
Illinois  in  1820  and  1821  was  virtually  a  bankrupt,  that  I 
is,  he  could  not  pay  any  debt,  however  small  it  was,  j 
despite  his  possessing  many  acres  of  lands,  etc.,  simply  : 
because  there  was  no  money  in  the  State.     Well,  it  was 
a  glorious  time  for  "fiat"  money,  and  the  legislature  • 
created  it  by  chartering  the  State  Bank  of  Illinois,  with-  j 
out  a  dollar  in  its  vaults  and  wholly  on  the  credit  of  j 
the  State.     It  was  authorized  to  issue  notes  of  various  j 
denominations,  differing  from  the  notes  of  regular  banks 
only  in  being  made  interest  bearing  (2  per  cent,  per 
annum)  and  payable  by  the  state  after  ten  years.     The 
bank  and  it*  branches,  officered  by  men  appointed  by 
the  legislature  (politicians  of  course  and  not  business  ! 
men),  were  directed  by  law  to  lend  its  bills  to  the  peo- 
ple, to  the  amount  of  one  hundred  dollars  on  personal 
security,  and  of  larger  amounts  upon  the  security  of 
mortgages  on  real  estate.      These  note  were  to  be  re-  ! 
ceived  in  payment  of  taxes,  costs,  fees,  salaries,  etc  ,  and 
if  tendered  to  a  creditor  and  by  him  refused,  the  debtor 
could  stay  the  collectioa  of  the  debt  due  by  him  for  [ 
three  years  by  giving  personal  security.    The  Solons  at  I 
Vandalia  (nomen  et  omen)  actually  believed  that  these  | 
notes  would  be  worth  their  face  in  gold   or  silver,  and  I 
the  Secretary  of  the  Treasury  of  the  U.  S.  was  requested  \ 
by  a  resolution  of  the  legislature  to  receive  those  notes  j 
at  the  various  land  offices  in  payment  for  public  lands. 
Governor  Ford,  in  his  history  of  Illinois,  tells  an  amus- 
ing anecdote  in  reference  to  the  adoption  of  this  reso- 
lution in  the  State  S  nate :  When  it  was  put  to  a  vote 
in   the  senate,  the  old  French   Lieutenant   Governor, 
Colonel  Menard,  presiding  over  the  body,  did  up  the 
business  as  follows : 

Gentlemen  of  de  Senate,  it  is  moved  and  seconded  dat  i 
de  notes  of  dis  bank  be  made  land  office  money.     All  in 
favor  of  dat  motion  say  aye,  all  against  it  say  no.     It  is 
decided  in  de  affirmative.     And  now  gentlemen  I  bet  you 
one  hundred  dollars  he  never  he  made  land  office  money,  j 
The  banks  went  into  operation  in  1821,  and  their  officers 
finding  it  easier  and  more  pleasant  to  lend  than  to  re- 
fuse, had  soon  scattered  hundreds  of  thousands  of  their 


"  fiat "  money  throughout  the  state.  It  was  taken  at 
first  at  75  cents  per  dollar,  but  Boon  came  down  to  25 
cents.  A  large  number  of  people  who  had  "  borrowed  " 
from  the  banks,  thought,  of  course,  that  their  transac- 
tions with  the  banks  terminated  then  and  there.  The 
idea  of  repaying  was  and  remained  foreign  to  them. 
The  real  troubles  commenced  four  and  five  years  later, 
as  appears  from  the  dockets  of  all  circuit  courts  in  the 
older  countries.  Countless  lawsuits  and  few  "returns" 
were  the  consequences  of  the  "financial"  legislation. 
But  to  return  to  the  subject  of  county  government,  we 
will  state,  that  the  county  commissioners  appointed  a 
large  number  of  supervisors  to  take  charge  of  the  public 
roads  in  the  county,  to  wit :  Robert  Bennefield,  on  the 
county  line,  and  east  of  the  Embarras  river;  Peter 
Shidler,  also  on  the  county  line  road,  from  the  range  line 
between  12  and  13,  to  the  line  between  13  and  14. 
Thaddeus  Morehouse,  on  the  west  end  of  railroad  ;  Ben- 
jamin McClure,  to  the  road  leading  from  Yellow  Banks 
to  Joseph  Lamotte's ;  James  Ryan,  Daniel  Deniston 
Benjamin  Summer  and  Cornelius  De  Long  on  the  old 
Sallsburg  road  ;  Thomas  Buchanan  on  the  Palmyra  road ; 
Samuel  H.  McCord,  on  the  north  line  of  the  county,  be- 
tween ranges  10  and  11,  thence  west  with  the  line  of 
Embarras  river,  thence  down  to  Du  Bois'  mills  and 
thence  to  Purgatory !  (This  is  the  first  time  that  the 
queer  and  ominous  name  is  mentioned  in  the  official 
records.  The  wiiter  has  frequently  heard  the  known 
Western  exclamation  "  There's  h  (ades)  on  the  Wabash  ;" 
(could  this  phrase  have  originated  with  the  above  un- 
heard of  designation  of  a  creek  or  swamp?)  Joseph 
Baird,  Daniel,  Travi?,  James  Gibson  and  Jeremiah  Rob- 
ertson were  also  appointed  supervisors  of  roads. 

The  attention  of  the  commissioners  was  next  directed 
to  the  organization  of  military  districts,  one  for  each 
company.  There  were  enough  able-bodied  men  in  the 
county  to  form  six  companies.  This  circumstance  seems 
to  verify  the  supposition  express  d  above,  in  reference  to 
the  estimated  number  of  inhabitants  in  1821. 

The  returns  of  the  elections  of  company  and  regimen- 
tal officers  have  not  been  preserved  ;  they  would  have 
been  of  much  interest  to  the  reader. 

We  introduce  here  the  boundary  lines  of  the  various 
districts,  and  such  other  information  as  could  be  gathefed 
from  the  records. 

MILITIA   DISTRICTS. 

First  Company. — Beginning  at  the  Embarras  river, 
one  mile  north  of  the  lines  between  towns  3  and  4,  thence 
west  with  said  line  till  it  strikes  the  range  line  between  13 
and  14,  thence  north  with  that  line  till  it  strikes  the 
county  line,  thence  with  the  county  line  to  Embarras  river 
and  with  said  river  to  the  place  of  beginning. 

Second  Company. — Beginning  at  the  northwest  conn  r 
of  section  10,  thence  south  to  the  county  line,  thence 
with  said  line  to  the  Wabash  river,  thence  up  said  river 
to  the  mouth  of  the  Embarras,  thence  up  said  river  to 
one  mile  south  of  the  line  between  towns  3  and  4. 


102 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  W ABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


Third  Company. — Beginning  northeast  of  section  9, 
thence  south  to  the  county  line,  thence  with  said  line 
to  the  range  line  between  13  and  14,  thence  with  said 
line  to  one  mile  south  of  the  line  between  township  3  and 
4,  thence  with  said  line  to  the  place  of  beginning. 

Fourth  Company. — All  that  part  of  the  county  west  of 
range  13  and  14. 

Fifth  Company — Beginning  at  the  Embarras  river 
thence  to  the  W  abash  river  to  the  county  line,  thence 
west  to  the  line  between  ranges  10  and  11,  thence  south 
with  said  line  to  the  marsh  on  which  the  bridge  is  at 
Houston's,  and  with  said  marsh  to  the  said  range  Lne 
leaving  Eli  Harris  to  the  east  and  south  with  said  line 
to  the  Embarras  river,  and  with  said  river  to  the  place 
of  beginning. 

Sixth  Company. — Beginning  on  the  line  between  ranges 
10  and  11  oil  the  north  county  line,  thence  with  the  Em- 
barras river,  and  down  the  river  to  Purgatory  thence  up 
Purgatory  to  the  marsh  bridge,  at  Ashbrooks  and  down 
said  marsh  to  the  line  between  sections  27  and  22,  thence 
east  with  said  line  past  the  school-house  to  the  line 
between  ranges  10  and  11  an i  south  with  said  line  to  the 
beginning. 

Elections  for  company,  battalion  and  regimental  offi- 
cers were  held  on  the  23rd  of  June,  1821,  at  the  houses  of 
Isaiah  Lewis;  Victor  Buchanan  ;  Richard  B  McCorkle; 
Cornelius  De  Long  ;  Peter  Price  and  William  Adams. 

After  having  provided  for  proper  military  protection 
and  warlike  emergencies  the  court  directed  their  atten- 
tion to  what  may  be  termed  home  comfort,  by  granting 
license  to  Cornelius,  Taylor,  and  also  to  Elijah  Lamp- 
hear,  to  keep  taverns,  without  confining  them  to  any  lo- 
cality. Each  of  these  men  paid  an  annual  tax  of  $3.00  in 
advance,  thus  enabling  Squire  Clubb  to  make  the  first 
entry  of  moneys  received  into  the  treasury  of  the  county 
of  Lawrence.  The  prices  which  guests  and  cm- 
tomers  were  to  be  charged,  were  stipulated  by  a  solemn 
order,  as  follows  :  Each  meal  25  cts.,  lodging  1"}  cts., 
each  horse  feed  12}  cts.,  keeping  a  horse  for  a  full  day 
50  cts.,  whiskey  12}  cts  ,  French  braudy  50  cts.,  Jamaica 
spirits  50  cts.,  Holland  gin  50  cts.,  domestic  brandy  25 
cts.,  wine  50  cts.,  peach  braudy  25  cts.  and  domestic  gin 
25  cts.,  per  one  half  pint.  The  fractional  parts  of  cents 
must  have  been  a  source  of  trouble  in  making  change; 
and  yet  the  very  same  rates,  with  the  half  and  frequently 
quarter  cents  are  met  with  every  where  during  that 
period  of  time.  The  fact  of  so  many  brands  of  foreign 
and  domestic  liquors  being  kept  on  tap,  must  lead  one 
to  suppose  that  those  old  settlers  of  ours  were  rather 
inclined  to  indulge. 

H.  S.  Campbell,  too,  was  licensed  to  retail  liquor  "  by 
the  small,"  and  paid  a  tax  of  three  dollars  for  the  privi. 
lege.  His  was  not  a  tavern,  but  merely  a  tippling  house. 
We  have  thus  far  traced  $9  in  the  public  cash  box,  and 
now  comes  Squire  Anderson  and  pays  into  court  an- 
other $2,  which  he  has  collected  from  persons  for  "  pro- 
fane "  swearing.  Swearing,  common  and  profane,  is  no 
longer  a  source  of  revenue,  prolific  though  it  might 


prove,  while  alcoholic  liquors  have  to  this  day  main- 
tained their  position  as  first-class  sources  of  public 
revenue,  here  as  well  as  in  all  other  civilized  nations. 

The  government  of  the  county  was  now  fairly  started, 
with  John  Dunlap,  James  Lauterman  and  William 
Martin  as  county  commissioners;  Toussaint  Dubois  as 
clerk;  Samuel  H.  Clubb,  treasurer  and  assessor;  H.  M. 
Gillharn,  probate  judge  ;  William  Wilson,  circuit  judge; 
Toussaint  Dubois,  circuit  clerk  ;  Henry  Dubois,  sheriff; 
J.  M.  Robinson,  prosecuting  attorney ;  Robert  Benne- 
field,  coroner ;  and  J.  Dunlap,  county  surveyor. 

.Thomas  Armstrong,  Benjamin  McCleave,  James  West- 
fall  and  Daniel  Travis  were  acting  justices  of  the  peace. 
The  first  public  improvement  made  under  the  direc- 
tion of  the  court  was  the  building  of  a  stray  pen,  con- 
structed by  Sheriff  Dubois  at  an  expense  of  $7.75.  A 
sale  of  donation  lots  took  place  on  the  9th  of  July,  18-1, 
and  the  proceeds,  to  wit,  $250.12},  were  paid  into  court 
on  the  3d  of  September.  Toussa''nt  Dubois,  at  whose 
house  court  was  held,  resigned  the  office  of  county  clerk 
on  the  3d  Sep'ember,  1821,  and  was  succeeded  by  James 
M.  McLean. 

PUBLIC   BUILDINGS. 

The  court  next  proceeded  to  have  a  jail  constructed. 
The  same  was  to  be  17  feet  square,  two  stories  high,  to 
be  constructed  of  hewn  logs,  double  walls,  and  the  space 
between  walls  to  be  filled  with  rocks ;  the  rooms  to  be  7 
feet  in  the  clear.  Cornelius  Taylor  contracted  with  the 
court,  and  was  to  be  paid  $625  for  the  job.  It  seems, 
however,  that  Isaac  Fail  had  to  complete  the  work,  for 
a  settlement  with  him  as  builder  of  the  jail  was  perfected 
in  March,  1822. 

THE   FIRST   COURT-HOUSE. 

The  court,  at  the  special  August  term,  1822,  entered 
into  an  agreement  with  H.  M.  Gillham  to  build  a  suit- 
able court-house  of  brick  for  and  in  consideration  of  the 
sum  of  $1500,  on  the  place  which  the  commissioners  ap- 
pointed by  the  State  had  selected  for  a  permanent  seat 
of  justice.  At  the  same  time  the  court  contracted  with 
Bastian  Smith  for  80,000  bricks,  at  $4.25  per  thousand, 
said  brick  to  be  used  in  building  the  court-house.  It  is 
impossible  to  state  if  the  bricks  were  paid  out  of  the 
above  $1500,  or  by  the  county  direct.  At  any  rate,  the 
building  proceeded  very  slowly,  and  in  December,  1823^ 
two  new  contractors,  Onates  Chafie  and  Joshua  Eaton, 
were  mentioned  in  connection  with  the  building.  The 
house  was  finally  received  on  the  24th  of  July,  1824,  but 
was  in  so  poor  a  condition  that  it  had  to  be  temporarily 
abandoned.  The  June  term  of  1825  was  held  at  the 
house  of  Richard  Mieure,  and  the  December  term  1825, 
at  Hiram  Wade's.  Gabriel  T.  Canthorm's  house  shel- 
tered the  court  during  the  March,  June  and  September 
!  terms,  1826.  Meanwhile  the  county  had"  contracted  with 
Joshua  Bond  to  finish  the  court-house  at  a  further  ex- 
penditure of  $2500.  Mr.  Bond  filed  his  bond  on  the  5th 
of  June,  1826,  and  was  paid  the  full  amount  on  the 
same  day.  This  court-house  has  certainly  cost  the  county 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


103 


the  sum  of  $5,000,  and  not  $1,500,  as  usually  under- 
stood. 

EARLY   FERRIES 

The  various  streams  coursing  through  the  count)"  were 
too  large  to  be  bridged  and  too  deep  to  be  forded,  hence  i 
a  number  of  ferries  were  established  at  an  early  date. 
James  Gibson's   ferry  on   the  Wabash,  opposite  Vin-  } 
cennes,  was  the  most  important.     Daniel  Keykendall  j 
also  kept  a  ferry  boat  on  the  Wabash.     A  third  one  was 
kept  by  Elijah  Lamphere,  who  was  also  licensed  to  sell  [ 
liquor   by  the   "small."      Valentine   J.    Bradley   and  j 
Caius  M.  Eaton  established  a  ferry  across  the  Embarras  j 
at  Lawrenceville  in  June,  1825,  at  which  time  James 
Nabb  and  John  Fail  were  licensed  to  run  a  ferry  across 
the  same  stream  at  Yellow  Banks.     These  ferries  were  > 
also  a  source  of  revenue  to  the  county,  and  remained  so  j 
many  years. 

The  number  of  taverns  increased  with  the  population.  ! 
The  tavern   of   1820   was   a  different  institution   from 
the   "saloon"   of  our   modern  times.      Taverns   were  ; 
usually  found  in  the  county  seats,  on   the  stage  roads,  j 
and  at  ferry  landings.      The  tavern-keeper  was,  as  a  i 
rule,  a   leading   man   in  his   borough.     He   was   well 
informed,  for  it  was  he,  who  gathered  the  news  from  the 
traveling  public.     The  judge  and  the  lawyer,  in  court 
time,  put  up  at  the  tavern,  and  formed  the  center  of 
attraction  for  the  time  being.     For  years  the  taverns  j 
were  the  court  houses,  and  the  tavern-keeper  stood  high 
in  the  estimation  of  his  townsmen,  and  was  a  power  in  the 
land.     We  have  mentioned   a  few  names  of   the  early 
tavern-keepers,  and  will  here  give  a  list  of  all  who  had 
been  licensed  in  the  first  five  years  of  the  county  govern-  i 
ment:    Cornelius     Taylor,    Elijah    Lamphere,    H.   S.  '• 
Campbell,  Daniel  Key keudall,  James  Nabb,  Matthew 
Neely,  Jonathan   Marney,  Jesse  M.  Grant,  (Jesse  was  j 
al-o  justice   of   the   peace),  Edward   Rathbone,  John  \ 
Bush,   Samuel    H.    Clubb,  Michael  Stufflebeam,   and 
Delilah  Matson.     These  thirteen  taverns  paid  each  a 
small  tax,   none  over  $3.00 ;  they  gave  bond  to  keep 
orderly  houses,  and  were  licensed  became  the  public  good 
demanded  it. 

EARLY   REVENUE. 

It  is  very  difficult  to  ascertain  the  exact  county  re- 
venue during  the  earlier  period.  -All  the  county  officials 
seem  to  have  been  collecting  public  funds,  and  the 
treasurer,  who  ought  to  have  had  all  public  moneys  j 
under  his  control,  seemed  to  have  been  used  as  "  middle- 
man," to  inform  people  who  had  claims  against  the  j 
county,  that  there  was  no  money  in  the  treasury.  Fines, 
licenses,  and  proceeds  from  the  sale  of  donation  lots 
were  paiii  "  into  court,"  or  during  vacation  to  the 
clerk.  The  little  pay  these  officers  were  entitled  to  was 
taken  out  of  this  income  and  others,  who  had  been 
employed  to  do  some  public  work,  were  paid  direct  by 
the  court.  The  tax  collections  made  by  the  sheriff  were 
paid,  for  the  greater  part,  in  county  orders  or  jurors 
warrants,  and  again  paid  "  into  court,"  instead  of  to  the 
treasurer.  The  first  tax  levy  was  ordered  on  the  lo'th  of 


May,  1821,  and  the  treasurer  instructed  to.  list  the 
following  taxable  property,  to  wit :  Town  lots,  carriages 
for  the  conveyance  of  persons,  distilleries,  stock-in-trade, 
and  horses  and  cattle  over  three  years  old  ;  all  of  which 
property  was  to  pay  a  tax  of  fifty  cents  for  every  one 
hundred  dollars'  valuation.  This  valuation  must  have 
been  small,  probably  less  than  $80000,  as  subsequently 
in  1824  it  was  reported  to  have  amounted  then  to 
$88,964.  The  total  receipts  of  the  county,  including 
fines,  licenses,  proceeds  from  sale  of  donation  lots,  and 
direct  tax  amounted  to  $1219.17.  The  treasurer  re- 
ported that  a  part  of  this  aggregate  to  wit,  $72  14,  re- 
mained in  the  hands  of  the  collector.  The  ordinary 
expenditures,  including  the  treasurer's  commissions  of 
$22.49  amounted  to  $464.36,  leaving  a  balance  of 
$732  32.  In  March,  1823,  the  treasurer  reported  an  in- 
come of  $1694.69,  but  inasmuch  as  the  tax  rate  was 
not  higher  than  in  the  previous  year,  and  as  the  collector 
was  reported  in  arrears  to  the  amount  of  $208.92,  it  is  to 
be  inferred  that  the  balance  in  treasury,  as  reported  in 
March,  1822,  was  a  part  of  those  $1694.69.  The  trea- 
surer received  a  compensation  of  $80  62,  to  wit,  $32  68, 
commissions,  and  $48.00  for  listing  the  property.  The 
regular  expenditures  of  the  county  increased  from 
$464.36  in  1822  to  $1614.09  in  1823.  The  report  of 
1824  stated  the  county  revenue  to  have  been  as  follows  : 
Fines,  $21.00 ;  estrays  sold,  $40.5. ) ;  tavern  licenses, 
$16.00  ;  one-half  of  the  land  tax,  $264  62* ;  county  tax, 
$444-.82;  total,  $786.94.  The  expenditures  of  the  county 
exceeded  the  income  for  the  first  time  in  1825,  and 
continued  to  do  so  for  several  years.  As  early  as  1827, 
there  were  $2488.18  of  unpaid  county  orders  afloat,  while 
the  assets  of  the  county  consisted  in  a  deliquent  tax  list 
of  $153.50.  This  sad  state  of  affairs  gave  cause  to  dis- 
satisfaction and  distrust;  the  clerk  was  instructed  to  get 
up  a  correct  statement  of  the  financial  condition  of  the 
county,  and  keep  a  copy  of  it  posted  up  in  a  prominent 
place  in  his  office,  so  that  all  who  desired,  might  see  it. 
The  statement  was  also  published  in  the  Viucennefa' 
newspapers  This  statement,  ordered  in  March,  1827, 
was  not  recorded,  and  of  course,  cannot  now  be  found. 
The  court  increased  the  annual  tax  from  50  cents  to 
$1.00  per  one  hundred,  and  made  a  strong  effort  to  cur- 
tail expenses,  which  in  1827  amounted  to  $739.72. 
The  cause  of  the  embarrassment  lay  in  the  cost  of  the  old 
court-house,  which,  as  stated  above,  amounted  to  three 
times  the  contract  price.  The  first  fiscal  statement  of  the 
county  found  on  record,  was  made  in  December,  1827, 
and  is,  in  words  and  figures  as  follows : 

FISCAL  STATEMENT  OF    DECEMBER   6,    1827. 

Inabilities  of  the  County. 

nty  orders  issued_  prior  to  December,  1826 $2,R«4.S8 


Unpaid  coun 
County  orders  issued 


nted  to  county  commissioners  .  . 
ueto  Valentine  hradley  for  making 
age  as  county  tn  usurer 


*  Lands,  which  had  been  in  possession  of  individuals,  for  five  yrars  or 
ore.  were  assessed  per  KKJ  acres,  at  SI. 00  if  located  in  the  "\\aua-h 
iti..m,and  75  cents  for  all  other  locations;  one  half  of  said  lax  was  paid  to 
c  Suite,  the  other  half  to  the  eouuty. 


104 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  W ABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


Payments  and  assets. 


ount  paid  by  Hiram  W 

ide  

$  50.00 

All 
An 

ount  paid  to  I.  Bond  on 
ounts  paid  to  same  on  c 
ount  of  county  orders  ta 

contract  .  .  . 
omract.  .  .  . 
tenupbysherifl 

103.50 
106.42 
"  and  paid  into 
196.06 

ount  due  by  sheriff 

439.45% 

All 

ount  of  notes  due  to  the 

county,  sale  of 

ots    75.00    8907.27% 

Present  county  debt    $2,3,7.02% 
POLITICAL   SUBDIVISIONS   OF  THE   COUNTY. 

The  earlier  divisions  of  the  county  into  militia  districts 
had  nothing  to  do  with  its  civil  government,  nor  are 
these  districts  subsequently  mentioned.  The  road  dis- 
tricts increased  in  number  as  new  settlements  developed 
In  March  1824  the  county  was  divided  into  three  town 
ships,  respectively  called  Allison,  east  of  Embarras, 


mile  and  a  half  south  of  the  township  line  of  T  3  N., 
thence  west  to  the  range  line  between  ranges  13  and  14, 
thence  south  with  said  line  to  the  beginning  ;  poll  at  house 
of  William  Denison,  with  Thomas  Buchanan,  Thomas 
Fish  and  William  Travis  as  judges  of  election. 

Lawrenceville. — Beginning  at  the  north  county  line 
where  the  range  line  between  ranges  13  and  14,  strikes 
the  same,  thence  south  with  said  line  to  one  mile  and  a 
half  south  pf  the  township  line  of  T.  3  N.,  thence  east  to 
the  Embarras  river,  thence  up  the  Embarras  to  the 
county  line,  thence  west  with  the  county  line  to  the 
beginning;  poll  at  the  court-house  with  David  McHenry, 
Colonel  W.  Spencer  and  John  McCleave  as  judges  of 
election. 

Allison.— Beginning  at  the  mouth  of  the  Embarras 


Lawrenceville,  west  of  the  Embarras  and  east  of  range  j  river  thence  up  the  Wabash  river  to  the  mouth  of  Flat 
line  between  13  and  14,  and  Fox.westof  said  range  Hue    !  creek  thence  up  Flat  creek  to  the  head  of  Purgatory, 


thence  down  Purgatory  to  the  Embarras,  thence  down 
the  Embarras  river  to  the  place  of  beginning ;  poll  at 
the  Centre  school-house  with  Thomas  Ashbrook,  John 
Mills  and  Joseph  Adams  as  judges  of  election. 

Bond. — Beginning  at  the  mouth  of  Purgatory  at  the 
Yellow  Banks,  thence  up  Purgatory  to  the  head  of  Flat 
Creek,  thence  down  Flat  creek  to  the  Wabash  river, 
thence  up  the  Wabash  to  the  county  line,  thence  west 
with  the  county  line  to  the  Embarras  to  the  beginning ; 
poll  at  the  house  of  Charles  Emmons,  with  Edward 
Mills,  Samuel  Drake  and  John  Allison  as  judges  of 
election. 

These  six  precincts  comprised  the  area  of  the  county 
in  the  limits  made  by  the  act  of  the  Legislature  creating 

justices  ever  elected  in  this  region,  were  those  fam<  us  !  the  county.  The  townships  or  precincts  of  Mason  and 
five  of  the  Vincennes  court — 1779— and  the  experience  Salt  Spring  were  on  February  24,  1841,  separated  from 
had  with  them,  had  shaken  the  confidence  of  the  govern-  I  Lawrence  county  to  become  a  part  of  the  county  of 
ment  in  too  much  popular  sovereignty.  |  Richland.  In  June,  1828,  a  seventh  precinct  was 

formed  to  be  called 

Wabash. — Beginning  at  Bellgrave,  thence  west  to 
Houston's  marsh,  thence  down  said  marsh  to  the  Em- 

rence  county,  thence  east  with  the  county  line  to  the  j  barras,  thence  down  the  Embarras  to  its  mouth,  thence 
range  line  between  ranges  13  and  14,  thence  north  j  up  the  Wabash  to  the  place  of  beginning;  the  poll  at 
with  said  line  to  one  mile  and  a  half  south  of  the  town-  I  the  house  of  James  Gibson,  with  John  Long,  James 
ship  line  of  T.  3  N.,  thence  west  to  the  county  line,  White  and  James  Gibson  as  judges  of  election, 
thence  south  with  said  line  to  the  place  of  beginning ;  This  precinct  was  remodeled  in  March,  1840,  and 
poll  at  the  house  of  James  Parker,  with  Hugh  Calhoun,  j  reduced  in  size.  It  began  at  the  Wabash  at  the  centre 
James  Parker  and  James  Cunningham  as  judges  of  |  of  fractional  section  22,  T.  4  N.  R.  10  W.,  thence  west 
election.  j  to  the  range  line  between  ranges  10  and  11,  thence 

S lit  Spring. — Beginning  at  the  northwest  corner  of  i  south  to  the  centre  of  section  1,  in  town  3  N.  R.  11  W. 


It  seems  that  this  subdivision  was  made  for  the  purpose 
of  creating  new  offices,  to  wit :  Overseers  of  the  poor, 
Daniel  Travis  and  Enoch  Organ  became  the  managers 
of  pauperism  in  Allison,  while  Samuel  H.  Clubb  and 
John  Williams  divided  the  territory  of  Lawrenceville 
and  Fox  between  themselves. 

In  1827  all  counties  of  Illinois,  in  pursuance  of  a  state 
law,  providing  for  the  election  of  justices  of  the  peace, 
were  to  be  divided  into  election  precincts.  So  far  the 
justices  of  the  peace  had  held  their  respective  offices  by 
appointment.  The  usual  modus  operandi  was,  that  the 
commissioners  of  the  county  courts  recom  mended  or  sug- 
gested the  names  of  suitable  persons  for  said  positions  to 
the  governor,  who  then  appointed  them.  The  first 


ELECTION   PRECINCTS   OF   1827. 

Mason. — Beginning  at    the  southwest  corner  of  Law- 


Lawrence  county,  thence  south  with  the  county  line 
to  one  mile  and  a  half  south  of  the  township  line  of  T.  3 
N.,  thence  east  to  the  range  line  between  ranges  13  and 
14,  thence  north  with  said  line  to  the  county  line,  thence 
west  with  said  line  to  the  place  of  beginning  ;  poll  at  the 


on  the  east  line  of  said  section,  thence  west  to  the  Law- 
renceville district  line,  thence  south  with  said  line  to  the 
Embarras  river,  thence  down  the  said  river  to  its  mouth, 
thence  up  the  Wabash  to  the  place  of  beginning ;  the 
poll  remained  at  the  house  of  James  Gibson.  An 
house  of  John  Bullard,  and  with  Chip.  Webster,  James  J  eighth  precinct  was  formed  in  March  term,  1840,  to  be 
Elliott  and  Elisha  Gibbs  as  judges  of  election.  {  called 

Johnston. — Beginning  at  the  south  county  line  where  j  Shidler. — All  that  part  of  the  Lawrenceville  district 
the  range  line  between  ranges  13  and  14  strikes  the  same,  that  lies  west  of  section  line  running  due  north  and  south, 
thence  east  to  the  Wabash,  thence  up  the  Wabash  to  the  i  east  of  section  33  in  township  4  N.  R.  12  west,  including 
raouthof  the  Embarras  thence  up  the  Embarras  to  one  !  that  part  of  the  Lawrenceville  district  that  lies  between 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS.         105 


the  aforesaid  section  line  and  the  range  line  of  13  and 
14;  poll  at  the  house  of  Peter  Shidler,  with  W.  Y. 
Christy,  Benjamin  Conchraan  and  Elijah  Barns  as 
judges  of  election.  A  ninth  precinct  was  organized 
October  2d,  1843,  and  named 

St.  Fmnclsville.  — It  was  composed  of  all  that  portion 
of  Lawrence  county  south  of  Indian  creek  and  east  of 
the  Mt.  Carmel  and  Liwrenceville  state  road  ;  poll  at 
the  house  of  Thomas  Selby,  with  Amos  Lyon,  Alfred 
H.  Grass  and  J.  B.  Maxwell  as  judges  of  election. 

Various  changes  of  minor  importance  were  made  in 
subsequent  years.  Shidler  was  divided  by  a  line  run- 
ning east  and  west  through  the  centre  of  the  precinct, 
the  southern  half  to  be  called  Petty.  A  tenth  precinct, 
Russellville,  was  organized  in  1852.  At  the  time  of  the 
adoption  of  township  organization,  the  county  was 
divided  into  eleven  precincts  respectively,  called  Rus- 
sellville,  Allison,  Wabash,  Bond,  Petty,  Shidler,  Prairie, 
Bonpas,  Johnson,  St.  Francisville  and  Lawrenceville. 

We  introduce  next  the  official  report  of  the  commis- 
sioners appointed  to  form  the  political  townships,  into 
which  the  county  was  subdivided  in  December,  1856,  to 
wit: 

To  the  Honorable  County  Court  of  Lawrence  County  at 

the  March  Term,  1857  : 

The  undersigned  commissioners  appointed  by  your 
honorable  body  at  the  December  term,  1856,  to  divide 
the  county  of  Lawrence  into  townships  in  accordance 
with  an  act  entitled  an  act  to  provide  for  township  or- 
ganization, beg  leave  to  submit  the  following  report,  to 
wit: 

Perry  Township,  now  Petty.—  Beginning  at  the  N.  W. 
corner  of  the  county,  thence  east  eight  miles  to  the 
northeast  corner  of  section  29  in  township  5  N.  R.  12 
W.,  thence  south  seven  miles  to  the  southeast  corner  of 
section  29,  township  4  N.,  R.  12  W.,  thence  west  eight 
miles  to  the  county  line  at  the  S.  W.  corner  of  section 
30,  T.  4  N.,  R.  13  W.,  thence  north  to  the  place  of 
beginning. 

Bond  Township  — Beginning  at  the  N.  W.  corner  of 
section  28  in  township  5  N.  R.  12  W.,  thence  east  seven 
miles  to  the  northeast  corner  of  section  28,  T.  5  N.  R. 
11  W.,  thence  south  five  miles  to  the  southeast  corner  of 
section  16,  T.  4  N.  R.  11  W.,  thence  west  seven  miles  to 
the  S.  W.  corner  of  section  16,  T.  4  N.,  R.  12  W., 
thence  north  five  miles  to  the  place  of  beginning. 

Russell  Township. — Beginning  at  the  N.  W.  corner 
of  sec.  27,  tp.  5  N.,  range  11  W- ;  thence  south  five 
miles  to  the  S.  W.  cor.  of  sec.  15,  tp.  4  N.,  range  11  W. ; 
thence  east  three  miles  to  the  S.  E.  corner  of  sec.  13, 
tp.  4,  range  11  W. ;  thence  south  one  mile  to  the  S.  W. 
corner  sec.  19,  tp.  4  N.,  range  10  W. ;  thence  east  four 
miles  to  the  Wabash  river ;  thence  up  the  Wabash  river 
to  the  county  line  between  Lawrence  and  Crawford 
counties,  thence  west  to  the  place  of  beginning. 

Hardin  Township,  now  Christy. — Beginning  at  the 
northwest  corner  of  sec.  31,  tp.  4  N  ,  range  13  W.; 
14 


thence  south  six  miles  to  the  S.  W.  corner  of  sec.  30, 
tp.  3  north,  range  13  W.;  thence  east  eight  miles  to  the 
southeast  corner  of  sec.  29,  tp.  3  N.,  range  12  W. ; 
thence  north  six  miles  to  the  N.  E.  cor.  of  sec.  32  in  tp. 
4  N.,  range  12  W.,  thence  west  eight  miles  to  the  place 
of  beginning. 

Lawrence  Township. — Beginning  at  the  northwest 
corner  of  sec.  21,  tp.  4  N.,  range  12  W. ;  thence  east 
seven  miles  to  the  northeast  corner  of  sec.  21,  tp.  4  N., 
range  11  W. ;  thence  south  six  miles  to  the  southeast 
corner  of  sec.  16,  tp.  3  N.,  range  11  W. ;  thence  west 
seven  miles  to  the  southwest  corner  of  sec.  16,  tp.  3  N., 
range  12  W. ;  thence  north  six  miles  to  the  place  of 
beginning. 

TJiompson  Township,  now  Allison. — Beginning  at  the 
northwest  corner  of  sec.  22,  tp.  4  N.,  range  11  W. 
thence  south  nine  miles  to  the  southwest  corner  of  sec. 
34,  tp.  3  N.,  range  11  W.;  thence  east  to  the  Wabash 
river,  thence  up  said  river  to  the  line  between  sections 
23  and  26,  tp.  4  N.,  range  10  W. ;  thence  west  four 
miles  to  the  southwest  corner  of  sec  19,  tp.  4  N.,  range 
10  W. ;  thence  north  one  mile  to  the  northwest  oorner 
of  sec.  19,  tp.  4,  N.,  range  10  W.,  thence  west  three  miles 
to  the  place  of  beginning. 

Marion  Township,  now  Lukin.—  Beginning  at  the 
northwest  corner  of  sec.  31,  tp.  5  N.,  range  13  W. ; 
thence  south  six  miles  to  the  southwest  corner  of  sec. 
13,  tp.  2  N.,  range  13  W.  to  the  county  line;  thence 
east  with  the  county  line  eight  miles  to  the  southeast 
corner  of  sec.  29,  tp.  2  N.,  range  12  W. ;  thence  north 
six  miles  to  the  northeast  corner  of  sec.  32,  tp.  3  N., 
range  12  W. ;  thence  west  eight  miles  to  the  place  of 
beginning. 

Denison  Township. — Beginning  at  the  north  west  corner 
of  sec.  21,  tp.  3  N.,  range  12  W. ;  thence  south  eight 
miles  to  the  southwest  corner  of  sec.  28,  tp.  2  N.,  range 
12  W. ;  thence  east  to  the  Wabash  river,  thence  up  the 
Wabash  river  to  the  township  line  between  townships  2 
and  3  N.,  range  11  W. ;  thence  west  to  the  south- 
west corner  of  sec.  34,  tp.  3  N.,  range  11  W.;  thence 
north  three  miles  to  the  northeast  corner  of  sec.  21,  tp. 
3  N.  range  11  W. ;  thence  west  seven  miles  to  the  place 
of  beginning. 

Respectfully  submitted. 

PETER  SMITH, 
W.  D-  ADAMS, 
WALTER  BUCHANAN. 

Commissioners. 

This  report  was  approved  on  the  5th  of  March,  1857, 
and  an  election  ordered  to  be  held  in  the  various  town- 
ships on  the  first  Tuesday  of  April,  1857,  for  the 
election  of  township  officers. 

The  territory  of  Christy  township  was  divided  into 
two  townships  in  September,  1872,  to  form  a  new  town- 
ship called 

Bridgeport  Township  — Commencing  on  the  north- 
east corner  of  Christy,  running  west  on  its  north 
base  line  two  and  a  half  miles;  thence  due  south- 


106 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


through  said  town  to  the  south  line ;  thence  east  along 
said  line  to  the  southeast  corner,  thence  north  along 
the  east  line  to  place  of  beginning. 

COUNTY   FINANCES  SINCE   1827. 

The  financial  statement  of  Dec.  1827,  exhibited  a  debt 
of  $2237  ;  that  of  1828  shows  a  reduction  of  about  $240. 
In  1829  another  small  reduction  is  to  be  noted— $110. 
The  taxable  property,  exclusive  of  lands,  had  now  (1829) 
increased  to  $148,143,  and  a  tax  of  50c.  per  100,  promised 
a  direct  income  of  some  $740.  The  ferries  across  the 
Wabash  had  now  to  pay  an  annual  license  of  $30  each  ; 
the  Embarras  ferries  were  rated  from  $5  to  $15  each. 
The  total  revenue  of  1830  amounted  to  $994.23 ;  and 
in  March,  1831,  the  county  debt  was  stated  to  have 
amounted  to  $17(>1.08.  Out  of  an  income  of  less  than 
$1200,  the  commissioners  (Caius  M.  Eaton,  Charles 
Eiumons  and  Jon.  Barnes),  saved  nearly  $700  for  the 
purpose  of  reducing  the  debt,  which  in  1832  still  amount- 
ed to  $1088.49.  A  new  system  of  licensing  merchants 
provided  for  additional  revenue  ;  so  we  find  that  John 
C.  Reily  paid  $15  a  year  for  the  privilege  of  selling  goods 
at  Lawrenceville.  Clock  peddlers  had  to  pay  $50  fora 
three  months' license!  These  clock  peddlers  were  Yan- 
kees. The  revenue  of  1833  amounted  to  $1275.90,  and 
expenditure  to  $506.38,  all  told  ;  the  debt  was  reduced 
to  $417.69.  The  last  dollar  of  this  debt  was  paid  in  1834, 
and  a  surplus  of  $244  cash  in  the  treasury,  besides  pro- 
missory notes  for  donation  lots  amounting  to  $102.  This 
auspicious  state  of  affairs  led  to  negotiations  in  reference 
to  opening  a  state  road  from  Vincennes  to  Chicago,  with 
an  estimated  cost  of  only  $6953.90  for  Lawrence  county, 
and  to  open  and  bridge  another  state  road  from  Mt.  Car- 
mel  to  Lawrenceville,  a  distance  of  22  miles.  The  county 
expenditures  were  again  on  the  increase,  amounting  to 
$1741.15  in  the  year  ending  March  1,1835;  however, 
the  greater  income  justified  this  extravagance,  which 
consisted  principally  in  the  painting  of  the  old  court- 
house. The  exchequer  of  the  county  still  showed  up  a 
snug  cash  balance  of  $481  93.  An  unexpected  and, 
comparatively  speaking,  a  large  sum  of  money  was  added 
to  this  surplus.  An  act  of  the  Legislature  of  January 
19, 1829,  provided  for  the  distribution  among  the  various 
counties  of  the  state  of  funds  realized  from  the  sale  of 
Saline  Reserve  lands  in  Vermillion  county.  Lawrence 
county  drew  $1600  in  January,  1836,  $1400  of  which 
were  loaned  out  to  individuals,  and  the  balance  expended 
on  roads.  The  county  revenue  of  that  year  amounted  to 
$1173.65,  and  exceeded  the  expenditures  to  the  amount  of 
$642.98 ;  the  treasurer  was  instructed  to  loan  $400  of 
the  surplus  to  responsible  parties  for  a  period  of  six 
months.  Six  hundred  dollars  of  the  saline  land  funds 
were  placed  in  the  hands  of  Joseph  Adams  and  George 
Lemons,  for  the  purpose  of  defraying  the  expenses  of 
permanent  improvements  of  the  Vincennes  and  Danville 
road.  In  the  following  year  another  appropriation, 
amounting  to  $831.59,  was  made  for  a  similar  purpose. 
The  ordinary  expenditures  of  1836  and  1837  did  not 
wholly  absorb  the  revenue,  so  that  in  June,  1838,  a  bal- 


ance of  $554.32  remained  at  the  disposition  of  the  county 
commissioners.  The  county  got  into  possession  of  large 
sums  of  money  in  consequence  of  the  inauguration  by 
the  State  of  what  is  generally  known  as  the  grand  sys- 
tem of  internal  improvements.  The  impetus  to  the 
system  of  internal  improvements  at  the  expense,  or,  more 
properly  speaking,  on  the  credit  of  the  State,  was  given 
by  George  Forquer,  formerly  of  Monroe,  but  then  a 
senator  of  Sangamon  county,  in  1834;  his  plans,  how- 
ever, failed.  J.  M.  Strode,  senator  "  of  all  the  county, 
including  Peoria  and  north  of  it,"  had  a  bill  passed  in 
1835,  authorizing  a  loan  of  half  a  million  of  dollars  on 
the  credit  of-  the  State  for  inaugurating  public  improve- 
ments. This  loan  was  negotiated  by  Governor  Duncan 
in  1836,  and  with  this  money  a  commencement  was 
made  on  the  works  of  the  Illinois  canal,  June,  1836. 
The  great  town  lot  speculation  had  reached  Illinois 
about  that  time.  The  number  of  towns  multiplied  so 
rapidly  that  it  seemed  as  though  the  whole  State  would 
become  one  vast  city.  All  bought  lots,  and  all  dreamed 
themselves  rich ;  and,  in  order  to  bring  people  to  those 
cities  in  embryo,  the  system  of  internal  improvements 
was  to  be  carried  out  on  a  grand  scheme.  The  agitation 
became  genera),  and  the  silence  and  indifference  of  the 
busy  farmer  were  taken  for  tacit  consent.  The  legisla- 
ture, in  1837,  provided  for  the  building  of  about  1300 
miles  of  railroads,  and  voted  eight  millions  of  dollars  for 
that  purpose;  two  hundred  thousand  dollars  of  these  eight 
millions  were  to  be  paid  to  counties  not  reached  by  those  pro- 
posed railroads  as  an  indemnity.  In  order  to  complete 
|  the  canal  from  Chicago  to  Peru,  another  loan  of  four 
j  millions  of  dollars  was  authorized.  And,  as  a  crowning 
act  of  folly,  it  was  provided  that  the  work  should  com- 
mence simultaneously  on  all  the  proposed  roads  at  each 
end,  and  from  the  crossings  of  all  the  rivers. 

No  previous  survey  or  estimate  had  been  made,  either 
of  the  routes,  the  costs  of  the  works  or  the  amount  of 
I  business  to  be  done  by  them.     The  arguments  in  favor 
i  of  the  system  were  of  a  character  most  difficult  to  refute, 
j  composed  as  they  were  partly  of  fact,  but  chiefly  of 
|  prediction.     In  this  way  it  was  proved,  to  general  satis- 
!  faction,  by  an  ingenious   orator  in  the  lobby,  that  the 
State  could  well  afford  to  borrow  a  hun  dred  millions  of 
dollars  and  expend  it  in  making  improvements.     None 
of  the  proposed  roads  were  ever   completed  ;  detached 
parcels  of  them  were  graded  on  every  road,  the  excava- 
tions and  embankments  of  which  have  long  remained  a 
memorial  of  the  blighting  scathe  done  by  this  Legisla- 
ture.   The  next  Legislature  voted  another  8800,000  for 
the  system,  but  the  general  failure  became  so  apparent, 
that    in    1839    the    system    had    to   be    repealed,    as 
no    more    loans    could    be    obtained.       Under     this 
system  a  State  debt  of  fourteen  and  a  quarter  millions  of 
dollars  had  been  created,  to  be  paid  by  a  population  of 
476,183  souls!     Lawrence  county,  not    being  reached 
and    benefited  by  the  construction  of  canals  and    the 
building  of  railroads,  came  in  for  a  considerable  share 
of  the  $200,000  cash  distribution,  for  the  only  "improve- 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  W ABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


107 


meut"  made  in  the  county  consisted  in  the  extending  of 
the  present  State  road  from  the  Wabash  across  the 
prairie.  The  share  of  Lawrence  county  in  the  cash 
distribution  amounted  to  $11,125.  Abuer  Greer  was  j 
appointed  fund  commissioner  and  agent  of  the  county  j 
to  receive  moneys  due  to  the  county  under  said  act,  \ 
passed  and  approved  February  27,  1837.  Greer  re-  \ 
ceived  the  above  amount  on  the  19th  of  November,  1838,  \ 
and  deposited  it, as  directed  by  the  county  board,  (Win. 
Spencer,  S-  B.  Lowery,  and  Daniel  Pain)  in  the 
Lawrenceville  bank,  a  branch  of  the  State  bank,  on  the 
same  day.  The  county  fared  undoubtedly  much  better 
than  other  counties,  which  were  within  the  radius  of 
promised  railroads,  but  then  the  transaction  was  by  no 
means  a  profitable  one.  The  debt  of  the  State  was 
equal  to  $30  per  head  throughout  the  State,  con- 
sequently Lawrence  county  with  its  population  of  7,092 
souls  had  to  assume  a  permanent  and  interest  bearing 
debt  of  6212,760,  its  proportional  share  of  those  four- 
teen and  a  quarter  millions,  for  and  in  consideration  of  a 
few  miles  of  a  dirt  road,  and  $11,125  current  money  in 
hand  paid.  The  question  now  arose  what  is  to  be  done 
with  this  money?  The  court  decided  to  loan  it  out,  at 
eight  per  cent,  annual  interest,  to  citizens  of  the  county, 
in  sums  not  exceeding  two  hundred  dollars,  and  to  be 
secured  by  the  signature  of  two  sureties,  etc.  The  re- 
cords show  that  there  was  a  brisk  demand  for  money  in 
the  county,  some  $8,000  of  the  money  having  been 
placed  within  forty-eight  hours  of  its  arrival.  The 
matter  of  getting  sureties  was  not  of  difficult  nature. 
B  and  C  signing  A's  note,  or  A  and  C  signing  B's,  and  B 
and  A  signing  C's.  The  parties  borrowing  the  funds 
were :  James  P.  A.  Lewis,  Cephas  Atkinson,  Aaron 
Shaw,  Samuel  K.  Miller,  S.  H.  Clubb,  Caius  M.  Eaton, 
A.  F.  David,  John  Mieure,  James  M.  McLean,  Daniel 
Pain,  J.  C.  Reiley,  A.  S.  Badollet,  James  Rawlings,  E. 
G.  Peyan,  William  Wilson,  Alexander  Stewart,  William 
Spencer,  A.  Barker,  John  Baker,  Elijah  Mayes,  J.  R. 
Wilson,  Samuel  Newell,  Paul  Lewis,  W.  G.  Anderson, 
Joshua  Dually,  J.  B  Colwell,  Edmond  Taylor,  Jesse 
Conway  and  James  Lewis,  each  $200 ;  Silas  Moore,  $175 ; 
James  Neal,  D.  D.  Marney,  D.  C.  Travis,  James  F. 
Moore  and  Isaac  Leach,  each  $150 ;  John  P.  Lamb, 
(the  only  one  who  gave  three  sureties)  Nathan  Raw- 
lings  and  Jacob  Young,  each  $125 ;  Rice  Mieure,  Thos. 
Cook,  Joseph  Petty,  James  Sawyer,  James  Rankin  and 
W.  V.  Murphy,  each  $100';  H.  Hanks,  $75 ;  Thomas 
Gardner,  Lewis  Sawyer  and  J.  P.  Tyffe,  each  $50. 

The  balance  of  the  improvement  fund,  to  wit,  $3,015, 
was  loaned  out  on  the  third  of  December,  1838.  The 
financial  condition  of  the  county  was  now  prosperous. 
The  Treasurer,  Abner  Greer,  reported,  December,  1838, 
that  all  county  orders  and  juror  warrants  were  paid  and 
canceled,  and  that  $1,950.41  J  cash  remained  in  treas- 
ury. An  appropriation  of  $200  was  made  to  purchase 
160  acres  of  land  to  be  subsequently  used  as  a  poor 
farm.  Samuel  Thorn,  the  sheriff,  was  appointed  agent 
to  select  and  buy  the  land. 


The  county  tax  rate  was  now  reduced  to  twenty  cents 
per  $100  tax  value.  In  June,  1839,  the  treasurer 
reported  a  surplus  of  $1,146,11  in  available  assets.  At 
the  same  term  the  county  commissioners  bethought 
themselves  that  their  actions  in  reference  to  the  disposi- 
tion of  the  improvement  funds  had  not  been  wise,  and  that 
the  moneys  should  be  made  useful  to  all  by  proper  and 
needed  public  improvements.  They  allotted  $4.340  funds 
and  accrued  interest  to  the  district  east  of  the  Embarras, 
to  be  disbursed  by  John  Dollahan  and  T.  C.  Bailey,  as 
agents  of  the  county.  The  district  west  of  the  Embarras 
and  east  of  range  line  between  ranges  12  and  13,  was  to 
have  an  equal  amount  to  be  put  into  the  hands  of 
Victor  Buchanan,  Jr.,  and  James  M.  McLean,  agents, 
for  proper  use ;  and  finally,  $3340  to  be  awarded  to  the 
west  end — now  part  of  Richland — and  to  be'managed 
by  James  Parker  and  W.  Y.  Christy,  agents.  This 
distribution  of  the  improvement  fund  was,  however,  not 
final.  The  money  was  "  out '  and  the  calling  in  pro- 
cess very  slow.  T  he  notes  were  renewed  from  year  to 
year  with  certain  reductions.  The  board,  seeing  the 
difficulty  of  collecting  the  loans,  resorted  to  the  means 
of  calling  in  annual  instalments,  thus  reducing  the  risks 
to  some  extent.  In  June,  1842,  the  court  issued  an 
order  to  use  $5000  of  the  improvement  fund  in  defray- 
ing the  expenses  of  building  the  new  court-house.  But 
to  return  to  the  county  finances.  G.  W-  Kinkade, 
the  treasurer,  who  succeeded  Ab.  Greer  in  1839,  re- 
ported in  June,  1840,  that  the  ordinary  expenses  of  the 
current  year  had  amounted  to  $835.30,  and  that  the 
cash  balance  in  the  treasury  amounted  to  $1417.85. 
The  next  year  saw  this  balance  reduced  to  $903.82 ;  in 
1842  this  balance  was  wiped  out  completely,  and  a 
floating  debt  of  $5376.47  was  reported  June  7.  The 
building  of  the  new  court-house  may  have  been  the 
cause  of  this  sudden  change  in  the  financial  condition  of 
the  county.  The  organization  of  Richland  county  oc- 
curred at  that  period,  and  as  about  one-fourth  of  the  ter- 
ritory of  Lawrence  county  became  a  part  of  the  new 
county,  the  revenues  of  the  latter  were  reduced  in  pro- 
portion. The  separation  was  an  amicable  one,  decided 
by  an  overwhelming  majority  at  a  special  election  held 
on  the  7th  of  January,  1841.  The  division  subse- 
quently caused  some  trouble,  as  the  citizens  of  the  new 
county  claimed  $5000  as  their  share  in  the  internal  im- 
provement fund.  Suit  was  instituted  by  Richland 
county  for  this  amount,  but  a  compromise,  to  settle  on 
the  basis  of  an  indemnity  of  $1000  was  finally  effected. 

Turning  from  the  subject  of  finances,  a  few  words 
will  here  be  said  in  reference  to  the  various  county  offi- 
cials during  this  period. 

County  Officials  1821  to  1849.— The  county  commis- 
sioners in  office  during  that  period  were  John  Lanter- 
man,  J.  Dunlap,  William  Martin,  James  Nabb,  J.  P. 
Harris,  Isaiah  Lewis,  Daniel  Travis,  Richard  Gardner, 
Samuel  Harris,  Benjamin  McCleave,  A.  S.  Badellot, 
Caius  M.  Eaton,  Samuel  Adams,  Charles  Emmons,  John 
Barnes,  William  Spencer,  Samuel  Duulap,  S.  B.  Low- 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  W ABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


ery,  Daniel  Pain,  G.  V.  Russell,  Hugh  Calhoun,  Victor 
Hucliaiiiui,  C.  D.  Emmons,  Edward  Moore,  Randolph 
Heath,  /John  Mieure  and  William  Tanquary.  The 
machinery  of  the  county  government  worked  smoothly 
until  1839,  the  period  of  the  improvement  fund,  when 
resignations  seem  to  have  been  in  order.  S.  R.  Lowery 
withdrew  from  the  board  in  1840,  William  Spencer  and 
S.  V.  Russell  in  1841,  and  then  Edward  Moore.  The 
records  simply  state  the  fact  of  those  resignations  with- 
out mentioning  the  cause  leading  to  them. 

COUNTY  CLERKS. 

The  position  of  County  Clerk  must  have  been  a  most 
unpleasant  one,  for  there  are  m  ore  resignations  to  note 
than  in  all  the  other  county  offices  combined.  Toussaint 
Dubois  served  only  5  months,  and  resigned  September 
6, 1821.  James  M.  McLean,  his  successor,  resigned  in 
the  last  year  of  his  second  term,  March  12,  1829.  H. 
M.  Gillham  served  only  9  months  and  resigned  Decem- 
ber 15,  1829.  V»l.  J.  Bradley  came  within  3  months 
of  serving  a  full  term,  and  was  succeeded  September  2, 
1833,  by  J.  M.  McLean,  reappointed,  who  in  his  turn 
res'gned  in  the  third  year  of  his  term,  September,  1836. 
Ebenezer  Z  Ryan  held  his  own  for  the  balance  of 
McLean's,  and  two  full  terms,  to  which  he  was  elected 
in  1839  and  1843  ;  he  too,  had  his  troubles  and  annoy- 
ances, as  will  appear  from  the  following : 

THE  CLERK'S  LETTER. 
Lauirenceville,  Illinois,  January  25,  1842. 

To  the  Hon.  County  Commissioners  of  Lawrence 
county,  Illinois. 

GENTLEMEN: — Inasmuch  as  reports  have  been  cir- 
culated, embracing  charges  highly  prejudicial  to  myself 
both  as  an  individual,  and  as  an  officer  of  your  court,  I 
ask  as  an  act  of  justice  to  myself,  and  as  an  officer  always 
willing  that  my  official  conduct  shall  be  fully  investi- 
gated, a  lull  and  complete  investigation  of  all  my 
actings  and  doings  as  Clerk  of  the  Cpurt  of  the  said 
county  of  Lawrence,  either  by  yourselves  sitting  as  a 
court,  or  by  a  committee  to  be  appointed  by  you,  for 
that  purpose,  and  that  they  be  instructed  to  report  the 
result  of  their  investigations  to  the  next  term  of  your 
court.  Very  respectfully,  your  most  obedient  servant, 
£.  Z.  RYAN. 

The  court  appointed  Samuel  Dunlap,  Benjamin 
Conchman  and  Joseph  G.  Bowman  such  committee ;  no 
report  mentioned. 

Ryan  was  succeeded  by  W.  S.  .Hennessy,  in  1847.  His 
official  couch  was  not  a  bed  of  roses,  and  he  was  forced 
to  resign  January  19, 1853. 

TREASURERS. 

As  a  rule  the  Treasurers  of  the  county  have  had 
pleasant  duties  to  perform,  and  were  never  exposed  to 
tribulations,  persecutions  and  unfounded  accusations. 
Samuel  H.  Clubb  served  two  terms,  from  1821  to  1823. 
(Treasurers  were  appointed  by  the  county  commission- 


ers' court  annually).  Valentine  J.  Bradley  served  five 
successive  terms,  1823  to  1828.  Algernon  S.  Badollet, 
1828  to  1829;  James  Nabb,  1829  to  1830;  Samuel 
Harris,  1830  to  183]  ;  G.  W.  Kiukade,  1831  to  1833  ; 
Samuel  H.  Clubb,  again,  1833  to  1835;  Edward  J. 
O'Neille.  1835  to  1836;  Ebeuezer  Z.  Ryan,  from  March 
to  September  1836,  when  he  resigned  and  was  appointed 
clerk  in  place  of  James  M.  McLean.  Abner  Greer, 
i  1836  to  1839  ;  G.  W.  Kinkade,  elected  August  1839, 
and  re-elected  in  1841,  for  two  years'  terms ;  D.  D. 
Marney,  1843  to  1847  ;  did  not  serve  the  full  length  of 
his  second  term  aud  was  succeeded  March  4, 1847,  by 
Lafayette  McLean,  who  remained  in  office  only  6 
months.  James  B.  Alleuder,  elected  1847,  served  until 
1849. 

Circuit  Clerks.— Toussaint  Dubois,  from  April  to  Sept. 
1821:  J.  M.  McLean,  1821  to  1829;  Valentine  J. 
Bradley,  1829  to  1836;  E.  Z.  Ryan,  from  1836  to 
1849. 

Sheriffs.— Henry  Dubois,  1821  to  1825  ;  Hiram  Wade, 
to  1834;  Robert  B.  Barney,  to  1836;  Samuel  Thorn, 
to  1848 ;  and  Jacob  Young,  to  1850. 

Coroners.— Robert  Bennefield,  Absalom  Chenowitb,  R. 
M.  Marney,  Thomas  Fyffee,  and  W.  M.  Murphy. 

Circuit  Attorneys.— J.  M.  Robinson,  E.  B.  Webb, 
Aaron  Shaw,  and  Alfred  Kitchell. 

School  Commissioners.  —  James  M.  McLean,  from 
December,  1834  to  September,  1836,  when  he  re- 
signed the  four  offices  he  was  then  occupying,  to 
wit :  County  Clerk,  Circuit  Clerk,  Probate  Justice, 
and  School  Commissioner.  He  was  succeeded 
by  Abner  Greer,  1836  to  1842;  W.  R.  Jackman,  1842 
to  1843  ;  and  Algernon  S.  Badollet,  from  1843  to  1857. 

Probate  Justices.  —  H.  M.  Gillman,  1821  to  1823; 
James  M.  McLean,  1823  to  1836;  G.  W.  Ku.kade, 
1836  to  1837 ;  aud  Caius  M.  Eaton,  from  1837  to  1849. 

County  Assessors. — As  a  rule,  the  county  treasurers 
were  also  entrusted  with  "  listing  "  the  property  of  the 
citizens  of  the  county  for  taxation.  Daniel  Travis,  Jr., 
commissioner  of  census  in  1825,  also  made  the  assessment 
for  that  year.  The  revenue  law  of  1839,  provided  for  the 
dividing  of  counties  into  assessors'  districts.  The  com- 
missioners' court  then  appointed  Jackson  B.  Shaw,  J.  H. 
Morris,  and  M.  B.  Snyder,  for  1839,  and  again  George 
Lemons,  J.  H.  Morris,  and  J.  M.  Travis,  1840.  The  assess- 
ment of  1841  and  1842  was  made  by  D.  C.  Travis,  county 
assessor.  All  subsequent  assessments  until  1857  were 
made  by  the  several  county  treasurers. 

Circuit  Courts,  1821  to  1849.— The  first  circuit  court 
of  Lawrence  county  was  held  in  the  house  of  Toussaint 
Dubois,  on  Monday,  June  4,  1822.  Hon.  William 
Wilson,  was  on  the  bench,  with  -J.  M.  Robinson, 
as  prosecuting  attorney,  Toussaint  Dubois,  clerk,  and 
Henry  Dubois,  sherifi*.  James  McLean,  was  appointed 
clerk,  in  place  of  Dubois,  on  the  9th  June.  The  sheriff 
called  upon  the  following  gentlemen  freeholders  to 
form  the 

Grand   Jury.— Samuel    Harris,    foreman;    William 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  W ABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS.          109 


Spencer,  Larken  Ryle,  Daniel  Grove,  Benjamin 
McCleave,  Rezin  Clubb,  Benjamin  Sumner,  Samuel 
Ramsay,  Gabriel  Scott,  Abraham  Cairns,  Scott  Riggs, 
William  Howard,  Thomas  Anderson,  William  Adams, 
Eli  Harris,  Daniel  Travis,  John  Berry,  Ezekiel  Turner, 
Joseph  Clayton,  James  Beaird,  Joseph  Adams,  William 
Bennet,  and  John  Hinriman. 

Major  Daniel  L.  Gold,  in  his  historical  sketch  of 
Lawrence  county,  read  on  the  4th  July,  1876,  mentioned 
this  grand  jury,  and  added  the  following  :  "  After  being 
charged  as  to  their  duty,  they  retired  to  the  woods,  very 
probably,  for  consideration,  etc."  Nor  is  this  taking  to 
the  woods  wondered  at;  for  those  good  and  sterling 
gentlemen  freeholders  were  fully  two  generations  nearer 
to  our  progenitors  (see  Darwin's  origin  of  man),  than  we 
are  now ;  and  all  know,  that  those  progenitors  of  ours 
are  great  foresters  to  this  day. 

The  grand  jury  presented  William  Ashbrook,  for 
assault  and  battery,  and  Michael  Stufflebeam  and  Ben- 
jamin Matthews,  for  selling  liquor  without  a  license. 
Ashbrook  was,  on  a  plea  of  guilty,  fined  two  dollars,  the 
others  were  tried  and  fined  $12.00  and  costs,  each.  At 
the  next  term,  Nov.,  1821,  General  W.  Johnston,  was 
licensed  to  practice  law,  and  Jacob  Call  was  sworn  as  a 
lawyer,  and  admitted  to  practice  W.  R  Baker's  cases, 
two  indictments  for  passing  counterfeit  money,  and  two 
larceny,  were  taken  from  docket.  Judge  Wilson's 
place  on  the  bench  was  occupied  by  Hon.  James 
Wattles. 

May  Term  1825. — A  case  of  larceny,  the  people  of 
Illinois  vs.  W.  B.  terminated  in  a  plea  of  guilty.  The 
poor  culprit  was  sentenced  to  15  stripes  on  his  bare 
back,  well  laid  on,  and  the  sheriff,  (Hiram  Wade)  ordered 
to  execute  the  sentence  immediately  at  some  convenient 
spot,  etc.  The  first  divorce  case,  Jane  Hembre  vs.  John 
Hembre,  was  tried  before  judge  James  Hall,  November, 
1825.  It  was  made  a  jury  case,  and  Jane  was  freed  from 
the  hateful  bands  of  matrimonial  infelicity.  Both  terms 
of  court  held  in  1826  were  presided  over  by  judge  James 
O.Watties.  In  April  1827  judge  William  Wilson  occupied 
the  bench  in  Lawrenceville  again.  At  this  term  a  trial  for 
horse  stealing  was  had.  James  Langley  was  put  on  trial 
for  having  stolen  a  horse,  and  Levi  Rush,  for  having 
received  the  stolen  property.  The  parties  were  defended 
by  Moses  Tabbs,  and  prosecuted  by  J.  M.  Robinson. 
The  jury,  who  found  them  both  guilty  as  charged,  were 
composed  of  Joshua  Westfall,.  Alexander  Stewart,  Isaac 
Westfall,  John  Barnes,  Isaac  Hunter,  Joseph  Lamotte, 
Andrew  Quick, Z.  French,  John  Melton,  Tilman  Melton, 
Philip  Lewis  and  Jesse  Jenny.  Langley  was  sentenced  to 
50  stripes,  to  be  immediately  "  well "  laid  on,  etc  ,  and  to  a 
fine  of  one  hundred  dollars,  to  pay  which  he  was  to  be  sold 
into  servitude  for  a  term  not  exceeding  three  years.  Levi 
got  off  with  thirty  stripes  and  two  and  a  half  years  invol- 
untary servitude,  provided  he  failed  to  pay  a  fine  of  one 
hundred  dollars,  before  the  28th  of  the  current  month. 
Judge  Wilson  remained  on  the  bench  until  1835.  At 
the  April  term,  1834,  another  barbarous  sentence  was 


passed  on  one  John  Shelton  for  the  heinous  crime  of 
rape.  He  received  sixty  stripes  and  was  imprisoned  for 
two  days  besides.  Speaking  of  the  morals  of  the 

|  people  in  those  early  days,  Mr.  Gold  says :  Owing  to  the 
unsettled  condition  of  border  life,  the  country  was  infested 
with  marauding  horse-thieves,  counterfeiters  etc.,  to  such 
an  extent  that  many  banded  themselves  together  to 
pursue  and  punish  these  desperadoes.  These  bands  were 

,  called  regulators,  and  although  self-constituted  they  held 
their  courts,  arrested,  tried  and  generally  convicted  a 
number  of  these  robbers  and  punished  them  usually  with 

|  thirty-eight  lashes    on   the    bare    back.     Numbers  of 

j  citizens  opposed  these  operations  of  Judge  Lynch,  yet  the 
bands  had  upon  their  rolls  many  of  the  best  citizens 
whom  self-defense  had  driven  to  such  ulterior  remedies 
and  on  the  whole,  the  regulators  served  a  good  "purpose 

j  for  the  time,  as  the  den  of  desperadoes  was  discovered  and 
destroyed,  their  dies  captured  and  ground  to  powder  in 
this  place  (Lawrenceville)  by  an  outraged  public. 

I      Hon.  Justin  Harlan  presided  at  the  Circuit  Court  as  the 

I  successor  of  Judge  Wilson  since  March  1835.  The 
September  term  of  1835  however  was  held  by  Judge 
Alexander  Grant,  and  it  was  during  this  term  that  Hon. 
Aaron  Shaw  was  admitted  to  the  bar. 

W.  K.  Cunningham  has  the  distinction  of  being  the 
first  man  sent  to  the  penitentiary  from  Lawrence 
county.  His  was  a  one  year's  term  on  being  convicted 
for  assault  with  intent  to  kill.  October  term,  1839. 

The  only  enforcement  of  the  death  penalty  in  the 
county  was  that  of  Elizabeth  Reed.  She  was  however 

j  not  a  resident  of  Lawrence  county,  and  her  case  was 

j  tried  here  on  a  change  of  venue  from  Crawford  county. 
She  was  tried  at  the  April  term,  1845,  held  by  Hon. 

|  William  Wilson,  judge,  who  had  again  presided  over 
the  sessions  of  the  circuit  court  since  April,  1841. 
Elizabeth  Reed  had  killed  Leonard  Reed,  her  husband, 
on  the  15th  day  of  August,  1844,  by  administering 
poison  in  his  food.  She  was  indicted  by  the  grand 
jury  of  Crawford  county  at  the  September  terra,  1844. 
This  grand  jury  was  presided  over  by  D.  Hill,  foreman, 
and  the  indictment  was  based  upon  the  testimony  of 
James  M.  Logan,  John  Wynn,  Harrison  Price,  Eveline 
Deal,  John  Herriman,  H.  G.  Burr,  N.  T.  Steele  and 
Levi  Shoemaker. 

The  prosecution  was  conducted  by  Aaron  Shaw 
(Attorney  of  State  since  1842)  and  S.  S.  S.  Hayes,  and 
the  defense  by  Messrs.  French  and  Linder. 

The  jury,  before  which  the  case  was  tried,  was  com- 
posed of  Henry  Sheraddin,  Edward  Fyffe,  Joshua  Dud- 
ley, J.  M.  Morris,  James  V.  Robinson,  John  L.  Bass, 
W.  R.  Jackman,  Elijah  Gaddy,  Emsley  Wright,  Wil- 
liam Collins,  James  W.  Corrie  and  Silas  Moore. 

The  jury  found  the  defendant  guilty  and  the  court 
sentenced  her  to  be  hung  on  the  23d  of  May,  1845. 

The  wretched  woman  ended  her  life  as  sentenced, 
and  the  painful  duty  of  becoming  her  executioner 
devolved  on  a  most  kind  hearted  man,  Samuel  Thorn, 
the  sheriff. 


no 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  W ABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


Judge  Wilson  remained  on  the  bench  until  the  end  of 
this  period,  1849.  Before  closing  this  period  of  the 
civil  history  of  the  county,  we  should  state  that  the 
county  was  represented  in  the  constitutional  convention 
of  1847  by  Hon.  John  Mieure. 

In  order  to  point  out  the  wealth  and  resources  of  the 
county  at  the  close  of  that  period,  we  introduce  now  the 
following 

NOTES  FROM  THE  U.  S.  CENSUS  OF  1850. 

The  population  of  Lawrence  county  in  1850  consisted 
of  30.05  white  males,  2838  white  females,  144  colored 
males,  and  134  colored  females,  6121  in  the  aggregate. 
The  town  of  Lawrenceville  had  a  population  of  419. 
216  children  were  born  in  the  county  in  1849,  82 
couples  were  married  and  68  persons  buried.  The 
1057  families  in  the  county  were  occupying  1057  dwel- 
lings. 42  teachers,  1406  native  and  two  foreign  born 
children,  306  native  adults  and  two  foreign  born  adults 
were  unable  to  read  and  write.  The  farms  of  Lawrence 
county  contained  34,684  acres  of  improved  and  5u,968 
acres  of  unimproved  lands,  and  were  worth  $599,680. 
Farming  implements  represented  a  value  of  $40,757, 
live  stock  one  of  $161,322,  and  slaughtered  animals  one 
of  $:3,787.  The  productions  of  the  county  in  1849 
had  been :  15,582  bushels  of  wheat,  426,850  of  corn, 
50,144  of  oats;  14,120  of  Irish,  and  2000  of  sweet 
potatoes;  1530  of  buckwheat  and  930  of  rye;  7297 
Ibs.  of  tobacco;  12,000  Ibs  of  wool;  90,505  Ibs.  of  butter; 
5300  of  cheese;  10,500  of  flax;  2370  Ibs.  of  maple 
sugar;  12,356  Ibs  of  flax,  and  1926  tons  of  hay.  Arti- 
cles manufactured  in  the  county  in  1849  represented  a 
value  of  $12,274.  The  county  had  thirteen  church 
edifices,  to  wit:  1  Baptist,  4  Christian,  5  Methodist,  2 
Presbyterian  and  1  Roman  Catholic,  erected  at  an  ex- 
pense of  $5760,  with  a  capacity  of  seating  4300  persons. 

MISCELLANEOUS     NOTES    ON     COUNTY     GOVERNMENT. 
1849  TO  1883. 

The  county  commissioners'  court  was  now  abolished, 
and  the  county  affairs  were  conducted  by  county  courts 
until  1857,  when  the  people  adopted  the  new  system  of 
township  organization. 

The  first  connty  court  was  composed  of  Hon.  E.  Z. 
Ryan,  county  judge,  with  W.  Tanguary  and  Randolph 
Heath  associate  judges.  The  first  session  was  held 
December  30,  1849.  County  Clerk  Hennessy  resigned 
his  office  on  the  19th  of  January,  1853,  on  account  of 
difficulties  with  the  court,  he  having  been  charged  with 
collecting  illegal  fees.  J.  C  Reily,  his  successor,. made 
settlement  of  his  affairs  on  the  21st  of  December,  1855. 
He  was  owing  the  county  $24.24,  which  his  honor,  Judge 
Jesse  K.  Dubois,  assumed  to  pay. 

Township  organization  was  adopted  in  November, 
1856,  and  the  county  court,  to  wit ;  J.  K.  Dubois,  judge, 
J.  M.  Travis  and  James  Irish,  associates,  held  their  last 
session  on  June  1,  1857,  and  adjourned  sine  die. 


The  first  board  of  supervisors  was  composed  of  W.  D. 
Adams,  of  Allison,  chairman  ;  Thomas  Donner,  of  Den- 
nison,  Daniel  Grass,  of  Petty,  D.  L.  Gold,  of  Lawrence, 
Robert  Dollohan,  of  Bond,  Andrew  Pinkstaff,  of  Russell, 
Henry  Schrader,  of  Christy,  and  Wiley  Edmundsou,  of 
Lukin.  As  usual  in  such  cases,  a  committee  was  ap- 
pointed to  investigate  the  county  offices.  D.  L.  Gold 
was  appointed  such  committee. 

The  clerk,  I.  B.  Watts,  ordered  December  28,  1860, 
to  prepare  a  statement  of  the  county  debt,  which,  how- 
ever, he  failed  to  do.  July  25,  1861,  the  clerk  was 
authorized  to  issue  county  orders  to  the  families  of  vol- 
unteers, at  the  rate  of  $3.00  per  month  for  each  family. 
These  orders  were  to  be  issued  during  vacation,  at  the 
request  of  the  individual  supervisors  of  townships.  The 
whole  amount  of  money  spent  in  this  direction  was 
$1842.  This  was  all  the  appropriations  of  the  county 
in  aid  of  the  cause  against  the  rebels.  A  proposition  to 
borrow  $75,000  to  pay  a  bounty  of  $300  each  to  volun- 
teers, so  as  to  avoid  conscription,  was  voted  down  Feb- 
ruary 6,  1865,  by  a  vote  of  5  to  2,  to  wit :  J.  L  Flan- 
ders, Aaron  Clark,  Daniel  Feagan,  J.  L.  Jones  and 
Richard  Greer  voting  nay,  while  John  Jackson  and  L. 
W.  Gee  voted  aye,  D.  H.  Morgan  in  the  chair. 

Daniel  Grass,  who  had  been  appointed  superintendent 
of  schools  in  place  of  L.  Albernathy,  deceased,  refused 
to  accept  the  position.  July  25,  1861,  J.  B.  Saye,  the 
next  appointee,  reported  the  books  in  confusion,  and 
some  $1500  fine-money  uncollected  ;  whereupon  he  was 
instructed  to  file  a  claim  of  $1500  against  the  estate  of 
the  dead  superintendent. 

County  board  purchased  eighty  acres  to  wit :  the  west 
half  of  the  north  quarier  of  section  4  in  township  3-12 
for  $2400,  for  the  purpose  of  making  it  the  permanent 
home  of  the  county  poor.  The  taking  care  of  the  poor 
had  been  a  vexatious  business  ever  since  1850.  The 
expenditures  were  not  near  as  large  as  it  was  generally 
believed,  yet  the  thought  was  prevalent  that  the  poor- 
master  was  making  a  fortune  out  of  this  business.  A 
new  township,  Bridgeport,  was  organized  Septem- 
ber 6,  1872. 

The  financial  condition  of  the  county  as  well  as  the 
swamp  land  trials  and  tribulations  have  been  made 
special  subdivisions  of  this  chapter,  and  are  here  intro- 
duced. 

SWAMP   LANDS. 

The  swamp  land  act  of  congress  and  subsequent  acts 
of  the  legislature  of  Illinois  had  put  the  county  of  Law- 
rence in  possession  of  large  tracts  of  overflowed  lands. 
The  county  court  appointed  Jacob  Young  swamp  land 
and  drainage  commissioner,  at  their  September  term, 
1852.  The  county  surveyors  instructed  to  make  an  ex- 
amination of  those  lands  reported  on  the  4th  of  Decem- 
ber, 1854,  the  following :  420  acres  in  3-10  and  200  in 
4-10  are  in  such  a  condition  that  they  may  be  drained 
at  a  moderate  expense,  when  these  lands  would  be  worth 
fully  $6,230.  There  are  about  1000  acres  in  3  and  4-11 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  W ABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


t 

111 


that  could  be  made  worth  85,000,  as  also  200  acres  in 
4  and  5-13.  The  balance,  to  wit:  15,542  acres,  cannot 
be  drained  at  all,  or  more  properly  speaking,  the  ex- 
.pense  of  draining  them  would  greatly  exceed  their  value 
when  drained. 

The  court,  however,  ordered  a  sale,  which  took  place 
on  the  9th,  10th  and  llth  of  January,  1855,  when 
17,350  acres  were  sold  for  $20,869.10.  Mr.  Young 
made  a  final  settlement  as  drainage  commissioner  on 
the  8th  of  December,  1855,  from  which  it  appears  that 
he  handled  $20,906.69,  principal  and  interest  of  those 
swamp  lands.  This  report  was  finally  disposed  of  on  the 
22d  of  March,  1856.  The  costs  in  adjusting  matters 
and  of  making  surveys  amounted  to  $880.60,  and  $522.- 
66  were  allowed  to  Mr.  Young  as  commissions.  The 
actual  funds  on  hand  on  the  day  named  above  amounted 
to  $19,388.93  in  promissory  notes  and  $417.16  in  cash. 
This  fund  was  to  be  used  in  such  improvements  as  would 
benefit  the  overflowed  districts,  and  soon  after  the  settle- 
ment mentioned  $2000  were  appropriated  for  the  erection 
of  a  dam  across  Purgatory  and  $1000  for  a  levee  on 
Cole's  Island.  In  June,  1857,  $4000  were  appro- 
priated to  build  a  bridge  across  the  Embarras,  opposite 
Lawrenceville,  and  D.  L.  Gold,  G.  W.  Wise  and  8.  H. 
Clubb  appointed  a  committee  to  superintend  the  work. 

D.  L.  Gold  succeeded  Jacob  Young  in  the  office  of 
drainage  commissioner,  and  remained  in  office  until 
January  2,  1862.  During  this  period  the  fund  was 
reduced  to  $8,470.47,  and  consisted  in  judgments  and 
uncollected  claims.  Years  after,  when  certain  irregu- 
larities in  the  handling  of  those  funds  were  discovered, 
Mr.  Gold  petitioned  the  county  board  to  have  his  ad- 
ministration investigated.  This  prayer  was  granted, 
and  on  the  1st  of  September,  1872,  the  committee  re- 
ported that  the  administration  of  Mr.  Gold  had  been 
correct,  and  that  all  funds  had  been  properly  accounted 
for.  W.  D.  Adams  succeeded  Gold  in  January,  1862, 
and  was  in  his  turn  succeeded  by  I.  B.  Watts,  Sep- 
tember, 1865.  The  appointment  of  Watts,  who  was 
then  county  clerk,  was  a  most  censurable  if  not  culpable 
measure  of  the  board.  The  law  makes  it  the  duty  of 
his  office  to  keep  an  account  with  all  other  county  offi- 
cers, handling  the  public  funds  with  a  view  of  properly 
controlling  their  acts.  It  is  the  clerk  who  is  expected 
to  control  others.  By  making  him  a  fund  commis- 
sioner, he  was  put  into  the  absurd  position  of  reporting 
to  himself  what  amounts  he  had  received  or  disbursed. 
Measures  of  this  kind  prove  always  disastrous,  and 
usually  most  so  to  the  unfortuate  man  on  whom  such 
position  is  forced.  During  Watts'  administration  the 
county  received  land  scrips  for  20,645  acres  from  the 
U.  S.,  in  lieu  of  and  compensations  for  swamp  lands  in 
Lawrence  county,  sold  by  the  U.  S.  subsequently  to  the 
act  mentioned  above.  I.  B.  Watts  was  authorized  to 
sell  this  scrip,  then  in  the  hands  of  D.  L.  <jold,  pro- 
vided he  could  get  50  cents  per  acre,  and  to  receive 
county  orders,  at  their  par  value,  in  pay.  (County 
orders  were  then  rated  at  50  per  cent,  discount).  The 


commissioner,  however,  could  not  effect  sales,  and  this 
failure  caused  some  displeasure  in  the  board.  The  re- 
cords do  not  exactly  state  why,  but  they  contain  the 
following  brief  communication  from  Mr.  Watts :  "  I 
hereby  order  the  board  of  supervisors  of  Lawrence 
county  to  retain  one  thousand  dollars  out  of  my  salary 
if  I  do  not  sell  the  swamp  land  scrip  of  said  county  for 
$5000  within  twenty  months  from  this  day  "  (September 
26,  1869.)  The  county  board  subsequently,  on  the  1st 
of  March,  1870,  sold  these  20,645  acres  to  James  Gra- 
ham for  $5000,  payable  in  ninety  days,  $4000  to  go  to 
the  county  and  the  balance  to  Hon.  J.  L.  D.  Morrison, 
of  St.  Clair  county,  who  claimed  an  interest  in  the 
scrip. 

I.  B.  Watts'  administration  as  fund  commissioner  was 
investigated,  and  he  was  found  to  be  indebted  to  the 
county  on  that  account,  to  the  amount  of  $1025.83.  He 
resigned  in  March  1872,  and  was  succeeded  by  T.  P. 
Lowery  in  May  1872. 

FINANCIAL  NOTES  FROM  1849  TO  1883  : 

The  County  Court,  on  entering  upon  the  administra- 
tion of  county  affairs,  in  December  1849,  found  the  coun- 
ty in  a  healthy  financial  condition.  The  credit  of  the 
county  was  good,  there  was  no  public  debt,  and  the  tax 
rate  very  low,  15  cents  per  $100. 

This  state  of  affairs  was  not  and  could  not  be  expected 
to  continue,  for  the  large  amounts  of  money  received  into 
the  treasury  from  the  state  saline  and  improvement 
funds  had  been  gradually  disbursed.  The  expenses  of 
opening  and  repairing  roads,  the  building  of  bridges,  the 
erection  of  public  buildings,*  and  the  purchasing  of  a 
poor  farm,  necessitated  large  expenditures,  frequently 
much  larger  than  anticipated. 

In  order  to  keep  the  county  in  a  healthy  financial  con- 
dition, the  county  court  raised  the  tax  rate  to  60  cents 
in  1850.  The  tax  values  amounted  to  $745,061  in  said 
year.  The  values  were  rapidly  increasing,  caused  prin- 
cipally by  the  building  of  railroads,  in  aid  of  which,  the 
county  as  such,  however,  did  not  spend  a  dollar.  A 
proposition  to  have  the  county  take  stock  in  the  Ohio 
and  Mississippi  railroad,  was  voted  down  in  1856,  al- 
though the  road  traversed  the  county  from  east  to  west, 
through  its  very  center.  This  refusal  may  be  called 
economy,  but  it  is  not  policy.  Railroads  have  invaria- 
bly benefited  agricultural  districts  more  than  inland  towns 
and  cities,  and  yet,  the  rural  population  is  apt  to  treat 
their  benefactors  aa  public  enemies.  We  introduce  here 
the  first  Itemized  Assessment  of  Lawrence  County : 

•  W»  hare  related  heretofore  that  a  new  court-house  had  been  erected 
in  1841, 1842,  and  1843.  This, the  present  court-home,  was  built  under  the 
superintendence  of  Abner  Greer  and  D.  D.  Marney,  by  David  Me  Henry  and 
Thomas  Bisbop.  The  county  records  give  but  a  meagre  account  of  this 
job.  John  Garner  had  a  contract  for  200.000  bricks,  for  which  he  was  td 
be  paid  81,082.  The  work  was  finished  in  October  1843,  when  McHenry 
and  Bishop  were  paid  the  balances,  towit:  (228.20  and  $425.31, due  to  them. 

The  contract  for  building  tho    present  jail  was  let  to   John  Garner,  and 
Ryan,  and  Watts  on  the  5th  of  April,  1854.     Associate  Jui 
superintended  the  work. 


112 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  W ABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


1853. 

2833  horses  
6061  cattle  

810S..174 
63,164 

Tax  Levies. 

State  57  cents  per  100  

.  .   18,478  86 

126  mules  
6125  sheep  

5,860 
7,117 

State  Back  Tax  

.    .      2,975  04 

.  .      iir,:.  112 

•    ....      31,588 

28,391 

IT 

' 

Goods  and  merchandise  
Manufactured  articles  
Moneys  and  credits  

34,505 
3,518 
43,559 

Total  Taxes  

.    .  J18.541  67 

Value  of  lands  
Value  of  town  lots  

892,235 
53,307 

other  field  products. 

State  tax  49j£-per  loo 

County  tax  40  " 

River  tax  4%        " 
Road  tax  " 

School  tax  " 


.  $6,819.36 
6,448.12 


The  board  next  in  order  to  protect  the  county  orders 
against  further  depreciation,  made  them  interest- 
bearing,  and  what  was  still  worse,  allowed  them  to  be 
"  split,"  as  they  termed  it.  Appropriations  of  larger 
amounts,  were  paid  for  in  countless  orders,  of  1,  2  and 
3  dollars  each  ;  thus  we  find,  for  instance,  that  an  allow- 


The  reader  will  observe,  that  the  state  tax  was  by  far     ance  of   83,062  50,   made  December, 


the  heaviest.  The  people  of  Illinois  in  general  and  the 
tax  payers  of  Lawrence  in  particular  were  now  paying 
off  the  improvement  debts  of  1837  and  1838.  The  tax 
value  had  increased  to  $2,196,525  in  1857,  when  the  ad- 
ministration of  the  county  affairs  was  intrusted  to  a  board 
of  supervisors,  superseding  the  unpopular  counly  courts. 
The  financial  management  under  the  new  board  was 
no  improvement,  and  those  who  expected  grand  results 
from  the  new  departure  were  disappointed.  The  board 
caused  a  financial  statement  to  be  made,  September  28, 
1858,  from  which  it  appeared,  that  the  county  had  a 
floating  debt  of  83,792.71,  oa  the  12ih  of  September, 


High,  on  a  bridge  contract,  was  paid  for  i 


566,  to  G.  F. 

i  one  thousand 
and  thirteen  county  orders  of  1,  2,  3  and  5  dollars  each. 
How  could  such  work  be  endured  and  how  control  it? 
No  wonder  that  the  people  became  terribly  alarmed 
about  this  financial  chaos.  A  victim  was  sought  and 
found,  as  will  appear  on  a  subsequent  page.  The  finan- 
cial misery  had  become  so  great  that  in  1867,  the  board 
petitioned  the  General  Assembly  for  aid  in  constructing 
the  levies,  etc.,  in  which  petitions  they  state,  that  the 
county  debt  then  exceeded  $20,000,  and  that  county 
orders  were  only  worth  50  cents  per  dollar.  The  board 
elected  in  1868,  showed  more  financial  ability  ;  they  or- 


1857,  when  the  board  took  charge  of  affairs,  that  during     dered  to  discontinue  the  practice  of  "splitting,"  orders 

(not  heeded  however,  and  constantly  violated,)  and  to 
receive  county  orders  at  par  in  payment  of  interest  due 
to  the  county  on  swamp  land  notes.  Still  matters  did 
not  improve  ;  and  the  people  demanded  a  speedy  clear- 


the  first  year  under  township  organization,  $8,989.80 
had  been  expended,  exceeding  the  revenue  of  the 
county  to  the  amount  of  $3,792.71,  thus  more  than 
doubling  the  county  debt  in  twelve  months.  Matters 


continued  on  in  this  way.  A  cheap  government  had  j  ing  of  the  financial  muddle.  A  committee,  James  M. 
been  promised,  and  a  cheap  government  it  apparently  Buchanan,  James  F.  Jennings  and  John  Seed,  appointed 
was,  as  will  be  seen  from  the  following  exhibit,  for  al-  December,  1870,  with  instructions  to  investigate  the  pro- 
though  the  tax  values  were  greatly  reduced,  nearly  ceedings  of  all  boards  of  supervisors,  .the  books  of 
8800,000,  or  34  per  cent,  since  1857,  the  tax  rate  of  40  treasurers  and  county  clerks,  since  the  adoption  of  town- 
cents  was  retained.  The  depreciation  of  tax  values  was 
caused  by  the  civil  war  ;  a  reaction,  however,  was  soon 
after  to  be  observed  in  an  unheard  of  inflation  of  all 
values,  and  of  precious  metals  in  particular. 
Assessment  of  1862. 


ship_organization,  reported  in  March,  1871,  as  follows  : 

County  orders  issued  during  said  period  of  14  years  .  .  $114,128.59 
Amount  of  orders  and  juror: 


8822  Horses  
8358  Cattle  
250  Mules  

8119,528 
60,118 

County  Officert.—  Sheriffs  
Circuit  Clerks  

$6,499.37 
2,021.79 

9357  Sheep  
17,293  Hogs  

11,4.56 
18,299 

County  Clerks  
County  Judges  

19,049.63 
2,504.50 

1226  Carriages  and  Wagons  

25,588 

Supervisors  

".    2,762.00 

970  Clocks  and  Watches  

4,125 

Stationery  

8,'ll9.59 

Goods  and  Merchandise  
Manufactured  Articles  

Moneys  and  Credits 

175 
19,931 
1,619 
47  002 

Paupers  
Elections    
Soldiers'  families    

17,825.32 
2,515.86 
1,842.00 

Unenumerated  Property  

64,567 

Roads  and  Bridges  

27,710.66 



$93,922.22  * 

Total  p  p 

Railroad  Property  

....    •  91,756 

*The  committee  have  apparently  forgotten 

>r  neglected  to  find  amounts 

Lands  
Town  Lots 

944,245 
71  643 

expended  for  keeping  and  dieting  prisoners, 

repairs  of  public  buildings' 
•vhieh  fact  fullyexplainsthe 

discrepancy  between  the  amount  of  orders 

issued,  $114,128.59,  and  the 

Aggregate  

$1,487,420 

itemized  allowances,  803,922.22. 

HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WAS  ASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


113 


The  said  report  continues  :  Many  orders  have  been 
paid  but  not  canceled,  and  the  debt  appeared  to  consist 
of  the  following  amounts,  to  wit : 

County  orders  uneanceled «!0,707.77 

Int.T.-t  on  th.'  .-lime 8,:«G.2(P 

Juror  warrants  unpaid 1,:O6.1B 

Total  debt $13,490.13 

In  concluding  their  report,  the  committee  recommended  j 
that  in  future  county  orders,  etc.,  should  not  be  destroyed  i 
after  being  redeemed,  but  to  be  defaced,  and  then  pre- 
served.    (This  is  the  best  part  of  the  report.)    The  com- 
mittee were  paid  $550  for  their  work. 

May,  1872.  All  holders  of  county  orders  were  warned  j 
by  public  notices  to  present  their  orders  to  the  county 
treasurer  prior  to  July  1,  1872,  as  a  number  of  ''  bogus" 
orders  were  supposed  to  be  in  circulation.  A  second 
committee  of  investigation  was  appointed  at  the  same 
term.  It  consisted  of  D.  L.  Gold,  Levi  Lathrop  and 
J.  L-'  Flanders.  A  former  order,  allowing  the  clerk  to 
issue  county  orders  in  vacation,  was  rescinded  July 
term,  1872.  This  committee  reported  May  term,  1872. 
Their  report  was  very  exhaustive  and  censured  the 
board  for  Having  paid  so  little  attention  to  the  report  of 
the  Seed  committee.  Analyzing  the  acts  in  the  county 
clerk's  office,  the  committee  came  to  the  conclusion  that 
by  reissuing  of  orders,  and  by  issuing  orders  out,  pro- 
perly authorized,  the  county  had  lost  a  vast  amount  of 
money.  They  stated  that  these  over-issues  and  dupli- 
cated issues  amounted,  from  1865  to  1872,  to  $9260.92; 
that  another  order,  to  wit,  No.  5362,  for  $3337.87,  was 
still  out  and  a  debt  of  the  county,  and  that  $4419.15  of 
those  $9260.02  of  fraudulent  orders  had  been  paid  by 
the  county.  The  committee  became  a  terror,  and  the 
county  judge,  who  tried  to  interfere,  was  also  severely 
criticized.  The  county  debt,  which  had  been  reported 
to  have  amounted  to  $43,490  13,  was,  however,  stated  to 
amount  to  $23,628.00  only.  The  clerk  was  reported  a  j 
defaulter  in  the  amount  of  $15,142  37  as  clerk,  and  of  j 
$3232.72  as  drainage  commissioner.  It  was  also  reported 
that  the  aggregate  value  of  taxable  property  in  the 
county  was  greater  than  officially  stated,  but  that  excess 
of  taxes  thus  collected  had  been  properly  accounted  for. 
Subsequent  proceedings  in  the  courts  threw  a  milder 
light  on  this  sad  business,  as  it  was  shown  that  the 
"splitting"  of  orders  had  been  the  principal  cause  of  the 
confusion,  inasmuch  as  the  issuing  of  the  small  orders 
mentioned  above,  in  lieu  of  the  larger  allowances,  had 
given  cause  to  the  alarming  rumors  and  reports  of  du- 
plicating the  allowances.  A  special  tax  of  $1.50  was 
levied  to  pay  off  the  county  debt  in  1873,  the  credit  of 
the  county  was  restored,  orders  were  worth  100  cents  per 
dollar  and  have  remained  at  par  ever  since. 

We  conclude  this  synopsis  of  the  county  finances  by 
the  following  statement  of  assessment  and  tax  levies 
for  1882 : 


Pt:lt.>  tuxes 
n.imty  " 
Town      " 
Ho:id  :in,l  bridge 

Nrliool    ....?. 

Corporation    ... 
All  otiicr  taxes.  . 


ilroad  property. 
Total  .  .   . 
15 


This  tax  is  to  be  paid  by  a  population  of  13,600  ; 
about  $4  00  per  capita. 

A  few  statistical  remarks  may  follow  here :  351  chil- 
dren were  born  in  1882  ;  163  couples  were  married,  and 
91  persons  buried.  Of  the  improved  lands  of  the  county, 
40,413  acres  are  in  wheat,  36,046  in  corn,  5.9J3  in  oats, 
10,596  in  meadows.  2,443  in  other  field  products,  24,076 
in  inclosed  pastures  and  2,516  in  orchards;  61,533  acres 
are  reported  as  woodland.  The  cities  and  towns  in  the 
county  contain  2,037  building  lots,  of  which  1,008  are 
improved. 

CONCLUSION. 

The  county  of  Lawrence  was  represented  in  the  various 
Constitutional  Conventions  as  follows  : 
i-1847,  by  Hon.   J.  Mieure.     1862,  by  Hon.  Harmon 
Alexander.     1870,  by  H)a.  Jamas  M.  Sharp. 

Lawrence  county  as  represented  in  the  General 
Assembly  of  Illinois : 

1822  to  1824.— William  Kinkead,  Senator  for  Wayne 
and  Lawrence.  Abraham  Cain,  Kepresentative  from 
Lawrence. 

1824  to  1826. — James  Bird,  Senator  for  Wayne  and 
Lawrence.  Asa  N  >rton,  Representative. 

1826  to  1828.— James  Bird,  Senator  for  Wayne  and 
Lawrence.  Samuel  H.  Olubb,  Representative. 

1828  to  1830.— Wickliffe  Kichell  *  Senator  for  Law- 
rence and  Crawford.  Henry  M.  Gillham,  Representa- 
tive. 

1830  to  1832.— Wickliffe  Kitchell,  Senator  for  Law- 
rence and  Crawford.  James  M.  McLean,  Representa- 
tive. 

1832  to  183i.— David  McGahey,  Senator  for  Lawrence 
and  Crawford.  Abner  Greer,  Representative. 

1834  to  1836.— David  McGahey,  Senator  for  Lawrence 
and  Crawford.  Jesse  K.  Dubois.f  Representative. 

1836  to  1838.— John  C.  Reilly,  Senator  for  Lawrence 
Crawford  and  Jasper.  Jesse  K.  Dubois  and  Edward  J. 
O'Neille,  Representatives. 

1838  to  1840— Abner  Greer,  Senator  for  Lawrence, 
Crawford  and  Jasper.  Jesse  K.  Dubois,  Representative. 

1840  to  1842.— John  Houston,  Senator  for  Lawrence, 
Crawford  and  Jasper.  Samuel  Dunlap  and  James 
McLean,  Representatives. 

1842  to  1844  —John  Houston,  Senator  for  Lawrence, 
Crawford  and  Jasper.  Wm.  G.  Anderson  and  Jesse  K. 
Dubois,  Representatives. 

1844  to  1846.— Samuel  Dunlap,  Senator  for  Lawrence, 
Crawford,  Jasper  and  Richland.  Wm.  G.  Anderson 
and  J.  H.  Reed,  Representatives. 

«  Wickliffo  Kitchell  was  Attorney  General  of  Illinois  from  March  5th, 
1839  to  Nov.  19th,  1810,  when  he  resigned, 
t  Jesse  K.  Dtilrais  was  Auditor  of  State  from  1857  to  18M. 


114 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  W ABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


1846  to  18 18  —Samuel  Dunlap,  Senator  for  Lawrence, 
Crawford  and  Jasper.  Michael  McLean,  and  Jos-iah  R- 
Wynne,  Representatives  for  Lawrence  and  Richland. 

1848  to  1850.— Alfred  H.  Grass,  Senator  8th  Senato- 
rial district.*  Ebenezer  Z.  Ryan,  Representative  9th 
district. 

1850  to  1852.— Alfred  H.  Grass,  Senator,  8th  Senato- 
rial district.  Aaron  Shaw,f  Representative. 

1852  to  1854. — Mortimer  O'Kean  of  Jasper,  Senator 
8th  Senatorial  district.  William  J.  Christy,  Represen- 
tative. 

1854  to  1856.— Mortimer  O'Kean,  of  Jasper,  Senator 
19th  district.  Rudolph  Heath,  of  Crawford,  Represen- 
tive  17th  district. 

1856  t'o  1858. — Mortimer  O'Kean,  of  Jasper,  Senator- 
19th  district.  Isaac  Wilkins,  of  Crawford,  Representa- 
tive 17th  district 

1858  to  I860.— Mortimer  O'Kean,  of  Jasper,  Senator 
19th  district.  H.  C.  McClcave,  of  Crawford,  Represen- 
tative 17th  district. 

1860  to  1862.— Presley  Funkhouser,  of  Effingham, 
Senator  19th  district.  Aaron  Shaw,  of  Crawford,  Re- 
presentative 17th  district. 

1862  to  1864. — Hugh  Gregg,  Senator  for  2nd  Sena- 
torial district.  James  W.  Sharp,  of  Wabash,  Represen- 
tative 4th  Representative  district. 

1»64  to  1866.— John  W.  Westcott,  of  Clay,  Senator, 
as  above.  D.  H.  Morgan,  of  Lawrence,  Representative. 

1866  to  1868.— John  W.  Westcott,  of  Clay,  Senator  as 
above.  James  M.  Sharp,  of  Wabash,  Representative. 

1868  to  1870. — J.  J.  R.  Turney  of  Wayne,  Senator  as 
above.  D.  H.  Morgan,  of  Lawrence,  Representative. 

1870  to  1872.— John  Jackson,  of  Lawrence  and  John 
Landrigan,  of  Edwards,  Senators  2nd  Senatorial  district. 
John  D.  Sage,  of  Lawrence,  Representative  21st  dis- 
trict. 

1872  to  1874.— W.  J.  Crews,  of  Lawrence,  Senator. 
Representatives — J.  L.  Flanders,  of  Lawrence,  Thos.  J. 
Golden,  of  Clark,  Herman  Alexander  of  Crawford. 

1874  to  1876.— 0.  V.  Smith,  of  Lawrence,  Senator. 
Representatives — Ethelbert  Callahan  of  Crawford,  John 
H.  Halley,  of  Jasper,  John  W.  Briscoe,  of  Clark. 

»  The  Constitution  of  1848  provided  that  the  Senate  should  consist  of 
twenty-five,  and  the  House  of  seveniy-five  members,  uctil  the  popula- 
tion of  the  State  amounted  to  one  million  of  souls,  when  five  members 
might  be  added  to  the  House,  and  five  additional  members  for  every  500,(iOO 
inhabitants  thereafter,  etc.,  etc.  The  first  apportionment  under  said  Con- 
stitution made  Edwards,  Lawrence,  Wabash,  Effingham,  Jasper,  Clay  and 
Richland  to  form  the  8th  Senatorial  district,  and  Lawrence  and  Richland 
to  form  the  oth  Representative  district.  The  Act  of  February  27th,  1854, 
put  Lawrence  county,  together  with  Clark,  Fayette,  Effingham,  Jasper 
and  Crawford  into  the  19th  Senatorial  district,  and  with  Crawford  into  the 
17th  Representative  district.  By  Act  of  January  31st,  1861,  Lawrence, 
Hamilton,  Wabash,  Edwards,  Wayne,  Clay,  Richland  and  White  formed 
thf  2nd  Senatorial,  and  Lawrence  and  Wabash  the  4th  Repr.  sentative  dis- 
trict. The  apportionment  of  1870  left  Lawrence  in  the  same  Senatorial  dis- 
trict, but  made  the  county  a  Representative  district  by  itself— the  21st. 
The  apportionment  of  1872  formed  the  4oth  Senatorial  district  of  the  counties 
of  Lawrence,  Clark,  Crawford  and  Jasper,  entitling  the  district  to  one  Sen. 
ator  and  three  Representatives.  By  the  reapportionmentof  1882  the  coun- 
ties ol  Lawrence,  Wabash,  White  and  Hamilton  foim  the  46th  Senatorial 
district. 

t Aaron  Shaw  represented  the  7th  Congressional  district  of  Illinois 
from  1867  t<>  l.s.V.1. 


1876  to  1878.— O.  V.  Smith,  of  Lawrence,  Senator. 
Representatives — William  Lindsey,  of  Clark,  John  H. 
Halley,  of  Jasper,  Andrew  J.  Reavill,  of  Crawford. 

1878  to  1880.— W.  C.  Wilson,  of  Crawford,  Senator. 
Representatives—  Jesse  R.  Johnson,  of  West  Liberty, 
James  W.  Graham,  of  Clark,  Andrew  J.  Reavill,  of 
Crawford. 

1880  to  1882.— W.  C.  Wilson,  Senator.  Representa- 
tives—Jacob C.  Olwin,  James  C.  Bryan,  W.  H.  H. 
Mieure. 

1882  to  1884.— John  C.  Edwards,  Senator  46th  dis- 
trict. *  Representatives — F.  W.  Cox,  Lowery  Hay,  W. 
J.  Johnson. 

COUNTY  OFFICERS — 1849  to  1883. 

County  Courts,  1849  to  1853.— E.  Z.  Jlyan,  Judge, 
resigned  November,  1852,  James  Nabb,  Judge,  elected 
to  fill  vacancy,  1852. 

Associate  Justices — William  Tanquary,  Randolph 
Heath,  resigned  November,  1862.  James  Irish,  elected 
to  fill  vacancy. 

1853  to  1857.— Jesse  K.  Dubois,  Judge.  Associate 
Justices — J.  M.  Travis,  James  Irish. 

1857  to  1861. — The  county  having  adopted  township 
organization,  the  county  Judges  attended  to  probate' 
business  only. 

Isaac  Potts,  three  terms,  1857  to  1869;  W.  J.  Crews, 
1869  to  1872,  when  he  was  elected  State  Senator. 

T.  B.  Hoffman,  appoinied  to  fill  vacancy,  Feb.  6, 
1873;  Isaac  Potts,  two  terms,  1873  to  1882;  P.  W. 
Barnes,  since  1882. 

FIRST  BOARD  OF   SUPERVISORS,  1857. 

W.  D.  Adams,  Chairman  ;  James  Banner,  Daniel 
Grass,  D.  L.  Gold,  Robert  Dollohan,  Andrew  Pinkstaff, 
Henry  Schrader  and  Wiley  Edmundson.  The  balance 
of  the  Supervisors  will  be  found  in  the  respective  town- 
ships. 

COUNTY  CLERKS  SINCE  1849. 

W.  H  Hennessy,  re-elected  in  1849,  resigned  January 
19,  1853.  John  Seed,  officiated  under  appointment,  to 
March,  1853,  when  Thomas  F.  Watts  was  elected 
for  the  balance  of  Hennessey's  term.  J.  C.  Reily, 
elected  Nov.  1853,  resigned  December  21,  1855,  and 
Lunenburg  Abernathy,  officiated  until  March,  1856,  as 
appointed,  when  I.  B.  Watts  was  elected.  He  was  re- 
elected  for  four  successive  terms,  but  resigned  April  15, 
1872.  Thornton  E.  Adams  was  appointed  clerk  on  the 
same  day,  and  officiated  until  August  5,  1872,  when 
Clinton  Abernathy,  elected  at  a  special  election,  took 
charge  of  the  office  until  1877.  James  K.  Dickerson, 
from  1877  to  1882,  and  J.  W.  Calvert,  since  1882. 

COUNTY  TREASURERS  SINCE  1849. 

William  Neal,  1849  to  April  6, 1851,  when  he  resigned. 
W.  B.  Buchanan,  served  balance  of  term  until  Novem- 

*  The  4Gth  district  is  composed  of  the  counties  of  Lawrence  Wabash, 
White,  and  Hamilton. 


HISTORY  OF  HOWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WABASU  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


115 


her,  1851;  Caius  M.  Eaton,  1851  to  1853;  Isaac  Potts, 
1853  to  1855;  R.  \V.  McLean,  1855,  resigned  June, 
1857  ;  E.  Z.  Ryan,  served  during  remainder  of  term  ; 
Edward  Thorn,  1857  to  1863 — three  full  terms  ;  Samuel 
Laird,  1863  to  1869— three  full  terms;  J.  W.  McCleave, 
1869 ;  G.  \V.  Stoltz,  1873 ;  W.  M.  Lewis,  1875 ;  J.  W. 
Whittaker,  1877,  who  died  before  the  expiration  of  his 
2nd  term,  in  1881,  and  was  succeeded  by  the  present 
Treasurer,  J.  W.  McCleave,  since  May  2nd,  1881. 

Circuit  Clerks  since  1848.— Fred.  A.  Thomas,  1819; 
Jacob  Young,  1851  ;  J.  C.  Reiley,  1852;  E.  Z.  Ryan, 
1856;  S.  J.  Stiles,  1857;  Lafayette  McLean,  1863;  Ed- 
ward Thorn,  Jr..  1863;  G.  F.  Nigh,  1864;  Alfred  J. 
Judy,  1868  ;  B.  L.  Cunningham,  1872,  two  terms  ;  and 
Lafayette  Barnes,  since  1880. 

Circuit  and  County  Attorneys  since  1825. — J.  M. 
Robinson,  E  B.  Webb,  Aaron  Shaw,  Alfred  Kitchell, 
John  Scholfields,  F.  D.  Preston,  E.  T.  Wilson,  D.  L. 
Brewer,  H.  A.  Briscoe,  died  in  office  1872  ;  T.  B.  Huff- 
man, 1873,  two  terms  ;  and  K.  P.  Snyder,  since  1880. 

Sho-i/g  since  1819.— Jacob  Young,  Isaac  Potts,  Joel 
Johnson,  James  Corrie,  J.  W.  Watts,  G.  W.  Whattaker, 
G.  F.  Nigh,  W.  C.  Gilbert,  E.  Ryan,  W.  C.  Gilbert, 
William  Blackburu,  1870,  two  terms  ;  James  H.  Alli- 
son, 1874;  John  P.  Scott,  1876,  two  terms;  and  Edmond 
Ryan,  since  1880. 

Coroners  since  1863. — E.  G.  Canover,  1868 ;  J.  B. 
Musgrave,  2870,  two  terms ;  Gabriel  Graffham,  1874, 
two  terms;  Daniel  Leach,  1880,  and  H.  V.  Lewis, since 
1882. 

Surveyors  since  1849. — Peter  Smith,  1849  ;  Walter 
Buchanan,  1859  ;  T.  P.  Lowry,  1863,  and  Jesse  B.  Ben- 
nefield,  since  1865. 

School  Superintendents. — Algernon  S.  Badollet,  from 
1843  to  1857 ;  L.  Abernathy,  from  1857  to  1861,  died 
during  terra  ;  J.  B.  Saye,  1861  to  1865  ;  T.  B.  Lowery, 
1865  to  1869 ;  O.  V.  Smith,  1869  to  1873;  F.  W.  Cox, 
from  1873  to  1882,  two  terms,  and  C.  H.  Martin,  since 
1882. 

ROSTER  OF   COUNTY   OFFICERS  IN  1883. 

Circuit  Court.— Second  Circuit. — Chancery  S.  Ganger, 
Thomas  S.  Casey  and  William  C.  Jones. — Judges. 
K.  P.  Snyder — Attorney. 
Edmond  Ryan— Sheriff. 
Lafayette  Barnes— Clerk.  ' 
P.  W.  Barnes— County  Judge. 
J.  W.  Cal vert.— County  Clerk. 
J.  W.  McCleave -Treasurer. 
Jesse  B.  Bennefield.— Surveyor. 
C.  H.  Martin — School  Superintendent. 
H.  V.  Lewis — Coroner. 


WABASH  COUNTY. 

The  political  history  of  this  county,  as  a  body  politic, 
commences  with  the  county  organization  had  in  pursu- 
ance of  au  act  of  the  Legislature,  approved  December 


27,  1824.  The  history  of  the  territory,  of  which  the 
present  county  of  Wabash  is  partly  composed,  is  much 
older,  and  the  reader  is  respectfully  referred  to  the  ter- 
ritorial sketch  contained  in  this  volume.  ' 

The  organization  of  Wabash  county  reduced  the  area 
of  Edwards,  the  mother  county,  to  such  limits  that  a 
further  sub-division  of  them  was,  and  could  not  be, 
thought  of.  The  east  part  of  the  county  of  Edwards 
contained  the  old  pioneer  settlements.  It  was  here  where 
the  sturdy  emigrants,  from  old  Virginia,  the  Carolinas, 
Pennsylvania,  etc.,  had  joined  the-French  adventurers, 
who  had  preceded  them  half  a  century  and  longer.  It 
was  here  where  old  Edwards  county  had  had  its  time- 
honored  seat  of  justice  at  Palmyra.  Unfortunately  thia 
Palmyra  situated  in,  or  near,  the  marshes  oil  the  banks 
of  the  great  Wabash,  could,  in  reference  to  health  of 
climate  and  beauties  of  surroundings,  not  be  compared 
to  the  proud  and  ancient  city  after  which  it  was  named- 
Yes,  lovely  Palmyra,  and  lovely  the  oasis  where  it 
stood ! 

In  the  western  part  of  the  county,  beyond  the  waters 
of  the  meandering  river  De  Bon  Pas,  (now  called  Bon- 
paa  for  short)  another  city,  Albion,  had  been  reared  a 
rival  to  Palmyra.  Numerous  immigrants  from  the 
British  Isles  had  sought  and  found  homes  in  the  old 
county  of  Edwards.  The  separation  of  Lawrence  county 
from  the  former  had  given  numerical  strength  to  the 
English  settlements,  and  at  an  election  held  for  that 
purpose,  a  majority  decided  to  locate  the  county  seat 
at  the  new  town  of  Albion.  (The  reader  is  referred  to 
preceding  pages  under  the  head  of  Edwards  county. ) 

Mt:  Carrael  was  defeated  in  this  election,  and  her 
people,  as  well  as  the  American  settlements  along  the 
Wabash,  felt  outraged  that  Albion,  then  an  out-of-the- 
way  place,  should  -bear  off  the  price.  The  agitation  be- 
came violent;  men  that  understood  the  signs  of  the 
time,  could  see  "  blood "  in  the  moon.  The  militia, 
four  companies,  were  out  drilling  day  after  day,  and 
actually  went  into  camp  at  Ball  Hill  Prairie,  with  the 
avowed.purposeof  taking  possession  of  the  court  archives 
to  remove  them  from  the  town  of  Albion.  A  delegation 
of  Albionians,  under  a  flag  of  truce,  came  into  camp  to 
negotiate  for  terms  of  peace.  Major  Utter  promised  to 
bring  about  a  peacable  arrangement  by  a  division  of 
the  county,  making  the  Bonpas  the  line. 

Major  Utter,  a  member  of  the  House  of  Representa- 
tives from  Edwards  county,  in  the  4th  General  Assembly, 
1824  to  1826,  was  as  good  as  his  promise.  The  division 
took  place.  The  feeling  was,  however,  by  no  means,  a 
very  friendly  one,  and  the  Legislature  took  the  precau- 
tion to  entrust  the  selection  of  a  county  seat  for  the  new 
county  to  non-residents  of  either  county. 

The  county  debt  of  Edwards  county  was  to  be  shared 
in  equal  parts,  and  Samuel  Munday,  of  Wabash,  and 
John  Cove,  of  Edwards,  were  appointed  commissioners 
to  ascertain  that  debt.  We  introduce  next  a  copy  of  the 
act,  creating  the  new  ccunty,  to  wit : 


116 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WAS  ASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


An  Act  forming  a  separate  county  out  of  the  county 
of  Edwards. 

Approved  December  27,  1824. 

Section  1.  Be  it  enacted  by  the  people  of  the  State  of 
Illinois  represented  in  the  General  Assembly.  That  all 
that  tract  of  country  within  the  following  boundaries  to 
wit :  Beginning  at  the  mouth  of  De  Bon  Pas  creek, 
thence  running  up  the  main  branch  of  said  creek  to  the 
line  of  Lawrence  county  ;  thence  running  east  with  said 
line  to  the  Wabash  river,  and  thence  down  the  same  to 
the  place  of  beginning,  shall  constitute  a  new  county,  to 
be  called  Wabash  ;  and  for  the  purpose  of  fixing  a  per- 
manent seat  of  justice  in  said  county,  William  Kinkade, 
John  H.  Morris,  Cornelius  De  Long  and  Thomas  Mason 
of  Lawrence  county,  and  George  W.  Farris  of  Wayne 
county,  be  and  they  are  hereby  appointed  commissioners, 
which  said  commissioners  or  a  majority  of  them,  being 
duly  sworn  before  some  judge  or  justice  of  the  peace  of 
their  State,  to  faithfully  take  into  view  the  convenience 
of  the  people,  and  the  situation  of  the  settlements,  with 
an  eye  to  future  population  and  the  eligibility  of  the 
place,  shall  meet  on  the  first  Monday  in  May,  or  within 
six  days  thereafter,  at  the  house  of  Gervaise  Hazleton  in 
said  county  and  proceed  to  examine  and  determine  upon 
the  place  of  the  permanent  seat  of  justice  and  designate 
the  same. 

Provided.- — That  the  proprietors  of  the  land  shall 
give  to  the  county  a  quantity  of  land  not  less  than 
twenty  acres  for  the  purpose  of  erecting  county  build- 
ings, to  be  laid  out  in  lots  and  sold  for  that  purpose ;  or 
should  the  proprietor  or  proprietors  refuse  or  neglect  to 
make  the  donation  aforesaid,  then  it  shall  be  the  duty 
of  said  commissioners  to  fix  upon  some  other  place  for 
the  seat  of  justice,  as  convenient  as  may  be  to  the  inhabi- 
tants of  said  county,  which  place  so  fixed  and  determined 
upon,  the  said  commissioners  shall  certify,  under  their 
hands  and  seals  and  return  the  same  to  the  next  county  | 
commissioners'  court  in  said  county ;  which  court  shall  j 
cause  an  entry  to  be  made  in  their  books  of  record,  ! 
which  place,  so  designated,  shall  be  the  permanent  seat 
of  justice  of  said  county  ;  and  until  the  public  buildings 
shall  be  erected,  the  courts  shall  be  held  at  such  place, 
in  said  county  as  the  county  commissioneHt  of  said 
county  shall  appoint. 

Section  2.  Be  it  further  enacted — That  eaid  county 
shall  bear  an  even  share  of  the  debts  which  are  now  out- 
standing against  Edwards  county,  excepting  all  such  as 
have  arisen  from  the  erection  of  public  buildings  at  Al- 
bion ;  and  for  the  purpose  of  ascertaining  and  adjusting 
the  same,  Samuel  Munday  of  said  county  and  John 
Cove,  junior,  of  Edwards  county,  be,  and  they  are  here- 
by appointed  commissioners,  whose  duty  it  shall  be  to 
meet  at  the  court-house  in  Albion  on  the  first  Monday 
in  June  next,  and  to  examine  into  the  state  of  the 
treasury,  of  the  present  Edwards  county,  and  the  debts 
due  from  said  county,  and  to  divide  the  amount  of  debts 
which  shall  remain  unpaid,  excepting  such  as  have  I 
arisen  from  the  erection  of  the  public  buildings  at  Albion, 


between  the  two  counties  in  equal  proportion,  and  cer- 
tify, under  their  hands  and  seals,  to  the  next  county 
commissioners'  court  of  each  county,  the  amount  to  be 
paid  by  each  ;  and  for  the  purpose  of  executing  their 
commission,  the  said  commissioners  are  hereby  author- 
ized to  send  for  witnesses  and  examine  them  upon  oath. 

§  3.  And  be  it  further  enacted,  That  each  of  the 
commissioners  appointed  to  locate  the  seat  of  justice  in 
said  county,  shall  receive  a  compensation  of  two  dollars 
for  each  and  every  day  they  may  be  necessarily  em- 
ployed in  fixing  the  aforesaid  seat  of  justice,  to  be  paid 
out  of  the  county  treasury,  by  an  order  from  the  county 
commissioners ;  and  that  the  commissioners  appointed 
by  the  second  section  of  this  act,  shall  receive  the  like 
sum  per  day,  for  every  day  necessarily  employed  in  ex- 
ecuting their  commission,  to  be  paid  out  of  the  treasuries 
of  their  respective  counties,  upon  the  order  of  their  re- 
spective county  commissioners'  courts. 

§  4.  Be  it  further  enacted,  That  on  the  first  Monday  of 
April  next,  an  election  shall  be  held  at  the  house  of 
Henry  Utter  in  said  county  for  one  sheriff,  one  coroner 
and  three  county  commissioners,  which  election  shall  be 
conducted  in  all  respects  agreeably  to  the  provisions  of 
the  law  regulating  elections ;  Provided,  that  any  three 
justices  of  the  peace  in  said  county  may  act  as  judges  of 
election,  taking  to  themselves  two  qualified  voters  as 
clerks,  and  it  shall  be  the  duty  of  the  circuit  clerk  of 
said  county  to  give  public  notice  agreeably  to  law,  at 
least  ten  days  previous  to  such  elections.  And  in  case 
there  should  be  no  clerk  in  said  county,  it  shall  be  the 
duty  of  the  recorder  to  give  such  notice. 

§  5.  Be  it  further  enacted,  That  the  citizens  of  said 
county  are  hereby  declared  to  be  entitled  to  the  same 
rights  and  privileges  as  are  allowed  in  general  to  other 
counties  in  this  state. 

§  6.  Be  it  further  enacted,  That  the  said  county  shall 
vote  in  conjunction  with  Edwards  county  for  representa- 
tives and  senator  of  the  General  Assembly. 

In  pursuance  of  the  provisions  of  section  1,  of  the 
above  act,  John  E.  Morris,  Thomas  Mason  and  Cornelius 
De  Long,  reported  to  the  county  commissioners  that  they 
located  the  county  seat  at  the  site  of  the  present  town  of 
Centerville.  The  commissioners  appointed  under  sec- 
tion 2  of  this  act  reported  on  the  4th  of  December  1827, 
that  Wabash's  proportionate  share  of  the  old  Edwards 
county  amounted  to  8  748.  20*. 

The  election  provided  for  in  §  4,  came  off  on  the  first 
Monday  of  April,  1825,  at  the  house  of  Henry  Utter, 
and  resulted  in  the  election  of  Levi  Compton,  Tarlton 
Boren  and  Moses  Bedell,  county  commissioners  and  of 
Abner  Armstrong,  sheriff. 

Owning  to  the  fact,  that  the  court-house  at  Mt.  Carmel 
and  all  its  contents  were  destroyed  by  fire  April  oth 
1857,  this  sketch,  based  on  documentary  evidence,  will 
be  somewhat  deficient  in  dates  and  names.  A  part  of 
the  public  records  happened  to  be  outside  of  the  court- 
house at  the  time  of  the  conflagration. — They  were  care- 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  W ABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


117 


fully  collected  and  re-recorded  as  will  be  seen  from  the 
following  entry  : 

"  The  following  is  a  copy  of  the  proceedings  of  the 
county  commissioners'  court  of  Wabash  county,  It  was 
found  by  Hiram  Bell,  Esq ,  at  his  residence  after  the 
burning  of  the  court-house  of  the  county,  April  5th,  1857, 
and  after  being  about  the  county  clerk's  office  for  years, 
I  have  been  ordered  to  copy  and  preserve  it  as  far  as 
possible  in  this  record.  Hiram  Bell  was  clerk  of  the 
county  and  circuit  courts  of  Wabash  county  fora  period 
of  about  32  years,  and  all  that  remains  of  his  labor  for 
nearly  all  that  period  is  what  is  copied  in  this  book. 
There  is  one  other  volume  that  was  preserved  by  my 
having  it  at  my  home  on  the  night  of  the  burning  of  I 
said  court-house.  Everything  else  of  value,  in  the  way 
of  records  or  papers  was  destroyed, 
(no  date).  J^MES  S.  JOHNSTON,  late  Co.  Clerk. 

From  the  contents  of  the  thus  preserved  public  records, 
we  have  ascertained  the  following  facts  of  the  early 
county  government. 

The  first  (?)  meeting  of  the  county  commissioners,  Levi 
Compton,  Tarlton  Boren  and  Moses  Bedell,  was  held  at 
the  house  of  Gervaise  Hazleton  on  the  6th  day  of  June 
1825,  when  the  report  of  the  commissioners  on  the  county, 
seat  questions  was  received  and  approved. 

Before  reciting  the  acts  of  the  officers,  usually  called 
the  servants  of  the  people,  we  shall  introduce  here  the 
names  of  the  bona  fide  land  owners  of  the  county  as  far 
as  we  were  able  to  ascertain  them. 

Township  1  N.,  R.  12  IF.  — Levi  Compton,  Hugh 
Calhoun,  P.  Munday,  Fames  Thompson,  Asa  Smith,  F. 
Ayres,  Cornelius  Vanderhuff,  Asa  Hammond,  Jeremiah 
Wilson,  George  Field,  Joseph  Gardener,  W.  Smith, 
George  Antis,  B.  S.  E  Goff,  Joseph  Wright,  George 
Oman,  Coles  Besley,  E.  Higgins,  William  Pool,  Jarvis 
Dale,  John  Stillwell,  Samuel  Stillwell,  Stephen  Gardner, 
Peter  Keen,  Charles  Garner,  J.  M.  Armstrong,  Joseph 
Wood,  John  Mclntosh,  Sarah  Arnold,  Samuel  Marshal, 
Thomas  Pulliam,  John  Snider,  David  Beauchamp, 
William  Higgius,  Enoch  Greathouse,  John  Shadle, 
Henry  McGregor,  Nathaniel  Claypoole,  and  Gervaise 
Hazleton  ;  these  parties  owned  then  9558  acres  of  land. 

Township  2  N.,  R  12  W.— John  Smith,  Jr.,  Adam 
Carrie,  Moses  Decker,  William  Tougas,  John  Bu- 
chanan, and  Thomas  West,  owned  1590  acres. 

Township  1  N.,  R.  13  IF.— Hezekiah  Clark,  Ebenezer 
Couch,  Jeremiah  Ballard.  Isaac  Harness,  John  Higgius, 
Henry  Cusick,  William  Jordan,  John  Harrison.  Henry 
I.  Mills,  John  Pugh,  Tarlton  Boren,  Benjamin  Reynolds,  j 
Richard   Maxwell,  A.  J.  Mills,  William  Brown,  Ralph  I 
Little,   AV.  Vanwick,  John  White,  Reuben  Blackford,  : 
Robert   McNair,  Josiah  Higgins,  F.  Winter,  Ephraira  I 
Reed,    Benjamin    Taylor,    Ransom    Higgins,   Thomas  \ 
Pool,  Jeremiah  Slaughter,  Beauchamp  Harvey,  G.  M.  | 
Tettinger,  Arthur   Vandever,  John   Waggoner,  Henry  \ 
D.  Palmer,  Samuel  Harris,   Philip   Hull,  Seth  Card,  | 
Joseph    Preston,    Cyrus     Danforth,     William    Barney, 
James  Andrews,    Guy  W.  Smith,  Phil.  Ingram,   John 


Cantrecht,  S.  Madison,  Fred.  Munday,  James  Fordyce, 
Elijah  Harris,  J.  Brown,  I.  C.  Griffin,  Stephen  Jessup, 
John  Hart,  and  William  Lismond,  owned  12,2:30  acres. 

Township  2  N.,  R.  13  IF.— Havilah  Guun,  Andrew 
Knight,  James  McMullen,  Nathaniel  Osgood,  Adam 
Carrie,  and  Hezekiah  Clark,  owned  1440  acres. 

Township  1 N.,  R.  14  W—  James  Black,  I.  C.  Griffin, 
John  Moore,  and  F.  Ayres,  owned  880  acres. 

Township  1  S.  R.  12  IF.-Cornelius  McCollum,  John 
Ingersole,  William  Simonds,  Adam  Carrie,  Enoch 
Greathouse,  John  Tiltron,  Sr.,  Henry  Shrader,  John 
Shadle,  Elijah  Harris,  John  Marshall,  Thomas  Hinde, 
and  Joshua  Beall,  owned  2986  acres. 

Township  1  S.,  R.  13  IF.— Scoby  Stewart,  Enoch 
Greathouse,  James  Majors,  Daniel  Greathouse,  Henry 
Alter,  James  English,  E.  Putman,  Jacob  Claypole,  John 
Stillwell,  A.  Smook,  Manlove  Beauchamp,  James  Dun- 
lap,  James  Miller,  Thomas  McLean,  William  Deputy, 
Charles  Bigg,  J  ohn  Collins,  Joshua  Beall,  Samuel  Bigg, 
Cornelius  McCullon,  William  Tanguary,  Robert  Bigg, 
Andrew  Dyer,  William  Beauchamp,  John  White,  Jr., 
and  George  Bell,  owned  7180  acres. 

Township  2  S.,  R.  13  IF.— Thomas  T.  Hinde,  A.  F. 
Dyer,  John  Nestler,  A.  Tougas,  dit  Lavialet,  Daniel 
Keen,  Samuel  Marshall,  John  Ruth,  Elijah  Compton, 
Jean  B.  Langlois,  John  Marshall,  William  Jones,  John 
Stewart,  Thomas  Baird,  John  McClary,  and  John 
Greason. 

Townships  1,  2,  3,  S.,  R.  14  W.— George  Flower 
Samuel  Brown,  J.  &  J.  Duulap,  Samuel  Brown,  William 
Wilson,  Asa  Durley,  Ephraim  Farr,  Elias  Jordan 
Joseph  Wright,  James  Gray,  Lanford  Violet,  John 
Painter,  Samuel  Campbell,  Francis  Jordon,  Neil  Camp- 
bell, and  James  Campbell,  owned  4572  acres. 

French  locations  were  owned  in  Township  1  N  ,  R.  11 
W.,  by  widow  of  Le  Denoyon,  Alexander Valle,  Frai^ois 
Baziuet,  Jacques  La  Lemoille,  Ambrois  Degenet,  Jean  C. 
Thiriot,  Gabriel  Bon  Ion,  Jr.  and  Pierre  Levrie,  aggre- 
gating 1600  acres.  Christopher  Wyatt  owned  400  acres, 
location  right  in  T.  1  N.,  R.  12  W.,  and  Nicholas  Varner, 
Pierre  Gamelin,  Etieune  St.  Marie,  and  Francis  St. 
Marie,  1 1 90  acres  of  similar  rights  in  Township  1  S.,  R. 
12  W. 

The  area  of  the  whole  county,  swamp  lands  included, 
is  stated  to  contain  137,486  acres.  84,834  acres  were 
listed  as  "  improved  "  lands  in  1882-  The  lands 
by  individuals  at  the  period  of  the  organization  of 
county,  amounted  to  about  one  half  of  that  quantity,  to 
wit :  to  42,186  acres.  Besides  Palmyra,  the  county  had 
another  and  iar  more  important  commercial  centre  in 
the  town  of  Mt.  Carmel,  founded  in  1817,  and  incorpor- 
ated in  1825. 

Shortly  after  the  organization  a  census  was  taken  by 
Abner  Armstrong.  The  number  of  resident  families  is 
stated  to  have  been  351,  and  the  total  population  1930 
souls,  of  whom  427  were  subject  to  military  duty  in  the 
Slate  militia. 

In  order  to  make  the  above  list  of  names  more  com- 


118 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


plete,  the  following  addition  is  made.     We  are  indebted 
to  the  Aft.  Carmel  Register  for  it. 

First  Grand  Jury  appointed  September  5th,  1825.— Seth 
Grand,  Felix  Hull,  John  Higgins,  John  Arnold,  Ran- 
som Higgins,  Moses  Decker,  Stephen  Bliss,  Stephen 
Summons,  Joseph  Wright,  John  Andrew,  John  Arm- 
strong, Lewis  Armstrong,  Spencer  Wood,  Joseph  Wood, 
William  Higgins,  Alexander  Wood,  Thomas  Beard, 
John  McCleary,  Daniel  Groves,  John  Gray,  David 
Wright,  Samuel  N.  Campbell  and  Beauchamp  Harvey. 

First  Petit  Jury.— William  M.  Richards,  George  Pugh, 
John  Harrison,  James  McMillen,  John  Key,  Thomas 
Pulliam,  George  W.  Higgins,  William  Brown,  William 
Fullerton,  John  Campton,  Francis  Vallie,  Lyman  Utter, 
Lyman  Brines,  George Claypole,  John Stillwell, William 
Deputy,  William  Arnold,  John  Degan,  Ephraim  Phar, 
James  Block,  Joshua  Beall,  Stephen  Simonds,  Nathan 
Fry  and  Aaron  Gould. 

The  counties  of  Illinois  along  the  Wabash  were  divid- 
ed into  military  districts  and  thus  Wabash  county 
formed  seven  military  or  company  districts,  named  after 
their  captains.  There  was  a  Captain  Arnold's,  a  Cap- 
tain Campbell's,  a  Captain  Andrews',  a  Captain  Beall's, 
a  Captain  Wardell's,  a  Captain  Suider's  and  a  Captain 
McCleary 's  district.  These  districts  existed  at  the  time 
of  the  organization  of  the  county,  and  this  subdivision 
was  utilized  by  the  first  county,  in  calling  each  district 
a  road  district  also,  placed  under  the  supervision  of  Levi 
Crouch,  John  Compton,  James  Gray,  Joseph  Jones,  Henry 
Utter,  Enoch  Greathouse  and  Coles  Bertley  respectively. 

Political  Subdivisions.— In.  Juhe,r1825  the  county  was 
divided  into  two  townships,  called  Prairie,  north  ot  the 
base  line  and  Centerville  south  of  the  base  line. 

Two  years  later  in  June,  1827,  the  county  was  sub- 
divided into  five  districts  for  the  election  of  justices  of 
the  peace  and  constables.  Heretofore  the  justices  of  the 
peace  were  appointed  by  the  governor  of  the  State, 
usually  upon  recommendations  made  by  the  county 
commissioners.  These  justices  in  their  turn  apppointed 
their  own  constables,  who  however  had  to  be  confirmed 
by  the  county  board,  before  they  could  enter  upon  the 
duties  of  their  offices.  The  five  districts  or  precincts 
were  named  as  follows  :  Coffee,  Mt.  Carmel,  Centerville, 
Wabash  and  prairie. 

Co/te.—  Was  bounded  as  follows:  Beginning  at  the 
mouth  of  Bonpas  creek,  thence  up  the  same  to  the  old 
Boupas  bridge,  thence  with  the  road  leading  to  Mount 
Carmel  to  Coffee  creek,  thence  down  the  same  to  the 
Wabash,  thence  down  said  river  to  the  place  of  begin- 
ning. Elections  to  be  held  at  the  house  of  John  Comp- 
ton, with  Daniel  Keen,  Thomas  Beaird  and  John  Mc- 
Cleary as  judges  of  election. 

Mount  Carmel—  Beginning  at  the  Wabash  where  the 
base  line  strikes  the  same,  thence  west  to  the  range  line 
dividing  ranges  twelve  aud  thirteen  west,  thence  south 
with  said  line  two  miles,  thence  west  to  the  Bonpas  creek, 
thence  down  said  creek,  to  the  old  Boupas  bridge,  thence 
with  the  road  leading  to  Mount  Carmel  to  Coffee  creek, 


thence  with  said  creek  to  the  Wabash  river,  thence  up 
said  river  to  the  place  of  beginning.  Elections  to  be 
held  at  the  tavern  of  Robert  Lucas  in  Mount  Carmel, 
with  James  Townsend,  James  Brown  and  Edward  Ulm 
as  judges  of  election. 

Centrevdle.—  Beginning  at  the  section  corner  of  sec- 
tions 17, 18,  19,  20  in  township  1  north  of  range  12  west, 
thence  west  to  Bonpas  creek,  thence  with  said  creek  to  a 
point  two  miles  south  of  base  line,  thence  east  to  the 
section  corner  of  sections  12  and  13,  on  the  line 
between  ranges  twelve  and  thirteen,  thence  north  two 
miles  to  the  baseline,  thence  east  one  mile,  thence  north 
three  miles  to  the  place  of  beginning.  Elections  at  the 
court-house  in  Centreville,  with  Henry  Utter,  Seth  Gard 
and  Zedekiah  Winter  as  judges. 

Wabaah. — Beginning  at  the  base  line  at  the  section 
corner  between  sections  31  and  32  in  township  number 
one  north  of  range  12  west,  thence  north  to  the  north 
line  of  the  county,  thence  east  to  the  Wabash,  thence 
down  the  same  to  the  base  line,  thence  west  with  said 
line  to  the  place  of  beginning.  Elections  to  be  held  at 
the  house  of  John  Andrew,  with  Abner  Armstrong 
Spencer  Wood  and  John  Snider  as  judges. 

Prairie. — Beginning  at  the  section  corner  of  sections 
17,  18,  19  and  20,  in  township  1  north,  range  12  west, 
and  thence  north  four  miles  to  the  county  line,  thence 
west  to  Bonpas  creek,  thence  down  the  same  to  a  point 
four  miles  south  of  the  north  line  of  the  county,  thence 
east  to  the  place  of  beginning.  Elections  to  be  held  at 
the  house  of  John  Arnold,  with  Ransom  Higgins,  John 
Harrison  and  James  McMillen  as  judges  of  election. 

Various  unimportant  changes  in  names  and  boundari  s 
were  made  in  the  course  of  time,  until  at  this  day,  we 
find  the  following.  • 

POLITICAL   SUB-DIVISIONS    OF    WABASH  COUNTY    AS   PER 

ORDER  OF  SEPTEMBER  TERM,  1881. 

ELECTION  PRECINCTS 

Mount  Carmel  is  bounded  as  follows :  Commencing 
on  the  Wabash  river  where  the  base  line  strikes  the 
same,  thence  west  to  the  northwest  corner  of  section  3, 
T.  1  S.,  R.  13  W.,  thence  south  to  the  southeast  corner 
of  section  4,  T.  2  S.,  R.  13  W.,  thence  east  to  the 
Wabash  river,  thence  up  the  Wabash  river  to  the  place 
of  beginning. 

Friendsville  commences  at  the  northeast  corner  of  the 
northwest  quarter  of  section  32,  T.  2  N.,  12  west,  on 
the  north  line  of  the  county ;  thence  west  on  the  north 
line  of  the  county  to  the  northwest  corner  of  the  north- 
east quarter  of  section  33,  T.  2  N.,  R.  13  west,  thence 
south  on  the  half  section  line  to  the  southeast  corner  of 
the  southwest  quarter  of  section  11,  T.  1  N.,  R  13  west, 
thence  west  to  the  northwest  corner  of  section  15,  T.  1 
N.,  R.  13  west,  thence  south  to  the  southwest  corner  of 
section  34,  T.  1  N.,  R.  13  west  on  the  base  line,  thence 
east  on  the  base  line  to  the  southwest  corner  of  the 
southeast  quarter  of  section  32,  T.  1  N.,  R.  12  west; 
thence  north  on  the  half  section  line  to  the  north  line  of 
the  county  and  the  place  of  beginning. 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  W ABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


119 


Wabash  commences  on  the  Wabash  river  where  the 
north  line  of  the  county  strikes  said  river,  thence  on  the 
north  line  of  the  county  to  the  northwest  corner  of  the 
northeast  quarter  of  section  32,  T.   2  N,  R.  12  west,  , 
thence  south  on  the  half  section  line  to  the  southwest 
corner  of  the  southeast  quarter  of  section  32,  T.  1  N.,  R.  i 
12  west  on  the  base  line,  thence  east  on  the  base  line  to 
the  Wabash  river,  thence   up  said  river  to  the  place  of 
beginning. 

Lancaster  commences  at  the  northeast  corner  of  the 
northwest  quarter  of  section  33,  T.  2  N.,  R  13  west,  on  j 
the  north   line  of  the  county  to  Bonpas  creek,  thence  ' 
southerly  along  said  creek  to  where  it  strikes  the  half 
section  line  of  section  22  running  east  and  west  T.  1  N.,  | 
R.  14  west,  thence  east  on  the  half  section  line  to  the  ' 
southeast  corner  of  the  northeast  quarter  of  section  21, 
T.  1  N.,  R  13  west,  thence  north  on  the  section  line  to  j 
the  northwest  corner  of  section  15,  T.  1  N.,  R.  13  west,  | 
thence  east  to  the  northeast  corner  of  the  northwest 
quarter  of  section  14,  T.  IN.,  R.  13  west,  thence  north 
on  half  section  line  running  north  and  south  of  sections 
2  and  11,  T.  I  N.  R.  13  west  on  the  half  section  line 
running  north  and  south  of  section  33,  T.  2  N.,  R.  13 
west  to  the  place  of  beginning. 

Lick  Prairie  commences  at  the  southeast  corner  of  the 
northeast  quarter  of  section  21,  T.  1  N.,  R.  13  west, 
thence  west  on  the  half  section  line  to  Bonpas  creek,  j 
where  said  creek  strikes  the  half  section  line  of  section  22,  i 
running  east   and   west,  T.  1   'N.,  R.  14  west,  thence  j 
southerly  along  said  creek  to  where  it  strikes  the  half 
section  line  of  section  11  (running  east  and  west)  T.  18. 
R.  14  west,  thence  east  on  the  half  section   line  to  the 
southeast  corner  of  section  9,  T.  1  S.,  R  13  west,  thence 
north  to  the  southeast  corner  of  the  northeast  quarter 
of  section   21,  T.  1  K,  R.  13  west,  the  place  of  begin- 
ning. 

Bonpas  commences  at  the  southeast  corner  of  the 
northeast  quarter  of  section  9,  T.  1  S  ,  R.  13  west,  thence 
west  on  the  half  section  line  to  Bonpas  creek,  thence 
southerly  with  said  creek  to  the  southwest  corner  of 
section  3,  T.  2  S.,  R.  14  west,  thence  east  on  the  south 
line  of  sections  1,  2  and  3,  T.  2  S.,  R.  14  west,  and  the 
south  line  of  sections  4,  5  and  6,  to  the  southeast  corner 
of  section  4,  T.  2  S.,  R.  13  west,  thence  north  to  the 
southeast  corner  of  the  northeast'  quarter  of  section  9, 
T.'l  S.,  R.  13,  the  place  of  beginning. 

Coffee  commences' at  Bonpas  creek,  at  or  near  the 
southwest  corner  of  section  3,  T.  2  S.,  R.  14  west,  thence 
due  east  on  the  south  line  of  sections  1,  2  and  3,  T.  2  S  ,  i 
R.  14  west,  on  the  south  lines  of  sections  1,  2,3,  4,  5  and  j 
6,  T.  2  8 ,  R.  13  west,  to  where  the  same  strikes  the 
Wabash  river,  thence  southerly  along  said  river  to  the  i 
mouth  of  Bonpas  creek,  thence  up  said  Bonpas  creek  to  i 
the  southwest  corner  of  section  3,  T  2  S.,  R  14  west,  the  i 
place  of  beginning. 

Returning  to  the  county  "  governors  "  of  those  early 
days,  it  should  be  stated  that  the  presiding  members  of 
the  court  had  represented  the  present  county  of  Edwards 


in  the  first  legislature  of  the  State,  and  that  he  as  chair- 
man of  the  committee  on  public  buildiugs,  had  superin- 
tended and  conducted  the  erection  of  the  Statehouse  at 
Vandalia.  Hiram  Bell  was  clerk  of  this  court,  and  re- 
mained in  appointment  and  reappointment  at  first,  and 
by  election  and  reelection  next  for  more  than  30  years. 
George  Bell  was  the  first  county  assessor,  and  received  a 
compensation  of  825.00  for  his  labors.  Abner  Arm- 
strong, the  sheriff,  was  also  treasurer,  and  Hiram  Bell, 
the  county  clerk,  was  also  county  surveyor  and  clerk 
of  the  circuit  court.  Beauchamp  Harvey  at  Mount  Car- 
mel, and  John  Tilden  at  Centerville,  were  the  earlier 
justices  of  the  peace,  and  L.  W.  Jordan,  constable.  The 
poor  "  masters  "  were  William  Higgins  and  George  W. 
Higgins.  Gervaise  Hazleton,  George  Claypole  and 
Ephraim  Phar,  Thomas  Pulliam,  William  Higgins  and 
John  Compton  were  trustees  of  school-lands.  There 
were  two  organized  school  districts,  one  at  Mt.  Carmel 
and  the  other  at  Centerville. 

Abner  Armstrong  was  appointed  agent  to  lay  off  the 
donation  land  at  Centerville  into  town  lots.  There  were 
12  blocks  of  4  lots  each.  These  lots  measured  10  by  14 
poles.  The  streets  were  ordered  to  be  two  poles  wide, 
and  the  lots  were  to  be  sold  at  auction  on  the  4th  of 
July,  1825,  on  very  easy  terms,  to  wit :  at  a  credit  of 
six,  twelve  and  eighteen  months,  and  no  "earnest" 
money  required.  The  sale  however  proved  a  failure,  and 
the  court  authorized  Armstrong  to  sell  at  private  sale, 
provided  however  that  no  lot  should  be  sold  for  less  than 
$25.00. 

To  make  the  county  seat  more  accessible,  a  road 
from  Centerville  east,  crossing  the  road  from  Jeremiah 
Woods  to  Palmyra  at  Prairie  creek,  to  Moses  Bedell's 
mills,  was  laid  out  on  a  route  viewed  by  Enoch  Great- 
house,  Jeremiah  Woods  and  John  Compton  and  another 
one  from  August  Tegan's  ferry  to  Centerville. 

The  county  revenue  of  the  first  year  amounted  to 
395.30,  and  the  ordinary  expenditures  to  $255  40.  The 
support  of  the  paupers  cost  the  county  $44.40,  which 
amount  was  paid  to  William  Johnson,  who  had  provided 
for  the  wants  of  Daniel  Hoit,  a  pauper,  during  a  period 
often  and  one-third  months,  at  the  rate  of  fourteen 
cents  per  day. 

Miscellaneous  notes  from  the  journal  of  the  commis- 
sioners. Tarlton  Boren,  Ephraim  Phar  and  Beauchamp 
Harvey  formed  the  second  county  court,  1826.  They 
organized  a  new  precinct  and  named  it  Coffee.  Its 
boundaries  commenced  at  the  old  Bonpas  bridge,  thence 
with  the  county  road  leading  from  Mt.  Carmel  to  S. 
Riggs,  thence  in  a  direct  line  to  the  mouth  of  Coffee 
creek,  thence  with  the  Wabash  to  the  mouth  of  Bonpas, 
thence  up  the  creek  to  the  place  of  beginning,  elections 
to  be  held  at  the  house  of  John  Compton,  with  Thomas 
Baird,  Levi  Compton  and  Daniel  Keen  as  judges  of 
election.  John  Tilton,  William  Higgins,  sr.  and  Thomas 
Pulliam  conducted  the  election  at  Centerville.  The 
compensation  of  judges  was  for  each  75  cts.  specie  or  its 
equivalent  in  state  paper.  ($1.00  in  specie  was  worth 


120 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  W ABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


$3.00  in  state  paper  in  1825— see  chapter  of  Lawrence 
county.)  Isaac  Parmenter  was  granted  license  to  sell 
liquor  by  the  small,  for  which  privilege  he  paid  25  cts., 
December  5,  1826 ;  and  was  elected  sheriff  in  1828. 
John  Crow  kept  tavern  at  Centerville,  and  Robert  Lucas 
at  Mt.  Carmel.  The  court  fixed  their  rate  of  charges 
at  25  cents  per  meal,  6k  cents  for  lodging,  whiskey  at 
12£  cents  and  foreign  spirits  or  wines  at  25  cents  per 
half  pint.  The  annual  tax  for  taverns  was  then  $3.00. 
George  Knight  succeeded  Tarltou  Boren,  December, 
1828.  Levi  Crouch  is  mentioned  as  coroner  at  the  same 
time.  The  last  meeting  of  court  at  Centerville  was  dur- 
ing March,  1829.  The  court  then  adjourned  to  meet  at 
Mt.  Carmel  in  June,  1828.  Beauchamp  Harvey  was 
re-elected  in  1830,  leaving  the  county  commissioners' 
court  unchanged.  The  county  revenue  of  1830 
amounted  to  $701.10.  The  population  of  the  county 
was  increasing  rapidly,  and  amounted  in  1830  to  2,710, 
about  one  hundred  more  than  the  parent  county  Edwards 
contained.  O.  B.  Ficklin,  in  later  years  member  of  leg- 
islature and  finally  representative  in  Congress,  com- 
menced his  career  like  his  friend  Isaac  Parmenter  in 
keeping  tavern,  1831. 

No  vestige  of  records  has  remained  in  existence  from 
1831  to  Sept.  1844.  The  August  election  of  1844  added 
Daniel  Keen  to  his  colleagues  Anthony  Altintz  and 
William  Wier.  The  population  had  meanwhile  increased 
to  over  4,000  souls  and  4  new  precincts,  to  wit ;  Pleasant 
Hill,  Frifndville,  Lancaster  and  Bonpas,  had  been  es- 
tablished. George  Glick  succeeded  Wier  in  Sept  1845, 
and  Stephen  T.  Gunn  became  the  successor  of  Altintz  in 
1846. 

Ralph  Baird  was  licensed  to  operate  a  ferry-boat-  on 
the  Wabash,  with  a  landing  in  section  23,  T.  2  S.  R.  13 
W.  Daniel  Darnell,  a  negro  23  years  old,  was  recorded 
as  free  born,  on  the  affidavit  of  Nathan  Seers,  who  had 
raised  him.  Lawrence  and  Elizabeth  Ferguson  produced 
documentary  evidence,  that  HWliam  Ferguson,  of  Louis- 
iana, from  motives  of  benevolence  and  humanity,  had 
manumitted  them  and  their  children  on  the  4th  day  of 
June,  1847,  and  upon  giving  the  required  bond,  they 
were  registered  as  free  negroes  and  permitted  to  dwell 
at  Mt.  Carmel.  This  is  the  only  instance  in  which  the 
"black  laws  "  of  Illinois  are  mentioned  in  the  county 
records  of  Wabash.  Daniel  Keen  was  re-elected  in  1847, 
and  remained  a  member  of  the  commissioners'  court 
until  1849,  when  this  court,  by  provision  of  the  new 
constitution  of  Illinois  was  abolished  and  the  government 
of  the  county  entrusted  to  a  county  court,  composed  of 
three  members,  the  county  judge  as  presiding  officer, 
and  two  county  justices,  his  associates,  to  be  elected  Nov. 
1849  for  a  term  of  four  years.  Abraham  Utter  succeed- 
ed Glick  in  1840.  The  last  term  of  the  commissioners 
was  held  on  the  first  Monday  of  December  1849,  present 
Daniel  Keen,  Stephen  T..Gunn  and  Abraham  Utter. 
At  the  close  of  this  period  the  number  of  paupers  had  in- 
creased to  7,  and  Daniel  Hoit,  the  first  county  pauper, 
was  still  one  of  their  number.  These  people  were  farmed 


out  to  the  lowest  bidder ;  some  were  taken  at  37}  cts. 
per  week,  while  others  cast  as  much  as  $2.00  per  week. 
Statistic}  taken  from  the  U.  S.  Census  of  1850.— The 
county  had  then  a  population  of  4690,  among  them  50 
persons  of  color.  Mt.  Carmel  counted  935  inhabitants, 
151  children  were  born  in  1849,  121  couple  got  married 
and  45  persons  had  died  during  the  year ;  808  dwelling- 
houses  sheltered  816  families;  30  teachers  taught  1233 
na'ive  born,  32  foreign  born  and  2  negro  children. 
There  were  2ij  adult  natives  and  1  adult  foreigner  unable 
to  read  and  write.  The  farms  of  the  county  embraced 
24,369  acres  of  improved  and  39,649  acres  of  unimproved 
land  representing  a  cash  value  of  3407,000;  the  farming 
utensils  were  worth  $36,000  and  the  live  stock  $118,235. 
The  slaughtered- animals  represented  a  value  of  $34,000. 
The  farmers  had  produced,  in  1849,  12,438  bushels  of 
wheat,  320,000  of  corn  and  45,000  of  oats,  5,000  Ibs  of 
tobacco,  10,230  Ibs.  of  wool,  2,500  bushels  of  beans,  10. 
110  of  Irish  and  536  of  sweet  potatoes,  55,500  Ibs.  of 
butter  and  6,000  Ibs.  of  cheese,  2,200  tons  of  hay,  4,687 
Ibs.  of  flax,  etc  etc.  There  were  two  libraries  in  the 
county,  with  a  catalogue  of  about  600  volumes  each. 
There  were  2  Lutheran,  1  Christian,  2  Methodist,  3 
Presbyterian  and  2  Roman  Catholic  churches  in  the 
county,  11  buildings  in  all,  erected  at  an  expense  of 
$13,950  with  a  capacity  of  seating  7,400  people. 
7,400  seats  and  only  4  6jO  souls  in  the  county! 

Before  entering  upon  the  proceedings  of  the  newly  in- 
troduced government  of  the  county,  we  shall  introduce 
here  a  brief  sketch  of  the 

PUBLIC   BUILDINGS. 

Firnt  Court  House.— Moses  Bedell,  the  miller,  con- 
tracted, September  5th,  1825,  for  the  building  of  a  frame 
court-house,  26x36  feet,  two  stories  high  ;  the  first  story 
to  be  eleven  feet  in  the  clear,  the  second  eight  feet.  He 
agreed  to  furnish  all  the  materials,  h'ave  shutters  to  the 
windows  and  shingles  to  the  roof.  The  work  was  to  be 
completed  by  May  1st,  1826.  The  house  was  completed 
and  the  worshipfuls — as  the  commissioners  called  them- 
selves— occupied  it  on  the  5th  of  June,  1826.  Moses 
received  $715.00,  the  contract  price,  on  the  19th  of 
March,  1827. 

Second  Court  House.— The  location  of  the  county 
seat  at  Centerville,  was  a  failure,  and  a  majority  of  the 
people  desired  a  relocation,  selecting  Mt.  Carmel  as  the 
most  desirable  place.  The  only  objection  to  the  scheme 
was  the  question  of  expense,  but  when  Scoby  Stewart, 
in  March,  1829,  offered  to  give  bond  to  the  amount  of 
$4,000,  conditioned  that  within  two  years  from  date,  he 
would  erect  a  court-house  at  Mt.  Carrael  of  equal  value 
of  the  old  courthouse  at  Centerville,  free  of  all  ex- 
penses to  the  county,  and  located  on  a  lot,  selected  by 
the  court,  and  to  be  donated  to  the  county,  the  question 
was  decided  at  once.  The  court  chose  lots  217  and  477 
as  the  most  suitable  site,  on  which  the  second  court- 
house of  the  county  was  erected. 


rflt/RT   Hf) 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


121 


This  building  was  occupied  by  the  county  authorities 
until  April  5th,  1857,  when  it  was  destroyed  by  fire. 

Third  Court  House.—  This  building  was  erected  in 
1857,  on  the  old  site  by  Hiram  Bell,  contractor,  at  an 
expense  of  $6,770.  A  part  of  the  necessary  funds  was 
borrowed  from  Thomas  J.  Shannon,  who  was  at  the  same 
time  appointed  agent  to  pay  the  contractor  as  the  work 
progressed,  and  upon  the  reports  of  Charles  Cuqua  and 
Brivoyle,  experts,  superintending  the  work.  Brivoyle, 
for  some  reason,  withdrew  from  this  superintending  po- 
sition and  was  succeeded  by  T.  C.  Turner.  The  build- 
ing was  completed  in  autumn,  1858.  A  final  settlement 
with  the  contractor  was  had  on  the  6th  day  of  December, 
1858. 

This  building  was  also  destined  to  be  destroyed  by 
the  elements.  The  following  few  lines,  entered  upon  the 
journal  of  the  county  commissioners'  board  will  fully 
explain  the  tragic  downfall  of  Court-house  No.  3, — to 
wit: 

"June  4th,  1877:  The  board  of  county  commis- 
sioners remained  in  session  until  about  twenty  minutes 
to  four  o'clock,  P.  M.,  when  said  court  was  suddenly 
adjourned  without  ceremony  or  delay,  a  terrible  cyclone 
striking  and  destroying  the  court-house  and  offices,  the 
members  of  the  board  and  the  other  officers  not  standing 
upon  the  order  of  their  going  but  at  once  and  precipi- 
tately rushing  to  the  vault,  and  upon  emerging  there- 
from the  order  of  business  was  entirely  lost  in  the  wreck 
of  matter." 

The  destruction  of  this  building  was  indeed  a  calamity, 
the  financial  condition  of  the  county  being  anything 
but  prosperous.  An  appeal  to  the  magnanimity  of  the 
state  met  with  a  noble  reply,  and  a  special  appropriation 
of  $15,000  enabled  the  county  authorities  to  contract 
and  pay  for  the 

Fourth  Court  House. — The  question  of  changing  the 
site  of  the  new  court-house  was  submitted  to  a  vote  of 
the  people,  who  by  1,020  against  309  decided  to  retain 
the  old  place.  The  original  contract  price  agreed  upon 
was  amended  by  a  compromise,  April  1st,  1881,  by 
which  the  contractors  received  an  additional  payment 
of  $1,950.  This  circumstance  had  its  origin  in  the 
great  and  astonishing  looseness  and  lameness  of  con- 
tract and  specifications,  drawn  by  James  Higbee,  and 
adopted  by  the  c  mnty  commissioners.  We  introduce 
them  here  at  length. 

SPECIFICATIONS. 

Mount  Carmel,  111.  June  24th,  1879. 

Specifications  for  building  a  court-house  in  the  city  of 
Mount  Carmel,  Wabash  county  and  state  of  Illiuois, 
said  building  to  be  brick  and  of  size  and  form  as 
shown  on  plans  made  by  James  Higbee  of  Mt.  Carmel. 

Excavation.—  Under  the  main  building  the  dirt  is  to 
be  taken  out  to  the  depth  of  four  feet,  six  inches,  the 
trenches  for  the  wings  to  be  taken  out  to  the  depth  of 
three  feet,  dirt  to  be  removed  off  the  ground,  if  not 
needed  for  grading. 
16 


Brick  Work.  —  The  contractor  of  the  brick  work  to 
furnish  good  merchantable  brick  for  the  foundations  up 
to  the  surface  of  the  ground  to  be  all  hard  brick  to  be 
laid  in  good  lime  mortar,  mixed  with  one-third  cement, 
joints  to  be  well  filled  with  mortar,  the  foundations  of  the 
outside  walls  to  be  three  feet  wide  and  drop  in  as  shown 

'  on  plan,  all  the  outside  walls  to  be  18  inches  all  the  way 
up,  the  cross  walls  13  inches,  the  walls  of  the  vaults  to 

I  be  built  double  with  three  inch  space  between  them,  as 
shown  on  plan  ;  the  vaults  to  be  arched  over  with  hard 

I  brick  laid  in  cement,  the  arch  to  be  18  inches  thick  ;  for 

[  the  walls  above  the  ground  good  fair  brick  is  to  be  se- 
lected for  the  outside  and  of  uniform  color,  walls  to  be 
laid  with  binder  every  fifth  course,  straight  and  neatly 
pointed,  wall  left  clean,  cornice  on  main  building  to  be 
made  of  brick. 

Stone  Work.—  There  will  be  water  table  of  good  stone, 

I  6x8  inches,  running   round  the  entire  building,   stone 

'  door  sills,  8x19  inches  wide,  stone  window  sills  to  all  the 

j  windows,  caps  to  windows  to  be  of  brick  as   shown  on 

!  plan,  steps  to  be  added  as  shown  on  plan. 

Carpenter  Work.— First  and  second  tier  of  joint  to 
be  of  good  sound  oak  or  yejlow  poplar,  free  from  sap, 
2x12  inches,  placed  16  inches  apart  from  center,  bridged 

!  with  cross  braces,  all  the  floor  joints,  10  feet  long  or 
longer,  to  be  bridged  ;  there  will  be  rough  floor  laid  in 
the  second  story  of  good  sound  oak  or  yellow  poplar. 
Strips,  1x2  inches,  laid  over  each  joint  filled  to  the  top 
with  mortar  to  tleaden  sound,  mortar  to  be  dry  before 
the  floor  is  laid,  all  of  the  floors  to  be  good  sound  ash, 

;  oak,  or  yellow  pine,  from  8  to  5  inches  wide,  nailed  in  the 
tongue  and  in  every  joint ;  the  upper  joint  to  be  of  good 
sound  oak  or  poplar,  placed  16  inches  apart  from  the 
centers  ;  there  will  be  the  inside  finished  and  doors  to  be 

'  painted  three  coats  and  grained,  outside  of  sash  painted 

'  red,   putty  black,  sash  grooves  stained.      Wainscoting, 

I  witness  stand,  judge's  desk  to  be  oil  finish.  It  is  under- 
stood that  all  the  work  herein  specified  and  not  on  the 
plans  is  to  be  done,  and  also  all  of  the  work  on  plans 
and  not  specified  is  to  be  done,  all  to  be  done  in  good, 
neat  and  workmanlike  manner,  material  furnished  to  be 

\  approved  by  county  commissioners. 

The  bell  is  to  be  hung  on  good  iron  hangings  ;  court 
will  furnish  bell,  contractor  the  hangings.  The  vault 
doors  to  be  like  the  one  now  in  use  in  the  clerk's  office 

I  in  this  city,  two  registers  to  each  vault,  doors  to  be  made 
as  shown  on  full  size  drawings,  and  all  inside  finish  to  be 
as  shown xon  plan,  slat  seats  and  backs  with  iron  frames, 
as  per  plan  shown,  said  building  to  be  completed  on 
or  before  the  1st  day  of  September,  1880,  to  the  full 
satisfaction  of  the  board  of  county  commissioners. 

The  contractor  to  give  bondsmen   with  two  or  more 

;  good  and  sufficient  sureties  in  the  penal  sum  of  fifteen 
thousand  dollars,  to  be  approved  by  the  board  of  county 
commissioners,  payable  to  the  people  of  Wabash  county, 
Illinois.  Plastering  to  be  two  coats,  brown  work  and 
one  coat  of  plaster  Paris,  all  angles  to  be  sharp  and 
straight,  all  of  said  building  to  be  plastered  inside. 


122 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WADASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


The  board  of  county  commissioners  agree  to  furnish     as  it  progresses  to  completion,  a  gentleman  to  inspect  the 
one-third   of  the   contract  price   when  the  building  is     work  and  material  used  in  said  building, 
completed  to  the  ground   or  first  floor,  one-third  when  :      The  new  court-house  was  occupied  in  March  1881.     It 


the  building  is  fully  enclosed,  and  the  remainder  when 
the  building  is  fully  completed  to  the  satisfaction  of  the 


is  apparently  a  stately  building.  The  work  seems  to 
have  been  slighted  to  some  extent,  and  it  is  sincerely  to 
be  wished  that  it  be  never  tested  as  to  its  power  to  resist 


board  of  commissioners. 

There  is  to  be  a  stairway  in  the  rooms  as  shown  on  floor  another  cyclone, 
plans,  stairs  to  be  wainscoted  with  pine  or  poplar  dressed  '       County  Jail. — There  is  no  such  institution  in  existence 

on  both  sides,  steps  of  oak,  rise  of  poplar,  rail  of  poplar  at  this  day.     The  records  of  the  county  show  however 

fitted   on  top  of  wainscoting,  which  is  run  above   the  that  B.  Harvey  contracted  with  the  county-board,  on 


second  floor,  two  feet  six  inches,  to  form  railing  around 
the  landing  or  headway. 

The  towers  or  wings  to  be  furnished  with  rough  iron 
railing,  there  is  to  be  a  trap  door  on  top  of  each  tower, 
the  contractor  to  furnish  a  ladder  for  each  tower  from 
the  floor  on  the  ceiling  joints  to  trap-door  on  the  top,  the 
front  tower  to  be  finished  as  shown  on  front  elevation  to 
be  covered  with  slate  ;  cornice  covered  with  galvanized 
iron,  molding  around  the  dock's  faces  to  be  of  galvanized 
iron.  The  contractor  to  furnish  six  dozen  good  sub- 
stantial chairs  for  jury  purposes  ;  the  deck  of  tower  to 
be  covered  with  tin. 

The  Contract  —This  agreement  witnesseth  :  That  on 
this  1st  day  of  August,  1879,  the  board  of  county  com- 
missioners of  Wabash  county,  Illinois,  of  the  first  part. 
and  A.  Halterback  of  the  second  part,  agree  together  in 
manner  following. 

The  said  Halterback  for  the  said  consideration  here- 
inafter mentioned,  doth  for  himself,  his  -heirs,  executors, 
and  administrators  covenant  with  the  said  the  board  of 


March  8th,  1831,  for  the  erection  of  a  jail  at  Mount 
Carmel,  of  a  dimension  of  16  feet  by  32  feet  Terms  of 
contract  not  stated. 

1849  to  1883.  —  The  constitutional  convention  of  1847, 
in  which  Wabash  county  was  represented  by  Charles  H.^ 
Constable,  concluded  their  labors  on  the  13th  of  August, 
1847.  The  judgment  law,  proposed  by  said  convention 
was  ratified  by  the  people  on  the  6th  of  March,  1848. 
The  form  of  county  government  was  changed  in  conse- 
quence of  the  adoption  of  the  new  constitution  ;  the 
commissioners  of  the  county  stepped  down  and  out,  to 
make  room  for  the  county  court. 

Miscellaneous  notes  from  the  Journal.  —  The  first  county 
court  to  wit,  James  H.  Beall,  judge,  Anthony  Albietz 
and  John  D.  Dyar,  associates,  took  charge  of  the  affairs 
of  the  county  on  the  1st  December,  1849.  There  was 
nothing  but  routine  before  them,  during  their  whole  term 
with  the  exception  of  the  examination  of  the  accounts  of 
S.  S.  Lu  ken?,  late  sheriff  who  had  died  before  he  had  finish- 
ed his  collector's  report.  W.  T.  Page  represented  the  coun- 


county commissioners  of  Wabash  county  aforesaid  and     ty  in  this  examination,  and  reported  81542.83   due   the 


their  successors  in  office,  that  he,  the  said  party  of  the 
second  part,  shall  and  will  on  or  before  the  first  day  of 
September,  A  D.  1880,  after  the  date  hereof,  in  a  good 
and  workmanlike  manner,  and  at  his  own  proper  charge 
and  expense,  at  a  place  to  be  designated  by  the  party  of 
the  first  part  in  Mt.  Carmel,  in  said  county,  well  and  sub- 
stantially erect,  build  and  finish  a  court-house  according 
to  the  specifications,  draught,  scheme,  and  explanation 
hereunto  annexed,  with  such  brick,  timber,  and  other 
material  as  the  said,  the  board  of  county  commissioners 
have  mentioned  and  specified  in  the  prefixed  specifica- 
tions, and  as  contemplated  by  the  plan  referred  to  in 
said  specification. 

In  consideration  whereof,  the  said  board  of  county 
commissioners  do  for  themselves  and  successors  in  office, 
covenant  with  the  said  A.  Halterback,  his  executors, 
administrators,  well  and  truly  to  pay  unto  the  said 
Halterback,  his  executors,  administrators,  the  sum  of 
fourteen  thousand  and  fifty  dollars,  lawful  money,  in 
the  following  manner,  viz:  Oue-third  of  the  contract 
price  when  the  building  is  completed  according  to 
specifications  and  plan  to  the  ground  or  first  floor,  one 
third  more  when  the  building  is  fully  inclosed,  and 
balance  when  the  court-house  is  fully  completed  and 
finished  according  to.  said  plans  and  specifications.  It 
is  mutually  stipulated  that  the  party  of  the  first  part 


county,  which  amount  was  paid  over  to  the  treasurer  by 
the  administratrix.  A  vote  on  township  organization, 
the  first  one,  was  had  in  1855,  an  indication,  that  there 
was  some  dissatisfaction  with  the  new  governors. 

The  burning  of  the  court-house,  April  5th,  1857,  is  not 
mentioned  at  all  in  the  subsequent  records,  except 
incidentally,  as  for  instance,when  the  court  ordered  that 
the  judge  and  clerks  should  have  the  bricks  of  the 
burned  building  cleaned  and  piled  up  to  the  best  advan- 
tage of  the  county,  or  that  he,  the  court,  should  be  cited 
to  come  forward  to  file  a  new  bond  or  vacate  his  office. 

The  building  of  the  court-house  was  not  the  only 
business,  that  weighed  heavy  on  the  court  ;  there  were 
the  swamp  land  troubles  and  railroad  subscriptions 
besides.  The  building  of  the  court  house  is  mentioned 
above  and  the  swamp  land  business  may  be  briefly 
stated.  The  lands  ceded  to  the  county  by  and  in  con- 
sequence the  swamp  land  act  of  1850,  were  ordered  to  be 
sold  December,  1853.  Hiram  Bell,  the  swamp  land 
commissioner,  made  his  first  report  in  March,  1858,  when 
he  stated  he  had  $4,304.36  in  money  and  notes  on  hand, 
the  proceeds  of  lands  sold.  The  report  is  succeeded  by 
an  order  of  court,  July,  1858,  that  the  drainage  commis- 
sioner should  again  report  at  the  September  term,  and 
also  give  a  full  and  detailed  account  of  all  his  transac- 
tions as  swamp  land  commissioner  and  drainage  master. 


shall  have  privilege  to  place  and  keep  on  said  building,     The  language  of  the  order  is  terse  and  exhibits  anger 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LA  WRENCE  AND  WAD  ASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


123 


The  report  was  filed  and  approved,  but  the  office  of 
drainage  master  and  swamp  land  commissioner  was 
abolished  and  the  ex-officer  peremptarily  ordered  to  turn 
over  books,  vouchers  and  notes  at  once.  Mr.  Bell  was 
then  building  the  court-house  and  attending  to  the  duties 
of  various  public  offices,  and  he  had  for  the  last  twenty- 
five  or  thirty  years  been  burdened  with  an  uncommon 
load  of  public  labors  and  responsibilities.  The  known 
ingratitude  of  republics  was  again  exemplified  in  him, 
and  he  was  held  to  pay,  and  had  to  pay  a  balance  of 
$1,840.06  found  against  him  in  his  accounts  as  swamp 
land  commissioner.  This  office  so  recently  abolished, 
was  re-organized  with  James  P.  McNair  as  commissioner 
January  5th,  1859.  On  June  5th,  1861,  judge  Wilkin- 
son reported  that  he  had  visited  the  General  Land 
Office  at  Springfield,  to  ascertain  the  status  of  the 
Wabash  county  claim  against  the  United  States,  and 
that  he  had  been  assured,  that  the  county  would  soon, 
probably  in  less  than  three  months,  be  reimbursed  by 
the  United  States,  for  moneys  obtained  in  the  sale  of 
some  5000  acres  of  Wabash  county  swamp  lands.  The 
funds  finally  obtained  were  $2,715.58.  The  money  was 
used  in  drainage  works  and  for  other  purposes. 

The  finances  of  the  county,  during  this  period,  were  in 
a  wretched  condition  as  will  be  seen  from  the  following 
synopsis : 

COUNTY  FINANCES,  ASSESSMENTS,  TAXES  AND  DEBTS. 

The  financial  condition  of  the  county  during  the  pe- 
riod from  1825  to  1850  had  been  healthy.  The  expen- 
ditures did  not  exceed  the  revenues,  and  the  county  re- 
mained free  of  debt ;  at  any  rate  the  records  do  not 
show  any  financial  troubles.  An  examination  of  the 
county  finances,  made  March  8,  1851,  developed  the 
fact  that  then  a  small  floating  debt  of  $740.85  existed, 
and  that  the  assets  of  the  county,  to  wit:  $33.13  cash 
in  the  treasury,  $1102.97  of  uncollected  taxes,  and  $50 
in  fines  not  yet  paid,  exceeded  the  debt  to  the  amount 
of  $445.25.  The  tax  values  of  that  year  amounted  to 
$618:947,  and  the  taxes  for  state,  county  and  schools  to 
$6.104.81,  not  quite  1  per  cent.,- or  about  $130  per 
capita.  In  June,  1855,  the  funds  in  the  treasury  were 
reported  by  the  treasurer  to  amount  to  $273.73,  where- 
upon the  court  proceeded  to  count  the  funds,  and  found 
them  to  consist  of  $158  in  American  gold  coin,  7  twenty 
fianc  pieces,  worth  $26.81,  2  ten  gulden  pieces  worth 
$8.00,  2£  English  sovereigns  worth  $12.12,  American 
silver  $21.10,  German  thalers  $11.70,  and  bank  paper 
amounting  to  $43.00)  and  worth  $36.00. 

The  taxes  were  now  rapidly  increasing,  the  county 
having  contracted  heavy  debts  in  the  aid  of  railroads 
located  in  the  county.  The  taxes  of  1857,  to  wit :  $1.60 
per  $100,  amounted  to  $16,233  or  $2.46  per  capita,  but 
there  was  then  still  a  cash  balance.  In  1859  the  tax 
roll  amounted  to  $31,951  21,  or  more  than  $4.00  per 
capita. 

The  first  detailed  statement  of  the  expenditures  of  the 


county  was  made  in  March,  1862,  from  which  learu  the 
following  : 

Cost    of  roads  and  bridges  ............  $668.49 

"     of  providing  for  the  poor  ..........  935.13 

"     of  dieting  prisoners  .............  32587 

"     of  drainage  .................  248.94 

"     of  courts  and  salaries  of  officers  ......  2,087.65 

"     of  elections  .................  67.85 

Interest  on  court-house  debt  ...........  468.00 

Interest  on  railroad  debt  .............  8,000.00 

Cost  of  making  assessment  ............  622.22 


Total 

The  county  debt  was  stated  to  be  : 

i  aid  of  railroad 


Bonds  issue 

Balance  of  court-house 

Unpaid  county  orders  . 


ebt.  . 


$13,424.15 


$100,000.00 
1,242.48 
1,992.46 


Total $103,234.90 

The  assets  of  the  county  consisted  in  the  hope  of  get- 
ting $3000  from  the  United  States  on  account  of  swamp 
lands  sold.  The  assessed  value  of  taxable  property  was 
stated  to  be  $945,571. 

Matters  grew  rapidly  worse,  and  on  November  4, 
1865,  the  court  resorted  to  the  pernicious  measure  of 
issuing  interest  bearing  county  orders.  The  clerks  of 
the  circuit  and  county  courts  were  authorized  to  issue 
$50,000  in  such  orders,  throw  them  on  the  market  and 
deposit  the  money  to  be  realized  with  T.  J.  Shannon, 
the  fiscal  agent  of^the  county.  The  two  clerks  reported 
that  they  could  not  place  these  orders,  and  so,  the  court 
in  its  desperate  efforts  to  obtain  money,  ordered  Decem- 
ber 5,  1865,  that  those  county  orders  should  be  tax  free, 
and  that  they  might  be  sold  at  a  discount  of  from  2  to  G 
per  cent.  At  the  same  time  a  special  tax  of  $2.00  was 
levied  to  guarantee  the  speedy  redemption  of  those 
orders.  The  tax  of  1866  was  simply  enormous,  to  wit: 
$3.00  for  the  county,  and  nearly  $2.00  for  State  and 
local  purposes.  The  taxes  were  promptly  paid,  the  debt 
reduced,  and  in  1870  the  constitutional  limit  of  the  tax 
rate,  to  wit,  75  cents,  not  exceeded.  The  county  courts 
to  whom  the  government  of  the  county  had  been  en- 
trusted since  1849,  were  superseded  by  boards  of  county 
commissioners  in  1874,  and  these  officers  caused  a  rigid 
investigation  of  the  county  affairs  to  be  made,  and  in 
their  March  term,  1874,  declared  that  a  floating  debt  of 
$12,238.85  was  still  in  existence.  The  bonded  debt  of 
the  county  was  refunded  in  pursuance  of  an  election 
held  August  13,  1881,  at  which  it  was  decided  by  a  vote 
of  403  against  64  to  issue  $100,000  in  6  per  cent,  regis- 
tered bonds,  to  redeem  older  bonds.  Messrs.  George  0. 
Marcy  &  Co.,  of  Chicago,  took  the  whole  amount  at  4i 
per  cent,  premium,  and  placed  the  sum  of  $104,250  into 
the  hands  of  the  State  treasurer  to  the  credit  of  Wabash 
county  August  16,  1831.  To  complete  this  sketch  we 
introduce  a  few  tabulated  statements,  to  witT: 


Copy  of  Assessment  of  1853. 


Horses,  1893,  at  $35.00 

Neat  cattle,  3658   "      7.75 

Mules,  40    "    64.35 

Sheep,  ST&   "      1.00 

Hogs,  14218    "      1.04 


$C6,565 
28,374 
2..133 
3,728 
14,569 


124 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  W ABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


Carriages  and  wagons,  654  at  $30.00  
Clocks  and  watches,      525  "     6.25  

$19,716 
3,280 

Household  and  office  property  

.  .  831,875 
.  .  1,170 

pe    y 

Moneys  and  credits  

f6,«38 

Total 

Bonds  and  stocks  f  .  . 
Unenumerated  property  
Total  personal  property    
Valuation  of  lands  

12,350 
24,538 

8282,195 
393,052 

84,834  acres  improved,  at        810.02  
52,652     "      unimproved            4.94  
1,871  town  lots  improved       143.19  
773  town  lots  unimproved  20.51  

.  .  849,798 
.  .  241,172 
.  .  267,900 
.  .  16,851 

.  Total  tax  value  

8777,605 

Total  
Wheat  29,600  acres         Other  field  products  .  . 

.  .  $1,690,240 
.  .  .  2,002 

State  tax  at  49%  -  

.    $3,836.18 
.      3,110.42 

Corn  23,357    "              Pastures  

.  .  .  14,652 

972.10 

Back  taxes  

.    .           83.94 

Totaltax '88,00264 

From  which  it  would  appear  that  all  taxes  added  to- 
gether would  amount  to  a  very  small  fraction  over  one 
per  cent.  The  population  of  the  county  amounted  then 
to  5245  souls,  and  the  tax  to  be  raised  was  $152  per 
capita.  This  was  in  1853,  and,  in  order  to  draw  proper 
lines  of  comparison,  we  introduce  here  the  assessments  of 


$137,486 

Values  and  Taxes  of  Wabath  County  in  1882. 

Personal  property  of  every  description $311,453 

Lands,  improved  and  unimproved 1,108,069 

Town  and  city  lots 271,326 

Railroad  property 194,139 

Total $1,884,989 

Taxes. 


1873  and  1882  : 

Wealth  of  Wabash  County  in  1813.—  The  Cow 
its  best.                ^ 

ity  at 

$175.038 
63,705 
28,000 
.      10,635 
32,164 
.      12,828 
670 
1,130 
.      68,930 
7,439 
.      17,110 
.        6,665 
.        1,405 
300 
10 
180 
.      94.635 

.      66,377 
.    281,441 
.    149,880 
$1,043,370 
2,830,710 
754,775 
$1^628,855 

g  table 

$61,840 
34,582 
13,953 
6,275 
8,436 
3,225 
495 
250 
20,883 
2,736 
6,99 
2,735 
2,180 
.        37,305 
26,481 
52,052 

State  36  cts.  per  100  $6,673,26 
State  back  taxes  .  .   2,963.69—       $9,636.85 

Special  railroad  debt—  taxes  21,399.30 
County  tax—  75  cts  $14,143.31 
back  taxes  5,122.58 
"         road  and  bridge  tax  3,866.20—    -  23,132.09 

4443  cattle,                           14.33%  

421  mules                       66.50%  
7360  sheep                         1,44%  
13470  hogs                                2.38      
16  steam  engines       801.75     
8  safes                         71.75     
8  billiards                  141.25     
1356  wagons                         43.46%  
1150  watches  and  clocks  6.46%  
353  sewing  machines    48.47     

19  melodeons                 74.00     

City  taxes  1,785.99 
Dog  tax  845.00 
Total  taxes  $75,923.37 

This  is  an  enormous  tax—  more  than  $4.00  per  $100, 
or  $7.60  per  capita. 
•     The  Railroad  Debts.—  One  of  the  causes  of  the  county 
indebtedness  and  increased  taxation  was  the  fact  that 
the  people  voted  large  amounts  of  money  to  aid  the 
construction  of  railroads  through  the  territory  of  the 
county.     We  append  a  brief  synopsis  of  the  measures 
adopted  for  that  purpose  : 

The  first  proposition  in  this  direction,  made  by  the 
county  court,  to  subscribe  $30,000  to  the   Ohio   and 
Wabash  road,  was  voted  down  on  the  2ith  of  March, 
1854,  as  was  also  the  proposition  to  donate  the  proceeds 
from  the  sale  of  swamp  lands  to  Illinois  Southern  road 
in  1857.     The  agitation  in  favor  of  this  road  continued, 
however,  and  at  the  November  election,  1857,  a  major- 
ity of  171    decided  in   favor  of  subscribing   $100,000 
capital  stock  of  the  said  road.     On  the  8th  of  December, 
1858,  the  Court,  consisting  of  Judges  William  R.  Wil- 
kinson, and  Thomas  J.  Armstrong  and  George  Glick, 
Associates,  made  an   order  to  issue  $100,000  in  8  per 
cent,  interest  bearing  bonds  to  pay  said  subscription. 
There  were,  however,  a  few  restrictions  in  reference  to 
the  issue  ;  the  bonds  were  not  to  be  sold  for  less  than  85 
cents  per  $1.00,  nor  was  the  money  to  be  paid  before  a 
proportionate   amount  of  work   was  performed  in  the 
road  bed  in  the  county. 
Richard  H.  Hudson  was  entrusted  with  the  examina- 
tion of  vouchers,  and  the  disbursing  of  the  funds  were 
discretionary,  vith  him.     Associate  Justice   Armstrong 

1  patent  right             10.00     
4  sailing  vessels         45.00     
Merchandise  
Manufactured  articles  

Moneys  and  credits  
All  other  personal  property  

63810  acres  of  improved  lands  828.31-81,806,691 
«9853         •'        unimp'd         "       14.66-  1,024,019- 
2121  town  and  city  lots  
Total  

The  county  was  rich  in  1873.    The  followiu 
exhibits  an  unaccountable  reduction  in  values  : 

Assessment  of  1882. 

2474  horses,  at                   825,00     
4755  cattle                              7.27%  

4147  sheep                             1.51%  
531,9  hogs                                    1.57      

15  safes                                 33.00      

a    l  mr                        !•>  oo 

1314  wagons 

795  sewing  machines         7.55     
39  pianus                          70.13     

Merchandise  

Agricultural  tool?  ,  machines,  etc  
Moneys,  bonds,  jewelry,  etc  

HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


125 


protested  against  the  proposed  measure  ;  his  protest  was 
spread  upon  the  record.  Judge  Armstrong  resigned  his 
office  at  once.  The  balance  of  the  term  was  filled  by 
Wm.  McClain.  Richard  Hudson  withdrew  from  his 
trust  in  November,  1861. 

The  county  did  not  provide  for  the  necessary  funds  to 
meet  the  interest  due,  and  surrendered  a  part  of  her 
railroad  stock  to  the  company,  which,  in  their  turn, 
agreed  to  pay  the  interest  then  due.  The  county  bonds 
were  subsequently  bought  up  by  Messrs.  Robert  Bell 
and  E.  B.  Green,  the  county  paying  for  them  at  the  rate 
of  75  cents  per  $1.00.  The  measures  taken  to  raise  the 
necessary  funds  are  mentioned  elsewhere.  The  bulk,  to 
wit,  $90,500,  were  taken  up  and  paid  for  in  March, 

1867,  and  the  remainder   was  presented  by  E.  S.  Rus- 
sell, in  March,  1868.     His  bonds  amounted,  principal 
and   interest,  to  $3,442.40,  and  he  agreed  to  take  $2  - 
581.80  for  it.     lu  the  transaction  it  occurred  that  four- 
teen coupons  of  forty  dollars  each,  were  counted  for 
double  their  face  value,  to  wit  $1,120,  instead  of  $560. 

It  is  an  astonishing  fact,  that  in  the  midst  of  an  abso- 
lute financial  misery,  and  an  enormous  tax,  the  people 
of  the  county  voted  another  subscription  of  $15,000  in 
aid  of  the  Cairo  and  Vincennes  railroad,  January  4, 

1868.  The  vote  polled  was  large,  to  wit  1,265.     Lan- 
caster voted  unanimously  against  the  subscription,  which 
had  but  few  endorsers  in   Lick  Prairie,   Friendsville, 
Bon  pas  and  Wabash,  while  Mt.  Carrnel  and  Coffee  alone 
gave  majorities  in  favor  of  it.     The  majority  in  favor 
was  95. 

The  county  entered  into  an  agreement  with  Green  B. 
Iliium,  the  president  of  the  proposed  railroad,  to  issue 
those  bonds  and  surrender  the  stock  issued  to  the  county, 
to  the  company,  when  the  iron  was  laid  through  the 
county,  conditioned,  however,  that  the  cars  should  run 
within  eighteen  months  from  January  22,  1868.  This 
latter  clause  saved  the  county  from  this  subscription. 
The  cars  did  not  run.  Another  railroad  scheme  found 
favor  with  the  citizens  on  the  29th  of  January,  1870  ; 
they  voted  618  against,  54CUo  donate  one  hundred  thous- 
and dollars  in  aid  of  the  St  Louis,  -Mt.  Carniel  and  New 
Albany  railroad.  The  bonds  were  to  run  twenty-five 
years,  but  payable  at  any  time  previous  at  the  pleasure 
of  the  county,  and  were  to  bear  eight  per  cent,  annual 
interest.  The  bonds  were  issued  August  1,  1871.  Ten 
years  later  they  were  taken  up  by  substituting  the  new 
six  per  cent,  bonds,  as  stated  above. 

In  closing  this  sketch,  a  few  statistics  of  the  census  of 
1880,  imperfect  as  they  are,  may  find  a  space  here. 


City  and  precinct  of  Mt 
•       Town  of  Allendale  . 


Lick  Prairie  and  Lancaster  . 
Bonpas  (now  li'-lim-iiT 

Town  of  Bellmont .  .  . 

Coffee 

Town  of  Keensburgh  .  . 


2,74V 
1,176 
231  1,407 


1,575 
1,558 
-'?'.>    1,8:17 


ADDENDUM. 

The  county  of  Wabash  sent  Hon.  Charles  H.  Consta-  ^ — 
|  ble  as  her  delegate  to  the  Constitutional  Convention  of 
1847.  Hon.  Thomas  W.  Stone  represented  the  counties  of /-" 
Wabash   and   White  in  the  Convention  of  1862,  and 
Hon.  James  M.  Sharp  was  the  delegate  of  Wabash  and 
Lawrence  to  the  Constitutional  Convention  of  1870. 

Wabash  county  as  represented  in  the  General 
Assembly : 

1826  to  1828 — Stephen  Bliss,  Senator  for  Edwards 
and  \V abash.  Henry  Utter,  Representative. 

1828  to  1830— Enoch  Beach,  Senator  for  Edwards, 
j  Wabash  and  Wayne.     Samuel  Mundy,  Representative. 

1830    to    1832.— Enoch   Beach,    Senator  as  above. 
j  Samuel  Mundy,  Representative. 

1832  to  1834.— Henry  I.  Mills,  Senator  as  above.  W. 
G.  Anderson,  Representative. 

1834  to  1836.— Henry  I.  Mills,  Senator  as   above. 
Orlando  B.  Ficklin,  Representative,  resigned  February 
•  13th,  1835.     Edward  Smith  elected  to  fill  vacancy. 

1836  to  1838.— Henry  I.  Mills,  Senator  as  above. 
Edward  Smith  Representative. 

1838  to  1840.— Henry  I.  Mills,  Senator  as  above. 
Edward  Smith,  Representative,  died  during  term.    Jc- 
j  seph  G.  Bowman,  Representative,  successor  of  Smith. 

1840  to  1842.— R.  B.  Slocumb,  Senator  as  above. 
James  Beall,  Representative. 

1842  to  1844.— R.  B.  Slocumb,  Senator  as  above. 
John  Compton,  Representative. 

1844  to  1846.— Charles   H.    Constable,   Senator  as  r 
above.     John  F.  Youngkin,  Representative. 

1846   to  1848.— Charles    H.    Consable,  Senator    as    ^ 
above.     Samuel  S.  Lukins,  Representative. 

1848  to  1850.— Alfred  H.  Grass,  of  Lawrence,  Sena- 
tor, 8th  Senatorial  district.  William  Pickering,  of  Ed- 
wards, Representative,  8th  Representative  district.* 

1850  to  1852.— Alfred  H.  Grass,  Senator  as  above. 
William  Pickering,  Representative  as  above. 

1852  to  1854.— Mortimer  O'Kean,  of  Jasper,  Senator 
as  above.  Victor  B.  Bell,  of  Wabash,  Representative. 

1854  to  1856. — Silas  L.  Bryan,  of  Marion,  Senator, 
20th  Senatorial  district.  S.  H  Martin,  of  White,  Rep- 
resentative, 9th  Representative  district  f 

1856  to  1858— Silas  L.  Bryan,  of  Marion,  Senator  as 
above.  John  E.  Whitney,  of  White,  Representative  as 
above. 

1858  to  I860.— Silas  L.  Bryan,  of  Marion,  Senator  as 
i  above.  John  G.  Powell,  of  White,  Representative. 

1860  to  1862.— Zadock  Casey,  of  Jefferson,  Senator  as 
'  above.  James  M.  Sharp,  of  White,  Representative. 

1862  to  1864.— Hugh  Gregg,  of  Williamson,  Senator, 
2nd  Senatorial  district.  James  M.  Sharp,  of  Wabash, 
Representative,  4th  district.J 

« Wabash,  Edwards,  Lawrence,  RichUnd,  Clay,  Jasper  and  Effing- 
ham  formed  the  8th  Senatorial,  and  Wabash  and  Edwards  the  8th  Rep- 
resentative district  from  1848  to  1854. 

t  From  1834  to  1862  Wabash  and  Wnite  formed  the  9th  Represen-  tative 
district,  and  Wabash,  Edwards,  Wayne,  Jefferson,  Merion,  Clay  and  Rich- 
land,  the  20th  Senatorial  district. 

\  From  1862  to  1870  Wabash,  Edwards,  Wayne,  Clay,  Rlchland 


126 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  W ABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


1864  to  1866.— John  W.  Westcott,  of  Xenia,  Senator 
as  above.  D.  H.  Morgan,  of  Russellville,  Representa- 
tive. 

1866  to  1868.— John  W.  Westcott,  of  Xenia,  Senator 
as  above.  James  M.  Sharp,  of  Mt.  Carmel,  Represen- 
tative. 

1868  to  1870.— J.  J.  R.  Turney,  of  Fairfield,  Senator 
as  above.  D.  H.  Morgan,  of  Russellville,  Representa- 
tive. 

1870  to  1872. — John  Jackson,  of  Lawrence  and  John 
Landrigan,  of  Edwards,  Senators,  2nd  Senatorial  dis- 
trict. Walter  L.  Mayo,  of  Edwards,  Representative. 
20th  district. 

1872  to  1874.— George  W.  Henry,  of  Clay,  Senator, 
44th  Senatorial  district.*  Isaac  M.  Jacquess,  of  Wa- 
bash,  Robert  T.  Forth,  of  Wayne  and  David  W.  Bark- 
ley,  of  Wayne,  Representatives. 

1874  to  1876.— George  W.  Henry,  of  Clay,  Senator 
as  above.  Samuel  R.  Hall,  of  Edwards,  Byron  J.  Ro- 
taii,  of  Clay  and  John  Landrigan,  Representatives  as 
above. 

1876  to  1878 — Robert  P.  Hanna,  of  Wayne,  senator 
as  above;  Hiram  H.  Chessley,  of  Clay,  W.  R.  Wil- 
kinson, of  Wabash,  George  Ramsey,  of  Clay,  representa- 
tives. 

1878  to  1880— Robert  P.  Hanna,  of  Wayne,  senator 
as  above;  Jacob  Zimmerman,  of  Wabash,  William 
Bower,  of  Richland,  Charles  Churchill,  of  Edwards, 
representatives. 

1880  to  18*2— John  Taaner,  senator  as  above;  Na- 
than Crews,  James  Keen,  E.  B.  Keen,  representatives. 

1882  to  1884— John  C.  Edwards,  senator  46th  Dis- 
trict f ;  F.  W.  Cox,  Lowery  Hay,  W.  H.  Johnson,  repre- 
sentatives. 

County  Commissioners. — Levi  Compton,  1825  to  1826 ; 
Tarlton  Boren,  1825  to  1828,  two  terms  ;  Moses  Bedell, 
1825  to  1826 ;  Ephraim  Phar,  1826  to  1830,  two  terms  ; 
Beauchamp  Harvey,  1826  to  1830,  two  terms;  George 
Knight,  1829  to  1832,  two  terms;  Anthony  Altintz, 
1840  to  1846,  two  terras ;  William  Wier,  1842  to  1845 ; 
Daniel  Keen,  1844  to  1849,  twice  elected ;  George  Glick, 
1843  to  1848 ;  Stephen  S.  Gunn,  1846  to  1849 ;  Abra- 
ham Utter,  1848  to  1849. 

County  Courts.— 1849  to  1853,  James  H.  Beale,  judge  ; 
Anthony  Albietz,  John  G.  Dyer,  associate  judges.  1853 
to  1857,  James  H.  Beale,  co-judge  ;  T.  J.  Armstrong, 
Henry  Mundy,  associates-  1857  to  1861,  Wm.R.  Wilkin- 
son, resigned,  co-judge  ;  T.  J.  Armstrong,  1857  to  1859, 
William  McClain  to  fill  vacancy,  George  Glick,  associates. 
1861  to  1865, Thos  Armstrong,  co-judge;  Isaac Hershey, 
O.  H.  Keen,  associates.  1865  to  1869,  Thomas  J.  Arm- 
strong, Judge  (died  1869);  Robert  Bell,  judge  elect,  1869, 
Rozander  Smith,  Collins  Bredwell,  associates.  1869  to 

White,  Lawrence  and  Hamilton  formed  the  2nd  Senatorial,  and  Wababh 
and  Lawrence  the  4th  Representative  district. 

•The  Act  of  March  1st,  1872,  formed  the  State  into  51  Senatorial  dis- 
tricts,  each  district  to  elect  one  Senator  and  three  Representatives. 
Wabash,  Clay,  Wayne,  Richland  and  Edwards  constituted  the  44th  district 

t  Wabash,  Lawrence,  White  and  Hamilton  compose  now  the  46th 
Senatorial  District  of  the  state. 


1873,  James  S.  Johnson,  co-judge;  Stephen  C.  Midgett, 
John  Graff,  (resigned  1872),  W.  R.  Mundy,  filled  va- 
cancy 1872.  1873  to  1877,  Thomas  J.  Shannon,  judge 
of  probate,  the  county  government  to  be  attended  to  by 
a  board  of  commissioners.  W.  W.  McDowell,  judge, 
1877,  resigned  April,  1879 ;  Stephen  C.  Midgett  elected 
to  fill  vacancy  in  1879  and  re-elected  for  a  full  term 
1882  to  1884. 

Board  of  County  Commissioners.  1873  to  1874,  Je- 
remiah Fox,  Jacob  Seiler  and  L.  A.  Miller;  1874  to 
1875,  Jacob  Seiler,  L.  A.  Miller  and  E.  H.  Courier  ; 
1875  to  1876,  L.  A.  Miller,  E.  H.  Courier  and  O.  H. 
Keen ;  1876  to  1877,  E.  H.  Courier,  O  H.  Keen  and 
Luke  A.  Miller,  re-elected.  1877  to  1877,  O.  H  Keen, 
(died  in  office,  vacancy  filled  by  J.  W.  Tanquary), 
Luke  A.  Miller  and  Silas  Andrews.  1878  to  1879, 
Luke  A.  Miller,  Silas  Andrews  and  J.  W.  Tanquary. 
1878  to  1880,  Silas  Andrews,  J.  W.  Tauquary  and  Berk- 
ley Armstrong. 

1880  to  1881.— J.  W.  Tanquary,  B.  Armstrong  and 
Roberl  Ramsey. 

1881  lo  1882.— B.  Armstrong,  died  in  office,  vacancy 
filled  by  R.  S.  Gordon,  Robert  Ramsay. 

1882  to  1883. — Robert  Ramsay,  R.  S.  Gordon  and  J. 
E.  Heniken. 

County  Clerks.— Hiram  Bell,  1825  to  1853;  James  S. 
Johnson,  1853  to  1869 ;  Sylvester  Greathouse,  1869  lo 
1873;  William  Birkelt,  1873  to  1877;  Marquis  D. 
McClintock,  1877  to  1882,  and  Isaac  F.  Price,  since 
1882 

Sheriffs.— Abner  Armstrong,  1825  to  1828;  Isaac 
Parmenter.  1828  ;  John  D.  Dyan,  1842  lo  1846  ;  Isaac 
N.  Jaquess,  1846  to  1850 ;  S.  S.  Luken,  1850,  died 
February,  1851,  vacancy  filled  by  I.  N.  Jaquess,  pro  tern. 
William  B.  Beall,  1851  to  1852 ;  Charles  Cuqua,  1852 
to  1854;  D.  S.  Harvey,  1854  to  1856;  Charles  Cuqua, 
1856  to  1858;  Isaac  N.  Jaquess,  1858  to  1860;  Charles 
Cuqua,  1860  to  1862;  William  Arbuthnot,  1862  to 
1864;  Isaac  Ogden,  1864  to  1866;  W.  W.  McDowell, 
1866  to  1868;  Isaac  Ogd«n,  1868  to  1870;  Neill  C. 
Burns,  1870  to  1872;  W.  W.  McDowell,  1872  lo  1876; 
J  T.  Burkell,  1876  lo  1878;  James  S.  Wilson,  1878  to 
1880;  Martin  Walser,  1880  lo  1882,  and  Francis  M. 
Cowling  since  1882. 

drcuit  Clerks. — Hiram  Bell,  1825  lo  1826;  Edward 
Munday,  1826  lo  1828;  Hiram  Bell,  to  1864;  Richard 
H.  Hudson,  1864  to  1872  ;  William  E.  Keen,  from  1876 
to  1880,  and  J.  T.  Burkett  since  1880. 

Treasurers  and  Assessors. — Abner  Armslrong,  1825 ; 
George  Bell,  1827;  J.  H.  Beall,  1843;  G.C.Turner, 
1849;  David  Reinhard,  1855;  Paul  Moyer,  1857 ; 
Isaac  Ogden,  1859 ;  W.  W.  McDowell,  1861 ;  George 
W.  Douglas,  died  in  office,  insane;  Samuel  Fisher  filled 
vacancy  ;  Sylvester  Greathouse,  two  terms,  1865  ;  James 
B.  Ramsay,  two  lerms,  1869  ;  N.  C.  Burns,  Iwo  lerms> 
1873  ;  Henry  J.  Henning,  Iwo  terms,  1877,  and  Peter 
P.  Keepes  since  1882. 

Coroners.— Levi   Crouch,   1826 ;  J.  G.  Wirth,  1862  ; 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  W ABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


127 


Kichard  Adam,  1864;  Joel  P.  Thrall,  1868  ;  John  Kern, 
1868 ;  Samuel  Shaw,  1870,  four  terrnes  in  office,  and  A. 
J.  Mclntosh  since  1878. 

School*  Commissioners  and  Superintendents. — Gilb.  C. 
Turner,  1843;  James  Mahorn,  1849;  W.  M.  Harmon, 
1853,  two  terms  ;  James  Leeds,  1861,  five  terms,  and  an 
additional  one  year  term,  and  A.  P.  Manley  since  1882. 

State  and  County  Attorneys. — John  M.  Robinson, 
1825;  E.  B.  Webb,  1832;  Aaron  Shaw,  1843 ;  Alfred 
Kitchell,  1851;  John  Schofield,  1858;  D.  L.  Brewer, 
1864,  and  Silas  Z.  Landes  since  1872. 

COUNTY  OFFICERS  (SERVING  IN  1883). 

Stephen  C.  Midgett,  of  Mt.  Carmel,  Judge  County  I 
Court. 

Isaac  F.  Price,  Mt.  Carmel,  Clerk  County  Court. 

Francis  M.  Cowling,  Mt.  Carmel,  Sheriff. 

Peter  P.  Keepes,  Mt.  Carmel,  Treasurer. 

Alfred  P.  Manley,  Mt.  Carmel,  Superintendent  of 
Schools. 

A.  J.  Mclntosh,  Allendale,  Coroner. 

Robert  Ramsay,  of  Mier,  Frederic  Holsen,  of  Allen- 
dale,  John  E.  Heniken,  of  Cowling,  Members  of  Board 
of  County  Commissioners. 

John  T.  Burkett  of  Mt.  Carmel,  Clerk  of  Circuit 
Court. 

S.  Z.  Landes,  Mt.  Carmel,  States'  Attorney. 

Charles  Buckanan,  Bellmont,  Surveyor. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

BEXCH  AND  BAR. 


JY  a  wise  ordination  of  providence,  law  and 
order  govern  everything  in  the  vast  and 
complex  system  of  the  universe.  Law  is 
everything.  Law  would  still  always  exist, 
though  every  one  of  its  professors  and  teachers  should 
perish  from  the  face  of  the  earth.  And  should  such  a 
thing  occur,  and  a  new  race  spring  up,  the  first  instinc- 
tive desire  of  its  best  men  would  be  to  bring  order  out  of 
c^aos  by  the  enactment  and  promulgation  of  wise  and 
beneficent  laws.  Law  in  the  abstract  is  as  much  a  com- 
ponent part  of  our  planet  as  are  the  elements  earth,  air, 
fire,  and  water ;  in  a  concrete  sense,  as  applied  to  the 
government  of  races,  nations,  and  peoples  it  plays  almost 
an  equally  important  part.  Indeed,  so  grand  is  the  sci- 
ence and  so  noble  are  the  objects  sought  to  be  accom- 
plished through  it,  that  it  has  inspired  some  of  the  best 
and  greatest  men  of  ancient  and  modern  times  to  an  in- 
vestigation and  study  of  its  principles. 

Draco,  among  the  first  and  greatest  of  the  Athenian 
lawgivers,  was  hailed  as  the  deliverer  of  those  people, 
because  of  his  enacting  laws,  and  enforcing  them,  for  the 


prevention  of  vice  and  crime,  and  looking  to  the  pro- 
tection of  the  masses  from  oppression  and  lawlessness. 
It  is  true  that  many  of  the  penalties  he  attached  to  the 
violation  of  the  law  were  severe  and  even  baibarous,  but 
this  severity  proceeded  from  an  honorable  nature,  with 
an  earnest  desire  to  improve  the  condition  of  his  fellow- 
men.  Triptoleinus,  his  contemporary,  proclaimed  as  laws, 
''  Honor  your  your  parents,  worship  the  gods,  hurt  not 
animals."  Solon,  perhaps  the  wisest  of  them  all,  a  man 
of  remarkable  purity  of  life  and  noble  impulses,  whose 
moral  character  was  so  great  and  conviction  as  to  the 
public  good  so  strong,  that  he  could  and  did  refuse  su- 
preme and  despotic  power  when  thrust  upon  him. 

What  is  true  of  one  race  or  nation  in  this  particular 
is  true  of  all,  viz.,  that  the  wisest  and  greatest  of  law- 
makers and  lawyers  have  always  been  pure  and  good 
men,  perhaps  the  most  notable  exceptions  being  Justin- 
ian and  Tribonianus.  Their  great  learning  and  wisdom 
enabled  them  to  rear  as  their  everlasting  monument  the 
Pandects  and  Justinian  Code,  which,  however,  they  sad- 
ly defaced  by  the  immoralities  and  excesses  of  their  pri- 
vate lives. 

Among  the  revered  of  modern  nations  will  be  found, 
conspicuous  for  their  great  services  to  their  fellows,  in- 
numerable lawyers.  To  the  Frenchman  the  mention  of 
the  names  of  Trouchet,  Le  Brun,  Portalis,  Roederer,  Thi- 
baudeau,  and  others  excites  a  thrill  of  pride  for  their 
greatness  and  of  gratitude  for  their  goodness. 

What  Englishman,  or  American  either,  but  that  takes 
just  pride  in  the  splendid  reputation  and  character  of 
the  long  line  of  England's  loyal,  lawyer  sons?  The  Ba- 
cons, father  and  son,  who,  with  Lord  Burleigh,  were  se- 
lected by  England's  greatest  Queen  to  administer  the  af- 
fairs of  state,  and  Somers  and  Hardwicke,  Cowper  and 
Dunning,  Eldon,  Blaokstone,  Coke,  Stowell,  and  Curran, 
who,  with  all  the  boldness  of  a  giant  and  eloquence  of 
Demosthenes,  struck  such  vigorous  blows  against  kingly 
tyranny  and  oppression  ;  and  Erskine  and  Mansfield  and 
a  score  of  others.  And  in  our  own  country  have  we  not 
names  among  the  dead  as  sacred,  and  among  the  living 
as  dear  ?  In  the  bright  pages  of  the  history  of  a  country, 
founded  for  the  sole  benefit  of  the  people,  and  all  kinds 
of  people,  who  more  than  our  lawyers  are  recorded  as  as- 
sisting in  its  formation,  preservation,  and  working  for 
its  perpetuity. 

On  the  organization  of  Edwards  county,  November 
28th,  1814,  the  Illinois  Territory  comprised  three  judicial 
circuits,  of  which  Edwards  county  formed  a  part  of  the 
third.  From  the  admission  of  the  State  into  the  Union 
in  1818,  until  1835,  with  the  exception  of  a  little  more 
than  two  years,  (1824  to  1827)  the  Judges  of  the  Su- 
preme Court  of  Illinois,  performed  the  duties  of  Circuit 
Judges.  In  that  year  a  law  was  enacted  establishing 
the  distinctive  office  of  Circuit  Judge,  and  dividing 
the  State  into  separate  Judicial  districts,  which  contin- 
ued to  February,  1841,  when  the  old  system  was  re- 
established, and  remained  in  force  until  the  adoption  of 
the  new  constitution  in  1848.  This  constitution  pro- 


128 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


vided  for  the  election  of  one  Circuit  Judge  in  each  judi- 
cial district. 

The  counties  of  Edwards,  Lawrence  and  Wabash  have 
been  included  within  the  same  judicial  district,  except 
from  1851  to  1873.  Edwards  county  was  erected  in 
1814;  Lawrence  in  1821,  and  Wabash  in  1824  A  ref- 
erence to  these  dates  will  show  a  complete  list  of  the 

CIRCUIT   JUDGES 

doing  duty  in  each  of  the  counties  in  their  respective 
order. 

The  earliest  courts  within  the  Territory  of  these  three 
counties  were  held  at  old  Palmyra,  then  the  county  seat 
of  Edwards.  The  first  session  was  held  July  11,  1815, 
with  Judge  Stanley  Griswold  on  the  bench. 

In  1816,  Thomas  Towles  presiding.  From  1817  to 
1818,  JepthaHardin  was  onthe'bench;  1818  to  1819 
Thomas  C.  Browne;  William  Wilson,  from  1819  to 
1825;  James  ().  Wattles  from  1825  to  1827, 
when  Thomas  C.  Browne,  was  again  on  the  bench 
serving  one  year  ;  William  Wilson  again  appeats,  serv- 
ing from  1828  to  1835 ;  Justin  Harlan  from  1835  to 
1841,  when  William  Wilson  again  returns  to  the  bench, 
serving  until  1849,  being  succeeded  by  his  predecessor, 
Justin  Harlan,  from  1849  to  1851  ;  Samuel  S.  Marshall 
was  then  elected,  serving  until  1854,  when  he  resigned, 
and  Downing  Baugh  served  one  year ;  Edwin  Beecher 
served  from  1855  to  1861  ;  Samuel  S.  Marshall,  from 
1861  to  1865,  when  James  M.  Pollock  succeeded  to  the 
bench,  serving  until  1873.  By  act  of  Legislature,  March 
28,  1873,  the  State  was  divided  exclusive  of  Cook 
county,  into  twenty-six  judicial  circuits,  and  at  the 
election,  in  June,  1873,  one  judge  was  elected  for  each 
circuit,  for  the  term  of  six  years.  Edwards  and  Wabash 
counties  formed  a  par  t  of  the  twenty-fourth  district,  j 
Tazewell  B.  Tanner  was  elected  judge  of  the  circuit,  and  } 
Lawrence  county  formed  a  part  of  the  twenty-first 
district  and  elected  James  C.  Allen,  in  that  circuit.  In 
18  f  7,  the  Legislature,  in  order  to  increase  the  number 
of  Circuit  Judges,  and  to  provide  for  the  organization 
of  the  Appellate  Courts,  consolidated  the  twenty-six 
judicial  circuits  into  thirteen,  thereby  giving  each  cir- 
cuit two  judges,  and  provided  for  the  election  of  one 
additional  judge  in  each  circuit,  in  August,  1877,  for 
two  years,  making  three  judges  in  each  judicial  circuit. 
The  September  following  the  Supreme  Court  appointed 
twelve  of  the  Circuit  Judges  to  appellate  duty,  the  re- 
maining judges  held  the  Circuit  Courts  in  their  respec- 
tive districts.  In  this  change  of  the  judiciary  system  the  ! 
twenty-fifth  and  the  twenty-fourth  districts  were  thrown 
together  to  be  known  as  the  Second  Judicial  Circuit.  In  ! 
those  districts  Tazewell  B.  Tanner  and  James  C.  Allen, 
were  already  serving  on  the  bench,  and  John  H.  Halley 
was  elected  to  make  the  requisite  number.  They  pre- 
sided, as  required  by  the  above  act,  until  1879,  when  ' 
Chauueey  S.  Conger,  Thomas  S.  Casey  and  William 
C.  Jones,  were  elected,  and  are  still  on  the  bench. 

The  judges  serving  on  the  bench,  in  Lawrence  county, 
while  that  county  was  noc  inelu  lj  1  within  tli3  same 


judicial  circuits,  were:  Justin  Harlan,  who  served  un- 
til 1859,  when  Edwin  Beecher  held  two  terms  ;  Alfred 
Kitchell  served  nearly  two  years ;  James  C.  Allen,  was 
commissioned  July  1,  1861,  and  resigned  December  31, 

1862,  and  was   succeeded  by  Aaron  Shaw,  March  2, 

1863,  who  continued  on  the  bench  until  1867,  being 
succeeded  by  Richard  S  Canby,  and  he  by  James  C. 
Allen. 

Some  of  the  above  named  judges  were,  during  their 
day  very  prominent  and  influential  in  shaping  the  af- 
fairs of  state. 

WILLIAM  WILSON,  aVirginian,oneof  the  earliest  judges 
in  the  State,  and  the  first  to  hold  court  in  Wabash  and 
Lawrence  counties,  was  for  many  years  one  of  the  lead- 
ing jurists  of  the  State.  He  served  on  the  supreme 
bench  for  a  period  of  almost  thirty  years.  As  already 
mentioned  he  was  first  appointed  July  7,  1819,  nine 
months  after  Illinois  was  admitted  into  the  Union. 
January  19,  1825,  he  was  made  chief  justice  and  occu- 
pied that  honorable  position  until  December  4,  1848. 
He  left  behind  him  a  most  excellent  record,  and  his 
memory  is  dear  Jo  his  many  friends  and  associates.  He 
was  a  man  of  fine  personal  appearance  and  presided  over 
his  court  with  great  dignity.  On  leaving  the  bench  he 
retired  to  a  farm  in  White  county,  where  he  resided 
until  his  death.  THOMAS  C.  BROWNE  was  also  on  the 
Supreme  bench  from  October  9,  1818,  to  December  4, 
1849.  He  was  a  conscientious  judge. 

JEPTHA  HARDIN,  was  a  native  of  Kentucky,  and  be- 
longed to  the  celebrated  Hardin  family  of  that  State. 
He  was  a  half  brother  of  the  distinguished  Benjamin 
Hardin,  but  not  his  equal,  although  an  excellent  judge 
and  a  fine  lawyer. 

JUSTIN  HAKLAN,  was  a  man  of  the  highest  order  of 
talents  and  although  his  learning  was  not  what  is  called 
liberal,  yet  he  was  a  profound,  well-read  and  able  law- 
yer, and  honest  and  impartial  in  the  discharge  of  his  ju- 
dicial functions.  He  was  eminently  social,  and  gained 
many  friends. 

SAMUEL  S.  MARSHALL,  another  able  lawyer,  repre- 
sented his  district  in  congress  in  1855,  and  again  re- 
elected  in  1857,  '65,  '67,  '69  and  71,  and  is  still  figur- 
ing prominently  in  state  and  national  politics. 

JAMES  C.  ALLEN,  was  one  of  the  Appellate  Judges  in 
the  fourth  district,  and  for  several  years  a  member  of 
Congress.  He  is  an  able  and  sound  lawyer,  and  while  on 
the  bench  his  fairness  and  impartiality  and  the  correct- 
ness of  his  decisions  won  him  much  credit.  He  is  a 
fluent  and  pleasing  speaker  and  a  genial,  affable  gentle- 
man. 

NON-RESIDENT    LAWYERS. 

These  counties  being  in  the  same  judicial  circuit  in 
the  early  time,  they  were  consequently  visited  by  nearly 
the  same  traveling  attorneys.  Many  were  the  priva- 
tions and  hardships  that  surrounded  the  early  bar  of 
Illinois.  At  that  time,  owing  to  the  small  amount  of 
litigation,  attorneys,  in  order  to  gain  a  livelihood  from 
the  practice  of  their  profession,  found  it  necessary  to  fol- 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  W ABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS.          129 


low  the  courts  from  county  to  county.  Nevertheless, 
some  of  the  most  illustrious  legal  lights  that  the  State 
has  produced  lived  in  those  days. 

Among  the  distinguished  men  that  came  to  practice 
at  Edwards,  Lawrence   and    Wabash    courts    in   that 
early  day  were:  Edwin  B.   Webb,  for  many  years  in 
the  Illinois  legislature ;  Col.  William  H.  Davidson,  who 
was  a  fair  lawyer  and  for  many  years  a  leader  in  the  j 
State  Senate ;  Gen.  John  M.  Robinson,  who  was  prose- 
cuting attorney  in  1821,  and  afterward  represented  the 
State   for  years   in  the   U.  S.  Senate ;   John  McLean, 
already  mentioned,  a  native  of  Kentucky,  and  a  good  j 
and  popular  lawyer :  Henry  Eddy,  long  the  editor  of  | 
the  Shawneetoion  Gazette,  and  a  man  of  fine  legal  ability  ;  . 
Thomas  C.   Browne,  who  was  the  prosecuting  attorney  | 
at  the  first  courts  of  Edwards  county,  and  afterward  ; 
Judge  of  the  circuit ;  John  Mclntire,  the  prosecutor  in  \ 
1816,  and  who  for  many  years  rode  the  circuit;  U.  F. 
Linder,  witty  and  eloquent,  eminent  as  a  criminal  law- 
yer and  adroit  politician;    O.  B.  Ficklin,  a  profound 
lawyer,   and  leader  in  the  national  congress,  who   for  j 
several  years  was  a  resident  of  Mt.  Carmel ;  the  hand- 
some and  gifted  Charles  H.  Constable ;  Samuel  S.  Hayes, 
a  scholarly  lawyer  and  preeminently  a  self-made  man  ; 
Col.  J.  E.  Whiting,  George  Webb,  father  of  Edwiu  B. 
Webb,  John  Pearsons,  Samuel  McRoberts,  Col.  A.  P. 
Field,  who  ranked  among  the   ablest  members  of  the 
bar    of  Illinois,  and  subsequently  moved   to  Louisiana,  j 
and  became   Attorney  General   of  that  State,  William 
J.  Gatewood,  an  eminent  lawyer,  and  for  many  years  in 
the  State  Senate ;  August  C.  French,  twice  governor  of 
Illinois;  J.  M.  Krebs,  John  McElvain,  and  probably 
others  whose  names  might  be  mentioned,  but  they  have 
passed  from  the  recollection  of  the  oldest  citizens. 


EDWAKDS  COUNTY. 
FORMER    RESIDENT   LAWYERS. 

In  early  times  lawyers  were  few  ia  number,  and  resid- 
ed mostly  in  the  larger  towns  of  the  State  This  being 
a  small  county,  there  have  been  but  few  resident 
attorneys,  and  they  mostly  remaining  but  a  short  time. 
At  the  first  term  of  the  Circuit  court  held  in  the  county, 
on  the  12th  day  of  July,  1815,  the  following  gentlemen 
were  admitted  to  the  practice  of  law :  Adolphus  T. 
Hubbard,  Elias  Kent  Kane,  Thomas  H.  Blake,  John 
McLean,  Russel  E.  Heacock,  Jeptha  Hardin,  and  John 
Mclntire.  We  simply  mention  the  fact  that  these 
gentlemen  were  admitted  at  this  term  of  court.  They 
however  were  not  residents  of  the  county.  The  above 
named,  afterward  became  prominent  and  conspicuous 
men  in  Illinois.  Elias  Kent  Kane  and  John  McLean, 
having  represented  the  state  in  the  United  States 
senate. 

The  first  resident  attorney  at  Albion   was  JAMES  O. 

WATTLES.     He  came  in  1820.     He  resided  there  for  a 

number  of  years  and  practiced  in  the  courts  of  Edwards 

and  adjoining  counties.     He  was  elected  judge  of  the 

17 


Fifth  judicial  district  in  1825,  and  served  on  the  bench 
until  1827. 

AUGUST  O.  FRENCH,  came  to  Albion  soon  after  1820, 
then  a  young  man  fresh  from  some  eastern  college,  and 
engaged  in  teaching  a  select  school  of  small  children  at 
two  dollars  a  quarter.  He  also  employed  a  portion  of 
his  time  writing  in  the  clerk's  office,  at  the  same  time 
reading  law,  and  it  was  not  long  afterward  that  he  was 
seen  in  the  saddle,  riding  the  circuit  with  the  lawyers. 
He  afterward  removed  to  Palestine,  Crawford  county, 
was  in  the  legislature  in  1836  and  was  elected  Governor 
of  Illinois  in  1846,  and  re-elected  in  1849. 

JAMES  B.  HINDE,  who  was  subsequently  elected  cir- 
cuit clerk  of  White  county,  was  a  very  early  lawyer  in 
Albion,  and  practiced  his  profession  there  for  a  period  of 
about  six  years.  Soon  after  Mr.  Hinde,  came  SAMUEL 
BOOKER,  a  bright  and  talented  man,  who  made  Albion 
his  residence  until  1849,  when  he  emigrated  to  Cali- 
fornia, where  he  afterward  became  a  man  of  some  pro- 
minence. 

WILLIAM  HARROW,  was  a  resident  attorney  for  a 
number  of  years.  He  was  considered  a  good  lawyer. 
Early  in  the  late  rebellion,  he  enlisted  in  an  Indiana 
regiment,  and  became  colonel,  and  served  his  country 
with  credit  and  distinction.  He  was  killed  a  few  years 
ago  by  a  railroad  accident,  while  on  a  trip  to  make  a 
political  speech. 

0-  S.  CANBY,a  single  man,  practiced  here  a  few  years 
and  died  in  Grayville,  in  1868.  It  is  said  he  was  a 
studious,  careful  lawyer  and  a  man  of  ability. 

AMOS  B.  MATHEWS,  a  lawyer  of  ability,  located  here 
in  1867  and  remained  in  practice  until  July,  1882,  when 
he  removed  to  Minnesota. 

R.  G.  BROWN,  located  here  in  1870  remaining  only  a 
few  months,  when  he  moved  to  Kaskaskia,  Illinois. 

PRESENT  MEMBERS  OF  THE  BAR. 

JOSEPH  M.  CAMPBELL,  a  native  of  Illinois,  is  the  old- 
est resident  member  of  the  Edwards  county  bar.     He 
received  his  education  in  the  common  schools  of  Wayne 
county,  and  began  the  study  of  law  in  the  office  of  Wil- 
liam H.  Robinson,  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  the 
fall  of  1865.     In  1866  he  came  to  Albion  and  opened  a 
law  office  in  partnership   with  his  preceptor,   W.  H. 
Robinson,  which  relation  continued  until  1870.     Since 
that  date,  with  the  exception  of  a  short  period  in  part- 
!  nership  with  H.  J.  Strawn,  Mr.  Campbell  has  practiced 
!  by  himself.     In  1873  he  was  elected  judge  of  Edwards 
I  county,  and  by  re-election  still  continues  to  hold  that 
[  office.     Mr.  Campbell  is  a  good  judge  of  law,  and  a 
painstaking,  careful  lawyer. 

HALBERT  J.  STRAWN  is  a  native  of  Pennsylvania. 
He  came  west,  and  in  1870  was  admitted  to  the  bar  at 
Princeton,  Indiana.     In  a  short  time  afterward  he  came 
to  Illinois,  and  in  September,  1872,  prior  to  his  admit- 
tance to  the  bar  in  this  State,  he  had  formed  a  law  part- 
j  nership  with  Judge  J.  M.  Campbell,  which  continued 
1  until  1873,  when  he  opened  an  office  by  himself.     In 


130 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WAS  ASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


March,  1879,  he  was  appointed  master  in  chancery  for 
a  term  of  two  years,  and  in  1882  he  was  elected  prose- 
cuting attorney.     Mr.  Strawn  has  confined  himself  to  a  ' 
general  practice  in  which  he  has  been  very  successful. 
WILLIAM  F.  FOSTER,  although  a  native  of  Indiana, 
has  been  a  resident  of  Edwards  county  since  he  was  four 
years   of  age.     His  education  was   acquired  by   hard,  ! 
studious  application  to  his  books,  having  attended  school 
only  nine  months  in  his  life.     In  January,  1876,  he  be-  j 
gan  reading  law  in  the  office  of  F.  A.   Sampson,  at  Se-  | 
dalia,  Missouri,  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  that  I 
State  May  8,  1876,  having  acquired  the  knowledge  of  ' 
law  necessary  for  admission  within  the  short  space  of 
four  months.     He  was  admitted  to  practice  in  Illinois 
January  22,  1879,  and  located  at  Albion,  since  which  he 
has  had  a  good  practice.     In  November,  1880,  he  was 
appointed  master  in  chancery  and  served  in  that  capa- 
city for  a  term  of  two  years. 


LAWKENCE  COUNTY. 
FORMER   RESIDENT   LAWYERS. 

Many  lawyers  at  various  times  have  made  Lawrence 
county  their  residence,  some  for  a  very  short  period  and 
others  remaining  for  several  years.  It  is  impossible  to 
gather  the  names  of  all  those  who  resided  at  Lawrence- 
ville in  the  earlier  part  of  its  history,  as  they  have  passed 
from  the  recollection  of  the  oldest  citizens. 

JUDGE  AARON  SHAW  was  the  earliest  resident  attor-  ' 
ney  that  became  in  any  way  prominent.     He  was  ad-  | 
mitted    to    the    bar    at   Lawrenceville  in    1835,   and 
remained  there  for   several  years.      In  1850  he  was 
elected  to  the  Legislature,  and  in  1857  to  Congress.  He 
subsequently  moved  to  Olney.     March  2,  1863,  he  was 
commissioned  circuit  judge  in  the  twenty-fourth  circuit,  I 
vice  James  C.  Allen,  resigned.     In  1882  he  was  again  j 
elected  to  Congress,  and  still  resides  in  Olney. 

JOSEPH  G.  BOWMAN  located  here  about  1835.     He  is  | 
a   fine  judge  of  law  and   a  successful  attorney.     He 
moved  to  Viucennes  and  from  thence  to  Olney,  where 
he  now  resides. 

FREDERICK  A.  THOMAS,  a  young  attorney,  came 
about  1840,  was  elected  circuit  clerk  and  died  while  in 
office. 

Two  brothers,  Louis  and  D.  B.  ABERNATHY,  located 
here  about  1860.  The  former  held  the  office  of  school 
commissioner,  and  the  latter  was  master  in  chancery  for 
several  years.  They  were  promising  young  lawyers,  and 
both  died  in  Lawrenceville. 

T.  P.  LOWERY  became  a  resident  practitioner  about 
the  same  time  as  the  above  named,  and  remained  for 
seven  years.     He  held  the  office  of  county  surveyor  for  i 
two  terms,  and  served  in  the  capacity  of  school  superin-  j 
tendent  and  justice  of  the  peace.     He  moved  to  Texas. 

WM.  LINDSEY  was  here  for  a  few  years,  leaving  about 
1864  or  '65.  He  was  politically  inclined,  a  fair  stump 
speaker,  and  receiving  an  office  under  the  government 
he  departed. 


JOHN  FIELDS,  a  lawyer  of  considerable  ability,  came 
to  the  bar  in  1867.  He  graduated  in  the  law  department 
of  the  State  University  of  Indiana.  In  1870,  he  was  a 
partner  of  E.  B.  Green  of  Mt.  Carmel ;  was  appointed 
master  in  chancery  in  1871,  performing  the  duties  of 
that  office  until  1878.  Failing  health  caused  him  to 
give  up  his  lucrative  practice  here  and  he  is  now  a 
resident  of  Colorado  Springs,  Colorado. 

D.  L.  BREWER,  a  well  known  attorney,  resided  in 
Lawrenceville  for  a  number  of  years. 

HARRY  BRISCOE,  with  the  story  of  whose  horrible 
death  the  citizens  are  so  familiar,  was  a  good  young 
lawyer,  and  was  for  a  time  prosecuting  attorney  of  the 
county. 

T.  A.  STEWART,  and  I.  N.  FARNSWORTH  were  among 
those  of  the  more  recent  years. 

PRESENT    RESIDENT   LAWYERS. 

The  oldest  resident  lawyer  of  Lawrence  county  is  the 
Hon.  Wm.  J.  Chews.  He  was  born  in  Crawford  county, 
Illinois,  in  1824,  and  five  years  later  his  father  moved 
his  family  to  this  county,  locating  on  Allison  prairie. 
Here  he  grew  to  manhood,  attending  the  common  schools 
of  his  neighborhood,  and  laboring  at  home  on  the  farm. 
At  the  age  of  twenty-one  his  father  gave  him  forty  acres 
of  land,  and  he  engaged  in  farming  for  himself.  A  few 
years  later  he  moved  to  Lawrenceville,  and  embarked  in 
the  milling  business,  with  which  he  soon  became  dissat- 
isfied and  returned  to  farm  life.  In  1843,  he  began 
the  study  of  law  under  the  directions  of  J.  G.  Bowman, 
being  admitted  to  practice  in  1846.  It  was  now,  for  the 
first  time,  that  he  had  an  opportunity  of  displaying  his 
powerful  intellect.  His  knowledge  was  acquired  almost 
entirely  by  self-culture,  and  had  he  devoted  his  entire 
attention  to  law,  he  would  doubtless  have  shed  lustre  on 
the  bar  of  southern  Illinois.  He  is  a  man  possessed  of 
extraordinary  judgment,  a  good  speaker  and  a  sound, 
careful  lawyer.  In  1869  he  was  elected  to  the  office  of 
county  judge,  but  resigned  his  position  in  1872,  when  his 
fellow-citizens  chose  him  to  represent  them  in  the  State 
Senate,  where  he  served  with  distinction  for  two  years. 
The  Judge  is  still  living,  on  his  farm,  near  where  his 
father  settled  on  coming  to  the  county. 

T.  B.  HUFFMAN,  a  native  of  Indiana,  received  his 
rudirrientary  education  in  the  common  schools  of  his 
native  State,  completing  his  literary  education  at  the 
Vincennes  University,  and  at  Lincoln  University  at 
Lincoln,  Illinois.  Commenced  the  reading  of  law  in  the 
office  of  Judge  Willliam  B.  Jones,  of  Lincoln,  and  was 
admitted  to  the  bar  in  the  spring  of  1869.  In  May  of 
the  same  year  he  located  in  Lawrenceville,  where  he  has 
since  continued  to  practice  his  profession.  In  1873,  was 
appointed  by  the  governor  to  the  office  of  county  judge, 
to  fill  the  vacancy  occasioned  by  the  resignation  of 
William  J.  Crews.  About  the  close  of  the  term  of 
county  judge,  Harry  Briscoe,  the  prosecuting  attorney, 
died,  and  Mr.  Huffman  was  chosen  to  fill  the  vacancy, 
and  in  1875  was  elected  to  the  same  for  the  term  of 
four  years.  In  1869,  he  formed  a  partnership  with 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  W ABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


131 


David  B.  Abernathy,  and,  subsequently,  for  about  two 
years  was  in  partnership  with  E.  Callahan.  In  1881, 
he  took  into  partnership,  D.  L.  Brewer,  which  continued 
until  the  death  of  the  la  ter  in  March,  1822.  In  June- 
1882,  S.  G  Gee,  became  a  partner,  and  the  firm  of 
IIu fl man  &  Gee  still  continues. 

WILLIAM  M.  ROBINSON,  is  a  son  of  Dr.  J.  A.  Robin- 
son, a  Methodist  minister.  He  received  his  early 
education  in  the  public  schools,  in  the  various  towns  in 
Illinois,  to  which  his  father  was  sent  as  pastor,  and  sub- 
sequently attended  McKendree  college  at  Lebanon, 
Illinois,  from  which  institution  he  graduated  in  1870. 
In  1871,  he  began  reading  law  with  William  Stoker,  of 
Centralia,  and  afterward  with  Judge  Horace  Hayward, 
Olney.  Was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  January,  1875. 
Immediately  thereafter  he  began  the  practice  of  law  in 
Olney,  associated  with  W.  Mattoon,  and  in  August, 
1876,  came  to  Lawrenceville  and  opened  an  office,  form- 
ing partner-hip  with  D.  L.  Brewer,  in  1877,  which 
continued  for  a  period  of  two  years,  since  which  time 
Mr.  Robinson  has  practiced  alone.  He  is  a  man  of  great 
talent  and  a  lawyer  of  ability. 

S.  B.  ROWLAND,  is  a  native  of  Illinois.  He  began  the 


Lawrenceville.  In  1880,  he  was  elected  to  the  office  of 
State's  attorney  for  Lawrence  county,  for  a  term  of  four 
years.  Mr.  Snyder  is  a  studious,  careful  lawyer,  and  a 
successful  prosecutor. 

T.  B.  FINLY,  a  resident  attorney  of  Sumner,  a  native 
of  Ohio,  attended  Miller's  Academy,  and  afterward 
Franklin  College  at  Athens,  Ohio,  from  which  he  gradu- 
ated in  1860.  Read  law  in  the  office  of  Miller  &  Sherrard, 
at  Steubenville.Ohio,  and  took  a  course  in  the  law  school 
at  Cleveland,  Ohio.  Began  practice  at  Sidney,  Ohio, 
and  afterward  became  a  partner  of  Judge  William 
Lawrence,  at  Bellefontaine,  Ohio,  Opened  an  office 
at  Sumner,  in  1879,  where  he  has  since  resided. 

FRANK  MESERVE  came  to  Illinois  from  Massachu- 
setts, his  native  state,  in  1879.  He  is  a  young  man  of 
scholarly  attainments,  having  had  advantage  of  the  su- 
perior schools  of  his  native  state,  and  graduating  at  the 
Boston  University  in  1877.  His  father  being  a  lawyer, 
Mr.  Meserve  inherited  a  natural  inclination  and  tact  for 
the  legal  profession,  and  shortly  after  leaving  college  he 
began  the  study  of  law  in  his  father's  office.  Coming 
west,  he  resided  with  his  uncle,  at  Robinson,  Illinois, 
and  completed  his  legal  course  in  the  office  of  Callahan 


study  of  law  in  the  office  of  Wilson  &  Hutchison,  of  &  Jones  of  that  town.  He  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in 
Olney,  and  afterward  attended  the  law  department  of  j  this  state  in  June,  1880,  and  the  following  month  located 
the  University  of  Michigan,  graduating  in  March,  1871.  !  in  Lawrenceville,  forming  a  law  partnership  with  George 


Was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  this  State,  in  April  of  the 
same  year,  and  soon  afterward  located  in  the  practice  of 
law  at  Lawrenceville.  In  1882,  he  formed  a  partner- 
ship with  T.  P.  Lowery,  and  in  the  same  year  purchased 
the  Lawrence  County  Democrat,  which  was  under  his 
management  about  four  years.  March  16,  1883,  he 
formed  a  partnership  with  his  old  preceptor,  E.  S.  Wil- 
son, of  Olney. 

GEORGE  HUFFMAN,  is  a  brother  of  Judge  T.  B.  Huff- 
man, also  a  native  of  Indiana.  He  was  educated  in  the 
schools  of  his  native  State,  attending  the  Vincennes 
University,  and  in  1867  entered  the  Lincoln  University 
of  Illinois,  from  which  he  was  graduated  in  1869.  Began 
the  study  of  law  in  1870,  in  the  office  of  W.  B.  Jones, 
at  Lincoln,  and  was  admitted  to  practice  in  1871.  For 
a  few  years  he  taught  school,  and  was  engaged  in  the 
mercantile  business,  and  in  the  spring  of  1878  began 


Huffman,  under  the  style  of  Huffman  &  Meserve,  which 
still  continues.  In  January,  1881,  the  firm  purchased 
the  Democratic  Herald,  Mr.  Meserve  assuming  editorial 
charge.  He  is  an  energetic,  studious  lawyer,  with  good 
prospects  for  an  extended  practice. 

C.  J.  BORDEN  is  a  native  of  Pennsylvania ;  he  gra- 
duated from  the  Chester  county  Academy,  in  Pennsyl- 
vania, in  1873,  and  in  1876  went  to  Kentucky  and 
attended  the  law  department  of  the  University  of  Louis- 
ville, graduating  in  1879.  He  located  in  the  practice 
of  law  at  Lawrenceville  in  1881. 

S.  J.  GEE  was  born  in  St.  Francisville,  in  this  county. 
He  entered  Shurtleff  college,  at  Alton,  Illinois,  iu  1876, 
graduating  in  1880,  and  immediately  afterward  began 
the  study  of  law  in  the  office  of  Brewer  &  Huffman,  in 
Lawrenceville,  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1882. 
Soon  afterward  he  became  the  junior  partner  of  T.  B. 


the  practice  of  his  profession  in  Lawrenceville  by  him-  |  Huffman,  with  whom  he  is  still  associated. 


self.  In  1879  he  became  a  partner  with  E.  S.  Wilson  of 
Olney,  which  continued  until  August,  1880,  when  he 
formed  a  partnership  with  Frank  C.  Meserve.  Mr. 
Huffman  is  a  good  lawyer. 

K.    P.    SNYDER,    the   present    efficient   prosecuting 


PHILIP  W.  BARNES,  the  present  judge  of  the  Law- 
rence county  court,  is  a  native  of  Ohio,  and  came  with 
his  father  to  this  county  when  a  lad  of  six  years ;  at- 
tended the  common  schools  of  Lawrence  county,  and 
graduated  at  the  Olney  high-school  in  1879,  and  soon 


attorney  of  Lawrence   county,  was   born   in   Richland  !  afterward  entered  the  law  department  of  the  Illinois 
county,  Illinois,  where  he  recejved  his  early  education,  [  Wesleyan  University,  at  Bloomington,  Illinois,   from 
subsequently  attending  the  State  Normal  University,  at 
Normal,  Illinois.     Read  law   in   the   office  of  Fifer  & 
Phillips,  of  Bloomington,  at  the  same  time  attended  the 
law  department  of  the  Wesleyan  University,  from  which 


hich  he  graduated  June  15, 1881,  and  was  admitted  to 
the  bar  January  11,  1882  On  the  4th  of  December  of 
the  same  year  he  began  the  practice  of  law  in  Law- 
renceville by  himself.  In  1873  Mr.  Barnes  received 

institution  he  graduated  in  June,  1^79,  and  immediately  |  the  nomination  for  the  office  of  county  judge,  by  the 
thereafter  was  admitted  to  the  bar  at  Mt.  Vernon  Republican  party,  and  was  elected,  the  duties  of  which 
Illinois.  September  1, 1879,  he  opened  a  law  office  in  '  office  he  is  now  discharging  with  credit  to  himself  and 


132 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  W ABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


satisfaction  to  the  people  of  Lawrence.     Judge  Barnes 
is  a  young  man  of  promise. 


"W ABASH  COUNTY. 
FORMER   RESIDENT   LAWYERS. 

The  first  resident  attorney  of  Wabash  county,  as  near 
as  it  is  possible  to  ascertain,  was  EDWARD  MUNDY. 
He  was  a  native  of  New  Jersey,  and  became  a  resident  of 
Wabash  county  as  early  as  1820,  locating  in  what  is  now 
Friendsville  precinct.  He  traveled  the  circuit  and  was 
considered  a  good  attorney.  He  was  elected  to  represent 
this  district  in  the  legislature  in  1830.  A  few  years  later 
he  moved  to  Michigan,  where  he  afterward  became  very 
prominent  in  political  affairs,  being  elected  Lieutenant 
Governor  and  holding  other  important  offices.  An 
attorney,  by  the.  name  of  ELKINS,  is  remembered  as 
early  as  1826,  having  located  in  the  county,  remaining 
however,  only  a'  few  years. 

HON.  O.  B.  FICKLIN,  a  gentleman  so  well  known  to 
the  citizens  of  the  Wabash  country,  became  a  practising 
lawyer  at  Mt.  Carmel  as  early  as  1830,  au'd  was  elected 
from  Wabash  county  to  represent  that  district  in  the 
legislature  in  1834.  Soon  after  serving  out  his  term  in 
the  legislature  he  moved  to  Charlestown,  Coles  county, 
this  state,  and  from  that  district  was  elected  to  Congress 
in  1843,  being  four  times  re-elected,  and  for  many  years 
recognized  as  one  of  the  leaders  of  that  body.  He  is 
still  an  honored  citizen  of  Charlestown. 

A  MR.  PYLE,  came  to  Mt.  Carmel  about  1833,  re- 
maining about  three  years. 

JAMES  McDowELL,  came  in  1836,  and  practiced  law 
at  the  Wabash  bar  until  his  death  in  1866.  He  was 
for  several  years  judge  of  the  probate  court,  and  was 
regarded  as  a  sound  attorney.  Besides  his  profession  he 
was  also  engaged  in  mercantile  puisuits  for  several 
years  in  Mt.  Carmel. 

CHARLES  H.  CONSTABLE,  was  a  native  of  Maryland 
A  and  located  at  Mt.  Carmel  in  1839,  and  remained  here 
until  1852,  when  he  removed  to  Marshall  county,  Illi- 
nois, where  he  was  elected  to  the  office  of  circuit  judge. 
He  was  a  lawyer  of  ability.  Died  about  the  close  of 
the  late  war. 

JOSEPH  G.  BOWMAN,  a  Virginian,  became  a  member 
of  the  Wabash  bar  in  1839.  He  was  elected  to  repre- 
sent the  district  in  the  legislature  in  1840,  and  subse- 
quently moved  to  Lawrenceville,  and  thence  to  OlneVj 
where  he  still  resides. 

JOSEPH  C.  ORTH,  native  of  Pennsylvania,  located 
here  iu  1844,  practicing  his  profession  for  three  or  four 
years,  whtn  he  engaged  in  farming  in  this  county  until 
his  death  in  1857. 

ROBERT  W.  DOUGHERTY,  came  here  from  Baltimore 
about  1848,  practiced  law  for  a  short  time  and  returned 
to  the  east. 

VICTOR  B.  BELL,  brother  of  Robert  Bell,  practiced 
at  the  Wabash  bar  from  1848  to  1855,  when  he  moved 
to  Chicago,  and  formed  a  partnership  with  Gen.  T.  E. 


Ransom.  He  afterward  moved  to  Washington,  D.  C., 
and  from  thence  to  New  Orleans  where  he  died  in  1867. 
In  1852-54,  he  represented  Wabash  and  Edwards 
counties  in  the  house  of  Representatives. 

PRESENT  RESIDENT  LAWYERS. 

ROBERT  BELL  is  the  oldttt  resident  lawyer  of  the 
Wabash  county  bar.  He  is  a  native  of  the  county,  and 
received  his  education  in  the  common  and  select  schools 
of  Mt.  Carmel.  He  began  the  study  of  law  in  the  office 
of  his  brother,  Victor  B.  Bell,  and  subsequently  attended 
the  law  department  of  the  Indiana  State  University, 
from  which  Institution  he  graduated  in  February,  1855. 
In  the  spring  of  the  same  year,  he  formed  a  ptrtnership 
in  law,  with  Lewis  C.  Keller,  at  Fairfield,  Illinois,  where 
he  began  the  practice  of  his  profession.  After  a  resi- 
dence of  two  years  at  Fairfield,  he  established  au  office 
in  Mt.  Carmel.  In  1864,  he  formed  a  partnership  with 
Edward  B.  Green,  under  the  style  of  Bell  &  Green, 
which  firm  still  continue,  one  of  the  strongest  in  south- 
ern Illinois. 

In  1863,  Mr.  Bell  was  elected  President  of  the  Illi- 
nois Southern  Railroad  Company,  which  afterward 
merged  into  the  Cairo  and  Vincennes  Railroad  Company. 
In  1869,  he  was  appointed  by  the  Governor,  Judge  of 
Wabash  county,  to  fill  the  vacancy  occasioned  by  the 
death  of  Judge  T.  J.  Armstrong.  In  the  same  year  he 
was  elected  President  of  the  St.  Louis,  Mt.  Carmel  & 
New  Albany  llailroad  Company,  serving  iu  that  capa- 
city until  the  consolidation  of  that  railroad  into  the 
Louisville,  New  Albany  &  St.  Louis,  in  1872.  In  1876, 
he  was  sent  as  special  agent  of  the  U.  S.  Treasury,  to 
California,  to  investigate  alleged  frauds  in  the  Interna- 
tional Revenue  district  of  that  State.  In  the  campaign 
of  1878,  he  was  the  Republican  candidate  for  Congress 
in  the  nineteenth  district,  making  a  vigorous  fight, 
although  the  district  was  hopelessly  Democratic.  Was 
a  member  of  the  Republican  State  Central  Committee 
at  large,  from  1878  to  1882,  and  was  one  of  the  U.  S. 
Commissioners  in  1881,  appointed  to  examine  the  Atlan- 
tic and  Pacific  railroad  iu  New  Mexico. 

Besides  those  more  important  positions,  Judge  Bell 
has  held  many  other  minor  offices  of  trust,  in  all  of 
which  he  performed  his  duties  with  credit  and  satisfac- 
tion. He  is  a  sound  successful  lawjer. 

EDWARD  B.  GREEN,  who  stands  at  the  head  of  the 
Wabash  county  bar,  is  a  native  of  Pennsylvania,  born 
December  29,  1837.  He  obtained  his  early  education 
in  the  common  schools  of  his  native  State,  and  took  a 
classical  course  in  the  Reimersburg  Academy,  after 
which  he  was  for  some  time  Professor  of  Languages,  in 
the  West  Freedom  Academy.  Leaving  that  position, 
he  came  directly  to  Edgar  county,  Illinois,  in  1858,  and 
began  the  study  of  law  in  the  office  of  Green  &  Eads, 
at  Paris.  Completing  his  course,  he  was  admitted  to 
the  bar  in  June,  1860,  and  immediately  afterward  came 
to  Mt.  Carmel,  and  established  himself  in  the  practice  of 
his  profession.  Four  years  later  he  formed  a  partner- 
ship with  Robert  Bell,  under  the  style  of  Bell  &  Green, 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND   WABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


133 


which  still  continues,  and  is  one  of  the  leading  law  firms 
this  part  of  the  State. 

In  1877,  he  was  the  Republican  candidate  for  Judge 
of  the  second  judicial  circuit.  Two  years  later  he  be- 
came a  candidate  against  John  H.  Mulkey,  for  the 
Supreme  bench.  In  1882,  he  accepted  the  Republican 
candidacy  for  Congress,  against  Aaron  Shaw,  and  not- 
withstanding the  large  Democratic  majority  in  this  dis- 
trict, Mr.  Green  made  a  vigorous  and  creditable  contest. 
Mr.  Green  is  a  man  of  fine  talents,  and  one  of  the  ablest 
and  most  profound  lawyers  in  southern  Illinois.  He 
has  a  practice  that  extends  to  all  adjoining  counties,  and 
his  cases  in  the  Appellate  and  Supreme  courts  are  numer- 
ous. 

S.  Z.  LANDES  is  a  native  of  Virginia,  and  with  his 
parents  emigrated  and  settled  at  Paris,  Illinois,  in  1856. 
He  acquired  his  preliminary  education  in  the  common 
schools  of  Edgar  county,  and  afterward  attended  the 
Edgar  County  Academy.  He  entered  upon  the  study 
of  law  in  the  office  of  Robert  N.  Bishop,  and  after  com- 
pleting his  course,  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  August, 
1863.  The  next  year  he  opened  an  office  in  Mt.  Carmel, 
and  began  the  practice  of  his  chosen  profession.  In 
1870,  he  was  elected  City  Attorney,  and  served  in  that 
capacity  for  three  consecutive  terms.  In  1873,  he 
was  chosen  as  State's  Attorney  for  the  county  of  Wabash, 
and  by  re-election  has  held  that  office  ever  since.  Mr. 
Laudes  is  a  hard  student,  a  sound  lawyer,  a  vigorous 
prrsecutor  and  excels  as  an  advocate. 

SAMUEL  R.  PuxMAN,was  born  in  Wabash  county.  He 
began  the  study  of  law  in  the  office  of  Bell  and  Green 
in  the  spring  of  1868,  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  the 
sprang  of  1870.  Soon  after  being  admitted  he  went  to 
Kansas,  where,  in  Eureka,  he  engaged  in  the  practice  of 
his  profession  for  two  years,  returning  to  Mt.  Carmel. 
In  1874,  he  formed  a  partnership  with  A.  B.  Mathews, 
which  firm  continued  for  one  year,  when  Sylvester 
Greathouse  came  in,  the  style  of  firm  being  Mathews, 
Putman  and  Greathouse.  Mathews  retired  from  the 
firm  in  June,  1879,  and  Putmaii  and  Greathouse  con- 
tinue still  in  partnership.  They  are  engaged  in  a  good 
general  practice. 

SYLVESTER  GREATHOUSE,  is  also  a  native  of  this 
county.  He  read  law  in  the  office  of  Mathews  and 
Putman,  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1875,  and  im- 
mediately entered  upon  the  practice  in  partnership  with 
the  firm  above  named.  Prior  to  his  adopting  the  pro 
fession  of  law,  Mr.  Greathouse  served  the  people  of  the 
county  in  the  capacity  of  Treasurer,  being  eleited  in 
l!-65,  and  re-elected  in  '67.  In  1869  he  was  elected  to 
the  office  of  county  clerk,  and  served  one  term. 

M.  F.  HOSKINS,  is  a  native  of  Indiana.  He  read  law 
wi'h  Bell  and  Green,  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in 
January,  1876,  and  opened  an  office  in  Mt.  Carmel  and 
began  the  practice  by  himself.  In  1877  he  was  appoint- 
ed city  attorney,  and  in  1879  was  elected  to  the  same 
office. 

M.  H.  MUNDY,  was  born  in  Wabash  county,  where  he 


received  his  rudimentary  education,  and  attendtd  the 
Western  Central  college,  at  Warrenton,  Mo.  He  began 
the  study  of  law  in  the  office  of  Judge  F.  D.  Preston, 
at  Olney,  Illinois,  in  the  spring  of  1876,  and  was  admit- 
ted to  the  bar  in  1878.  He  first  practiced  in  Olirey, 
about  one  year,  then  came  to  Mt.  Carmel,  where  he  has 
since  been  engaged. 

WILLIAM  R.  LANDES,  brother  of  S.  Z  Landes,  student 
in  the  office  of  the  latter;  was  admitted  to  the  bar 
in  1882,  and  practices  with  his  brother,  but  not  in  part- 
nership. 

The  list  of  prosecuting  attorneys  of  these  counties 
will  be  found  in  the  chapter  on  civil  history. 

CHAPTER  X. 

THE  PRESS. 


The  Pioneer,  Albion  Journal,  Th<  Bumble-bee,  Egyptian  Republican,  American 
Sentinel,  Star  Spangle  Banner,  American  Banner,  LawrencevUle  Banner,  West- 
ern  Qlobf,  Laicrence  County  Globe,  Lawrence  County  Journal,  Lawrence  County 
Courier,  Rural  Republican,  Lawrence  County  democrat,  Farmers'  Union,  Dem- 
ocrat Herald,  Lawrence  County  Press,  Sumner  Press,  Sumuer  Democrat,  Bridge' 
port  Times,  Mt.  Carmel  Sentinel  and  Wabmh  Adcoca/e,  ML  Carmel  Register, 
Wabash  Republican,  The  Qreenbrier,  The  Plowbou,  Wabash  Democrat,  Tern- 
Leader,  Mt.  Carmel  Leader,  Mt.  Carmel  Republican. 


HE  pres?,  the  great  luminary  of  liberty,  is  the 
handmaid  of  progress.  It  heralds  its  doings 
and  makes  known  its  discoveries.  It  is  the 
advance  courier,  whose  coming  is  eagerly 
looked  for,  and  whose  arrival  is  hailed  with  joy  as  it 
brings  tidings  of  its  latest  achievements.  The  press  pre- 
pares the  way  and  calls  mankind  to  witness  the  ap- 
proach and  procession  of  the  triumphal  car  of  progress 
as  it  passes  on  down  through  the  vale  of  the  future. 
When  progress  stops,  the  press  will  cease,  and  the  intel- 
lectual and  moral  world  will  go  down  in  darkness.  The 
press  is  progress,  and  progress  the  press.  So  intimately 
are  they  connected  that  one  cannot  exist  without  the 
other.  The  history  of  this  great  discovery  dates  back 
to  the  fifteenth  century.  Its  discovery  occurred  in  the 
following  manner :  Laurentius  Coster,  a  native  of 
Hserlem,  Holland,  while  rambling  in  the  forest  contigu- 
ous to  his  native  city,  carved  some  letters  out  of  the  bark 
of  a  birch  tree.  Drowsy  from  the  relaxation  of  a  holi- 
day, he  wrapped  his  carvings  in  a  piece  of  paper  and 
lay  down  to  sleep.  Dampened  by  the  atmospheric  moist- 
ure, the  paper  wrapped  about  his  handiwork  had  taken 
an  impression  from  them,  and  the  surprised  burgher 
saw  on  the  paper  an  inverted  image  of  his  engravings. 
The  phenomenon  was  suggestive,  because  it  led  to  ex- 
periments that  resulttd  in  establishing  a  printing  office 
in  the  old  Dutch  town  of  Haerlem.  The  discovery  of 
Coster's  wood  blocks,  on  which  the  pages  to  be  printed 
were  engraved,  was  made  some  time  between  1440  and 
1450.  Peter  Schoeffer's  improvement,  by  casting  the 
type  by  means  of  matrices,  was  made  about  1456. 

For  a  long  time  printing  was  dependent  upon  most 


134 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


clumsy  apparatus.  The  earliest  press  had  a  contrivance 
for  running  the  forms  under  the  point  of  pressure  by 
means  of  a  screw.  Improvements  were  made  upon  these 
crude  beginnings  from  time  to  time,  until  the  hand- 
presses  now  in  use  are  models  of  simplicity,  durability 
and  execution.  In  1814,  steam  was  first  applied  to  cyl- 
inder presses  by  Friedrich  Konig,  a  Saxon  genius,  and 
the  subsequent  progress  of  steam  printing  has  been  so 
remarkable  as  to  almost  justify  a  belief  in  its  absolute 
perfection.  • 

The  first  newspaper  of  modern  times  was  issued  at 
Venice,  in  1536,  but  governmental  bigotry  compelled 
its  circulation  in  manuscript  form.  In  1663,  the  Public 
Intelligencer,  was  published  in  London,  and  is  credited 
with  being  the  first  English  paper  to  attempt  the  dis- 
semination of  general  information.  In  1639,  the  first  prin- 
ting-press in  America,  was  set  up  at  Cambridge,  Conn., 
and  Stephen  Daye,  the  pioneer  American  printer,  struck 
off  "  The  Freeman's  Oath,"  and  the  next  year  the  Bay 
Psalm-Book.  The  first  American  newspaper  was  the 
Boston  News  Letter,  whose  first  issue  was  made  April  24, 
1704.  It  was  edited  by  John  Campbell,  the  postmaster. 
The  Boston  Gazette  made  its  appearance  December  21, 
1719,  and  the  American  Weekly,  at  Philadelphia,  Decem- 
ber 22,  1719  In  1776,  there  were  thirty-seven  news- 
papers published  in  the  colonies ;  in  1828,  the  number 
had  increased  to  eight  hundred  and  fifty-two,  and  at  the 
present  time  not  less  than  eight  thousand  newspapers 
are  supported  by  our  people. 

For  dates  and  facts  relating  to  the  early  history  of 
the  press  of  Edwards,  Lawrence  and  Wabash  counties 
we  are  indebted  to  Morris  Emmerson,  of  the  Albion 
Journal;  Walter  Colyer,  of  the  Edwards  County  News ; 
Frank  Havill,  o^  the  Mount  Carmel  Register;  Thomas 
L.  Joy,  of  the  Mt.  Carmel  Republican;  Judge  Robert 
Bell,  Captain  Sharp;  Sam  B  Day,  of  the  Rural  Repub- 
lican ;  Frank  C.  Meserve,  of  the  Democratic  Herald ;  J. 
J.  W.  McCleave,  Major  Daniel  L.  Gold.S.  B.  Rowland 
and  several  other  citizens  who  were  interviewed,  to 
whom  we  wish  to  return  our1  thanks.  Especially  are  we 
under  obligations  to  Will  R.  Carlton,  of  the  Summer 
Press,  who  took  an  active  interest  in  gathering  from  the 
proper  sources  the  facts  and  history  pertaining  to  the 
newspaper  enterprises  of  Sumner. 


EDWARDS  COUNTY. 

The  first  journalistic  venture  within  the  borders  of 
Edwards  county  was  made  by  R.  S.  Thompson,  a  native 
of  the  county.  In  1868  he  purchased  a  press  and 
printers'  material  at  the  Cincinnati  Type  Foundry, 
brought  it  here  and  issued 

THE  PIONEER. 

The  style  of  the  paper  was  first  a  five- column  folio,  but 
was  afterward  changed  by  Mr.  Thompson  to  a  five-column 
quarto,  patent.  It  was  a  neat,  well  appearing  sheet.  Mr. 
Thompson  was  not  a  practical  printer,  but  a  man  of 


good  business  tact,  and  a  vigorous  writer.  While  the 
paper  was  under  his  management  it  advocated  Republi- 
can principles.  In  about  five  years  from  the  time  of 
the  establishment  of  the  Pioneer,  Mr.  Thompson  sold 
the  material  and  paper  to  Gil  R.  Stormont,  who  changed 
the  name  of  it  to  the 

ALBION   JOURNAL, 

And  made  it  a  seven-column  folio,  printing  all 
in  the  office.  Mr.  Stormont  being  a  practical  print- 
er, and  acquainted  with  journalism,  soon  brought 
the  paper  up  to  the  standard  country  journal, 
and  it  continued  to  flourish  under  his  control  until 
September  1,  1876,  when  he  sold  it  to  Ballentine  & 
Emmerson.  He  is  now  editor  and  publisher  of  the 
Princeton  (Indiana)  Clarion.  The  latter  firm  continued 
the  publication  until  September  1,  1878,  when  Mr.  Bal- 
lentiue  retired  from  the  partnership,  and  Morris  Emmer- 
son assumed  full  proprietorship  and  still  continues  as 
such.  April  1,  1883,  he  added  another  column,  making 
the  paper  au  eight-column  folio.  Mr.  Emmerson  is  an 
able  writer  and  a  successful  journalist.  His  paper  ad- 
vocates the  principles  of  the  Republican  party  and  has  a 
large  circulation. 

While  Mr.  Thompson  owned  the  paper,  he  also  pub- 
lished a  monthly  magazine  called 

THE  BUMBLE-BEE. 

Besides  the  newspaper  business  he  was  engaged  in 
the  drug  trade,  and  manufactured  and  sold  patent 
medicine.  The  Bumble-Bee  was  published  in  the  inter- 
est of  the  trade,  and  by  the  "  Bumble-Bee  Manufactur- 
ing Company."  It  was  mailed  to  all  parts  of  the 
United  States,  but  was  short-lived,  having  made  but  a 
few  issues. 

Mr.  Thompson  is  now  editor  and  publisher  of  the 
Farmer's  Advance,  published  at  Springfield,  Ohio,  and  is 
secretary  of  the  State  Grange  of  Ohio. 

One  year  prior  to  the  establishment  of  the  Pioneer, 
William  B.  Tribe,  then  deputy  circuit  clerk,  purchased 
a  small  hand  press  and  some  type,  and  did  job  printing 
in  the  office.  This  was  the  first  printing  done  in  Ed- 
wards county. 

THE   EGYPTIAN   REPUBLICAN 

was  the  name  of  a  newspaper  published  in  the  office  of 
the  Albion  Journal  in  1878.  It  was  a  three-column 
folio,  edited  by  Chalcraft  &  Orange,  and  existed  about 
seven  months. 

In  the  autumn  of  1880,  Flo wer&  Chalcraft  purchased 
a  press,  and  a  variety  of  type  at  the  Cincinnati  Type 
Foundry,  brought  it  to  Albion,  and  from  it  the  first 
issue  of  the 

AMERICAN   SENTINEL 

Appeared  December  23,  1880.  In  about  two  months 
Chalcraft  sold  his  interest  to  Quaint  Buntin,  and  the 
firm  became  Flower  &  Buntin,  which  continued  until 
August  5,  1881,  when  they  sold  to  Applegath  &  Colyer. 
November  5, 1881,  Colyer  sold  his  interest  to  Applegath, 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WAS  ASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


135 


who  in  turn,  February  11,  1882,  sold  to  Walter  Colyer, 
who  became  sole  owner  and  editor  of  the  paper.  He 
goon  changed  its  name  to  the 

EDWARDS  COUNTY   NEWS, 

And  made  it  a  seven-column  folio.  From  the  beginning 
it  has  been  a  Republican  sheet.  It  is  typographically 
neat,  well  edited,  and  is  a  credit  to  the  county  journal- 
ism of  Illinois. 

LAWRENCE    COUNTY 

The  newspaper  enterprise  of  Lawrence  county  began 
with  the  publication  of  the 

STAR  SPANGLED   BANNER, 

in  the  winter  of  1847.  It  was  owned  and  edited  by  John 
F.  Buntin,  who  deserves  honorable  mention  as  the  pio- 
neer printer  of  the  county.  He  brought  the  press  and 
material  from  Vincennes.  The  paper  was  a  six  column 
folio,  independent  in  politics.  In  a  year  or  two  the  words 
"  Star  Spangled,"  were  dropped,  and  American  was  sup- 
plied to  the  head  of  the  paper. 

THE   AMERICAN   BANNER 

was  then  moved  to  Olney,  where  it  was  printed  and 
mailed  to  the  subscribers.  In  1855,  Mr.  Buntin  returned 
the  office  and  paper  to  the  county,  locating  at  Russell- 
ville,  where  it  remained  until  March,  1856,  when  it  was 
again  removed  to  Lawreuceville.  The  name  is  said  to 
have  again  been  changed  to  the  Laivrenceville  Banner. 
In  1858,  the  office  and  paper  was  purchased  by  H.  C. 
Me  Cleave  and  D.  L.  Brewer.  They  gave  to  it  the  name 
of  the 

WESTERN   GLOBE, 

and  it  became  wedded  to  the  democratic  party.  The 
journalistic  career  of  McCleave  and  Brewer  was  of  short 
duration,  for  in  a  few  months  the  Globe  was  again  the 
property  of  J.  F.  Buntin,  and  for  a  time  Nat.  Lander 
was  associated  with  him  as  editor.  Mr.  Buntin  changed 
the  name  of  the  paper  to  the 

LAWRENCE  COUNTY   GLOBE, 

and  brought  it  back  into  the  republican  fold.  He  con- 
tinued the  publication  of  the  paper  until  some  time  in 
1868,  when  he  moved  the  office  to  Cumberland  county. 

The  Globe  being  changed  to  a  republican  paper,  cre- 
ated a  demand  for  an  exponent  of  the  democratic  party, 
and  resulted  in  establishing  the 

LAWRENCE   COUNTY   JOURNAL 

in  the  spring  of  1867.  The  editor  and  proprietor  of 
this  enterprise  was  W.  C.  Luken.  He  brought  the  ma- 
terial from  Vincennes.  The  paper  was  a  six  column 
folio.  After  a  year  or  two,  John  F.  Buntin  returned  to 
Lawreuceville,  and  purchased  the  Journal  and  changed 
the  name  to 

THE   LAWRENCE   COUNTY   COURIER. 

Mr.  Buutin  continued  its  publication  as  a  democratic 
paper  until  December,  1870,  when  the  office  was  totally 
destroyed  by  fire.  Soon  after,  by  the  assistance  of  friends, 


Mr.  Buntin  purchased  a  new  press  and  material,  and 
reestablished  the  Courier.  It  was,  ho  wever,  destined  to 
a  short  life,  being  again  entirely  destroyed  by  fire,  Au- 
gust 18, 1871.  Buntiu  was  a  man  not  to  be  discouraged, 
for  in  a  very  short  time  the  Courier  was  being  issued 
from  a  new  office  in  Bridgeport.  It  remained  there 
about  one  year  and  was  removed  to  Lawrenceville,  and 
soon  after  suspended.  The  Republican  party  being  with- 
out an  organ,  in  March,  1873,  Maj.  Daniel  L.  Gold  pur- 
chased the  office,  added  some  new  material  and  estab- 
lished the 

RURAL   REPUBLICAN. 

1 1  was  a  five  column  folio,  and  ably  edited.  In  1874 
or  '75  Miss  Mary  Buntin,  daughter  of  John  F.  Buntin, 
purchased  it  and  continued  its  publication  until  No- 
vember 16,  1880,  when  it  passed  into  the  possession  of 
Sam.  B.  Day,  the  present  editor  and  proprietor.  Mr. 
Day  is  a  young  man,  a  practical  printer,  and  displays 
considerable  journalistic  ability  in  the  management  of 
the  Republican,  a  newsy,  first  class  country  journal. 

THE  LAWRENCE  COUNTY   DEMOCRAT 

was  established  in  October,  1871,  by  W.  C.  Garrard, 
editor  and  publisher.  It  was  an  eight  column  folio.  Mr. 
Garrard  continued  the  Democrat  for  about  two  years, 
when  it  was  purchased  by  S.  B.  Bowland.  The  name 
was  then  changed  to 


T.  P.  Lowery,  assumed  editorial  charge,  and  the  pa- 
per was  run  in  the  interests  of  the  Grange  movement. 
In  1874,  J.  W.  Mehaffy  accepted  the  editor's  chair,  and 
brought  the  paper  back  into  the  Democratic  ranks,  giving 
it  the  name, 

DEMOCRATIC   HERALD, 

under  which  title  it  has  since  been  published.  Decem- 
ber, 1875,  Rowland  sold  the  Herald  to  James  K.  Dick- 
erson,  who  continued  it  until  December,  1878,  disposing 
of  it  to  Riley  &  Garrard.  January  31,  1880,  Will.  M. 
Garrard,  became  sole  owner,  continuing  its  publication 
until  January,  1881,  when  the  law  firm  of  Huffman  & 
Meserve,  purchased  it,  Frank  C.  Meserve,  assuming 
editorial  control  of  the  paper.  Under  their  manage- 
ment the  Herald  has  taken  front  rank  in  country  jour- 
nalism, and  these  gentlemen  have  demonstrated  their 
ability  to  run  a  newspaper  and  make  it  a  financial  suc- 
cess, and  at  the  same  time  furnish  their  constituency  a 
journal  of  which  they  may  well  be  proud. 

THE   LAWRENCE   COUNTY   PRESS 

was  a  Sumner  enterprise,  and  the  first  newspaper  in  that 
town.  For  mora  than  fifteen  years  Suinner  had  been 
regarded  as  the  best  place  of  business  in  the  county,  and 
it  was  not  until  the  establishment  of  the  Press,  in  1875, 
that  it  had  a  newspaper.  This  fact  was  owing  to  party 
supremacy.  The  larger  proportion  of  the  strength  of  the 
Republican  party  being  in  and  around  Sumner,  the 
people  felt  it  their  duty  to  support  that  paper  at  the 
county  seat.  However,  as  the  town  grew  in  importance, 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  W ABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


a  newspaper  became  a  necessity,  and  in  November, 
1875,  James  A.  Ilger  established  the  Frets.  It  was  In- 
dependent, and  in  form,  a  five  column  quarto,  two 
pages  of  which  were  printed  at  home.  Mr.  Ilger  was  a 
practical  printer,  but  unfortunately  had  no  editorial 
ability.  In  April,  1878,  he  sold  the  paper  and  office  to 
C.  P.  and  W.  E.  Mock.  They  were  both  men  of  exper- 
ience, but  lacked  judgment  in  the  proper  selection  of 
local  news,  engaging  in  petty  quarrels,  and  in  the  publi- 
cation of  trivial  matters  that  should  not  be  noticed  by 
a  newspaper.  C.  P.  Mock  retired  in  July,  1878,  leaving 
his  young  brother  in  charge,  but  died  shortly  afterward. 
Some  time  in  the  administration  of  the  Mock  brothers, 
the  form  of  the  paper  was  changed  to  a  seven  column 
folio,  with  patent  inside.  In  October,  1875,  the  Press 
was  purchased  by  Dr.  Z.  D.  French  and  A.  C.  Clip- 
pinger,  both  of  Sumner.  These  gentlemen  changed  its 
politics  from  Independent  to  Republican,  and  under 
their  management  it  increased  in  circulation,  and  was  in 
a  healthy  growing  condition. 

In  December,  1879,  Clippinger  retired,  and  E.  E. 
Jones,  also  of  Sumner,  succeeded  him  as  half  owner. 
French  &  Jones  continued  the  paper  until  1880,  when 
the  former  retired,  and  Mr.  Jones  became  sole  proprie- 
tor, filling  the  position  with  credit  to  himself  and  the 
community,  until  February,  1881.  A.  C.  Clippiuger 
then  purchased  the  entire  business,  made  it  again  an 
Independent  paper,  conductirg  it  until  September  fol- 
lowing, when  W.  R.  Carlton,  of  Wabash  county,  the 
present  editor  and  proprietor,  succeeded  him.  Under 
Mr.  Carlton's  vigorous  management,  the  paper  at  once 
fntered  upon  an  era  of  prosperity  it  had  never  before 
enjoyed.  It  very  soon  became  a  straightout  Republican 
organ.  He  added  to  the  office  a  rotary  job  press,  and  a 
variety  of  new  type.  In  April,  1882,  another  change 
was  necessary,  the  "patent  inside"  was  abolished  to 
make  room  for  increased  advertising.  The  name  was 
changed  to 

THE  SUMNER   PRESS, 

and  the  paper  was  made  a  six  column  folio,  which  still 
continues,  the  only  all-home  print  journal  in  Lawrence 
county.  Mr.  Carlton  is  a  practical  printer,  a  man  of 
experience  and  journalistic  ability,  and  is  publishing  a 
newspaper  of  which  the  people  of  Lawrence  county  may 
well  feel  proud,  and  to  whose  support  they  can  most 
graciously  contribute. 

Prior  to  the  campaign  of  1880,  the  democracy  of  the 
west  side  of  the  county,  began  to  feel  that  they  should 
have  an  exponent  of  their  principles  in  that  end  of  the 
county,  having  only  one  democratic  paper,  while  the 
republicans  had  two.  After  counselling  with  the  party 
leaders,  and  business  men  of  the  place,  it  was  determined 
that  Sumner  should  have  another  paper,  one  that  should 
be  conducted  in  the  interests  of  the  democratic  party. 
Consequently  in  February,  1880,  Rev.  P.  C.  Cauble  and 
A.  C.  Clippinger  established 


THE   SUMNER   DEMOCRAT. 

The  paper  made  a  good  start,  and  was  doing  well, 
when  in  April,  1880,  Cauble  retired  and  resumed  his 
profession.  The  firm  changed  its  name  two  or  three 
times,  but  continued  weakening,  and  on  the  10th  of 
November,  1880,  it  yielded  up  the  ghost. 

The  press  and  material  of  the  Democrat  office  lay  idle 
the  remainder  of  the  year,  and  January  1,  1881,  Joseph 
M.  Freese  and  David  B.  Clark,  purchased  them  and  a 
few  days  after  commenced  the  publication  of 

THE    BRIDGEPORT  TIMES, 

at  Bridgeport.  It  was  Independent  in  politics,  and  in 
form  a  seven  column  quarto.  They  published  a  respect- 
able paper,  but  the  community  failed  to  give  them  a 
living  support,  and  about  eight  months  it  suspended. 
The  material  was  subsequently  sold  and  taken  to  Robin- 
son, and  from  it  was  issued  the  Anti-Monopolist. 


WABASH    COUNTY. 

The  first  newspaper  established  in  this  county  was 
published  at  Mt.  Carmel,  1834.  It  was  called  the 

MT.   CARMEL  SENTINEL   AND   WABASH   ADVOCATE. 

The  press  and  material  was  brought  here  by  Horace 
Roney,  who  after  publishing  it  for  about  one  year,  died, 
and  it  came  into  the  possession  of  Edward  Baker,  who 
continued  it  until  1836.  It  then  passed  into  the  hands 
of  Richard  Beck,  with  0  B.  Fieklin,  as  editor.  Joseph 
G.  Bowman,  was  also  connected  with  the  paper.  In  1839, 
it  was  discontinued  and  the  office  taken  to  Mt.  Vernon, 
Indiana. 

The  county  was  without  a  newspaper  for  only  a  short 
time,  as  in  the  fall  of  the  same  year,  1839,  the  citizens 
purchased  a  press  and  fitted  up  an  office  from  which  the 

MT.    CARMEL   REGISTER, 

was  issued  with  J.  S.  Powers,  as  editor  and  publisher. 
At  that  time  there  were  but  few  papers  in  Southern 
Illinois,  and  the  Register  had  a  wide  circulation.  It  was 
a  five  column  folio,  and  in  politics  it  advocated  the  prin- 
ciples of  the  Whig  party,  and  supported  Gen.  Harrison, 
in  the  campaign  of  1840.  Powers  was  succeeded  by 
Ezra  B.  Meeny,  a  printer,  who  had  come  west  with  him, 
only  for  a  short  time,  however,  as  in  1841,  George  B. 
Backus,  took  charge  and  conducted  the  paper  for  several 
years.  He  was  succeeded  by  Frank  Fuller,  and  he  in  turn 
by  Fuller  &  Hutchinson.  In  1848,  W.  D.  Jackson 
appeared  as  editor,  and  was  soon  succeeded  by  S.  S. 
Luken,  who  died  soon  afterward,  and  the  Register  be- 
came the  property  of  Victor  B.  and  Robert  Bell,  who 
increased  the  subscription  list  and  published  an  excellent 
paper.  As  the  brothers  Bell,  were  divided  in  political 
views,  the  paper  was  allowed  to  float  in  an  independent 
channel.  In  1852,  they  sold  the  paper  and  office  to 
Theodore  S.  Bowers,  who,  although  a  practical  printer, 
was  not  a  success.  During  the  late  war,  Bowers  became 
a  colonel  in  the  regular  army,  and  adjutant  on  Gen. 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  W ABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


137 


Grant's  staff,  and  was  killed  on  the  railroad  near  West 
Point,  in  1866.     He   was  succeeded  in  the  Register  by 
Frank  C.  Manly,  with  Judge  Green,  as  political  editor, 
who  made   the  Register  a   Republican    organ.     Manly  j 
died  in  1862,  and  George  W.  Douglas  took   the  paper  | 
and  made  it  a  Democratic  sheet,  supporting  McClellan  ; 
in  the  campaign  of  1864.     Before  the  close  of  the  con-  j 
test  Douglas  died,  and  it  was  sold  to  Richard  Beck,  who  j 
again  wheeled  it  into  the  republican   ranks.     Jn  1867,  > 
the  office  and  paper  was  sold  at  public  auction  for  $250   | 
Judge  Green  being  the  purchaser.     B^ck  still  continued 
to  publish  the  paper,  until  it  was  sold  to  J.  P.  M   Calvo,  \ 
the  publisher  of  the  Democrat.     The  press  and  a  portion 
of  the  type  were  subsequently  sold  and  shipped  to  Iowa. 

In  1868,  Messrs.  Cope  and  Wade,  two  young  printers, 
from  Olney,  brought  an  outfit  here   and  re-established 
the  Register.     They  soon  sold  out  to  C.  I.  Wilmans,  who 
run  the  paper  until  1870,  when  it  was    purchased   by 
T.  J.  Groves,  who  returned  it  to  Wilmans  within  a  few  , 
weeks.     The   next   year   John  H.   Wilmans  became  a  j 
partner.     In  1872,6.  I.  Wilmans,  sold  his  interest  to  • 
Frank   W.  Havill,  and  the  firm  of   Wilmans  &   Havill, 
continued   to  publish  the  paper  for  about  three  and  a 
half  years.     August  27th,  1872,  the  office  was  totally 
destroyed  by  fire,  but  was  immediately  re-established, 
only  two  issues  of  the  paper  being  missed.     It  re-ap- 
peared as  an  eight  column  folio.     In   1875,  Frank  W. 
Havill,  became  sole  owner  of  the  Register,  and  in  1878)  i 
made  it  an  exponent  of  the  Democratic  party. 

Under  the  management  of  Mr.  Havill,  the  paper  has 
taken  new  life,  and  now  ranksamongthe  leadiugjournals  ! 
of  southern  Illinois.     He  is  a  strong,  forcible  writer,  and 
an  excellent  newspaper  manager. 

The  next  journalistic  venture  after  the  Register,  was  the 

WABASH     REPUBLICAN, 

started  by  W.  D.  Latshaw  in  1840.  It  existed  about 
one  year.  About  the  same  date  as  above,  J.  S.  Powers, 
published  a  small  sheet  called 

THE    GREENBRIER. 

Its  candle  of  life  speedily  flickered  out. 
In  1844,  Valentine  Miller,   issued  a  little   political  ] 
paper  known  as 

THE    PLOWBOY. 

Its  existence  was  very  brief. 

THE   WABASH     DEMOCRAT, 

was  established  in  1844,  by  W.  E.  Latshaw,  who  con- 
tinued its  publication  for  about  two  years,  when  Austin 
Brooks  and  Fiuney  D.  Preston  purchased  it.  They 
were  inexperienced  and  soon  failed  to  issue  the  paper 
and  the  office  was  sold  and  moved  to  Shawneetown. 

In  1860,  a  new  press  was  purchased,  the  old  name 
revived  and  Jacob  Zimmerman  installed  as  editor. 
Under  his  short  administration  the  paper  was  ably 
edited.  He  was  succeeded  by  G.  W.  Besore,  who  w 
killed  in  a  political  fight  by  Hiram  Stan  ton,  in  1863. 
James  T.  Costello,  was  next  in  the  editorial  chair,  and 
had  a  good  paper.  The  Democrat  existed  until  1878, 
and  during  that  lime  made  n:auy  changes,  having  had 


at  least  a  dozen  different  owners.  Messrs.  J.  &  G.  W. 
Hanna,  who  were  at  one  time  proprietors,  for  about 
four  years,  brought  the  paper  up  to  the  standard  country 
journal,  and  made  it  a  prosperous  institution. 

In  1878,  it  died  a  natural  death  under  the  management 
of  J.  C.  Hinckley,  and  the  office  was  moved  to  Harris- 
burg,  Illinois. 

During  the  "  Blue  Ribbon  Movement"  in  1878,  Messrs. 
Grossman  &  Scafer,  published  a  monthly  paper  called 

THE  TEMPERANCE   LEADER, 

but  the  "movement,"  being  irresponsive  and  not 
materializing  to  the  extent  desired  by  its  too  sanguine 
and  mistaken  supporter,  soon  collapsed. 

The  last  venture  for  journalistic  favor  was  the  estab- 
lishment of  the 

MT.   CARMEL     REPUBLICAN, 

in  1878.  Its  founders  were  Richard  H.  Brown  and  his 
father,  who  brought  the  press  and  material  here.  They 
did  not  make  a  success  and  soon  retired,  the  paper  pass- 
ing into  the  possession  of  J.  F.  Wilmans,  who  purchased 
new  material,  refitted  the  office  and  continued  to  publish 
the  paper  until  January  llth,  1883,  when  Thomas  L- 
Joy  purchased  it  and  assumed  the  position  of  editor 
and  publisher.  Mr.  Joy  is  an  experienced  newspaper 
man,  having  been  connected  with  some  of  the  leading 
journals  in  southern  Illinois.  The  name  of  the  paper 
expressed  its  political  tone.  In  April,  it  was  made  an 
eight  column  folio,  and  the  paper  presents  a  neat  typo- 
graphical appeareme.  Judging  from  the  motto,  "  We 
are  here  to  stay,"  and  the  evidences  of  prosperity  and 
industry  plainly  observable  around  the  office,  we  have  no 
doubt  that  the  Republican  is  destined  to  be  one  of  the 
prominent  institutions  and  industries  of  Mt.  Carmel. 
The  history  of  the  press  of  Edwards,  Lawrence  and 
Wabash  counties,  has  been  briefly  traced.  They  have 
been  fairly  representative  of  the  progress  and  have 
kept  pace  with  the  business  growth  of  the  country.  It 
has  numbered  among  its  workers  men  of  culture  and 
literary  ability,  several  of  whom  afterward  occupied 
positions  of  high  honor  and  trust  in  the  states  of  their 
adoption.  The  influence  and  character  of  the  county 
papers  have  grown  with  the  material  and  intellectual 
growth  of  those  they  have  represented.  No  industry 
can  show  a  better  record  or  number  more  patient  or  en- 
thusiastic workers.  To  them  more  than  any  other  class 
belongs  the  honor  of  building  up  the  reputation  that 
Edwards,  Lawrence  and  Wabash  counties  possess  and  in 
which  they  delight. 

CHAPTER    XI. 
PATRIOTISM. 

THE   BLACK    HAWK    WAR. 

[HE  precursor  of  this  conflict  was  the  Winne- 
bago  war,  an  affray  which  occurred  in  the 
summer  of  1827.     At  this  period  a  great 
many  adventures,  attracted   by   the  lead- 
mines  at  Galena,  visited  the  Wiunebago   country  and 


138         HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


purposely  provoked  hostilities,  as  a  pretext  for  taking 
their  lands  by  reprisal.  The  Winnebagoes,  in  what  they 
deemed  their  wrongs,  enlisted  the  sympathies  of  the 
Sioux,  who  were  waiting  an  opportunity  of  redressing 
grievances,  which  they  claimed  to  have  suffered  at  the 
hands  of  the  Americans.  The  principal  hostile  demon- 
stration was  an  attack  upon  a  keel-boat  returning  down 
Rock  river  from  a  trip,  carrying  supplies  to  Fort  Suell- 
ing.  It  had  touched  on  its  way  up  at  the  Winnebago 
camp,  and  carried  away  a  number  of  squaws.  Its  return 
was  watched  for,  and  while  a  desperate  attack  was  made 
upon  it,  it  became  grounded,  and  the  crew  were  in  im- 
minent peril.  The  squaws  escaped  to  their  infuriated 
lords,  and  the  boat  succeeded  in  dislodging  itself  and 
making  its  way  down  the  river.  This  occurrence  spread 
great  alarm  among  the  people,  and,  in  pursuance  of  an 
order  from  Gov.  Edwards,  the  miners  at  Galena  were 
formed  into  companies  and  equipped  for  action.  General 
Atkinson,  with  six  hundred  regulars,  and  the  Galena 
militia  under  General  Dodge,  penetrated  the  enemy's 
country  and  compelled  the  savages  to  sue  for  peace. 
Among  the  captured  were  Red  Bird,  chief  of  the  Sioux, 
and  Black  Hawk.  The  former  had  been  the  friend  of 
the  whites  till  incited  to  hostilities  by  the  Winnebagoes. 
The  latter,  in  the  war  of  1812,  offered  his  services  to  the 
Americans,  who  declined  them  from  motives  of  humanity. 
He  was  born  at  the  principal  village  of  his  tribe  on  Rock 
river  in  1767.  Possessing  no  hereditary  rank,  he  rose 
to  the  dignity  of  a  chief  by  the  native  vigor  of  his  char- 
acter and  his  success  in  war.  To  Gen.  Gaines'  inquiry 
in  council :  "  Who  is  Black  Hawk  ?  Is  he  a  chief,  and 
why  does  he  sit  in  counc;l  ?"  he  replied  :  "  I  will  tell 
you  who  I  am.  I  am  a  Sac.  My  father  was  a  Sac.  I 
am  a  warrior,  and  so  was  my  father.  Ask  those  young 
braves  who  have  followed  me  in  battle,  and  they  will 
tell  you  who  Black  Hawk  is.  Provoke  our  people  to 
war  and  you  will  learn  who  Black  Hawk  is." 

By  the  treaty  of  1804  the  Sacs  and  Foxes  ceded  to 
the  United  States  all  land  lying  between  the  mouth  of 
the  Illinois  and  of  the  Wisconsin  rivers.  By  a  pro- 
vision of  this  treaty,  so  long  as  these  lands  remained  the 
property  of  the  United  States,  the  Indians  were  to  enjoy 
the  liberty  of  occupying  them.  In  the  year  1829  the 
government  disposed  of  some  land  at  the  mouth  of  Rock 
river,  and  thus,  according  to  the  treaty,  extinguished 
the  Indian  title.  In  1830  a  treaty  was  made,  in  accord- 
ance with  whose  provisions  the  Indians  removed  from 
the  lands  they  had  sold  and  retired  across  the  river.  At 
this  time  Keokuk  and  Black  Hawk  were  the  two  prin- 
cipal chiefs  of  the  Sac  and  Fox  nations.  In  accordance 
with  the  treaty  stipulations,  Keokuk  remained  across  the 
river.  Black  Hawk,  however,  actuated  no  doubt  to 
some  extent  by  a  genuine  love  of  the  land  and  village 
home  of  his  fathers,  but  principally  by  ill-will  toward 
the  Americans,  intensified  by  the  intrigues  of  a  Wiune- 
bago  chief,  who  assured  him  of  the  assistance  of  the 
tribes  along  Rock  river,  recrossed  the  Mississippi  in  the 
spring  of  1831  with  his  women  and  children  and  three 


hundred  warriors.     Depredations  on  the  part  of  the  Iii- 
i  dians  were  quite  frequent,  and  the  executive  of  the  state 
\  was  applied  to  for  protection.     General  Gaines,  with  six 
companies  of  United  States  troops  from  the  Jefferson 
barracks, — four  having  been  ordered  from  Prairie  Du 
!  Chien, — proceeded  to  Fort  Armstrong,  and  on  the  7th 
|  of  June  held  a  council  with  the  Indians,  in  which  Black 
Hawk  asserted  that  they  had  never  sold  them  lands,  and 
were  determined  never  to  abandon  them.   Gaines  imme- 
diately applied  to  Governor  Reynolds  for  volunteers. 
Sixteen  hundred  were  soon  in  marching  order,  and  an 
j  expedition  was  made  to  the  mouth  of  Rock  river.    The 
i  Indians  had  fled  and  were  encamped  across  the  Missis- 
sippi.    Gaines  sent  an  order  to  Black  Hawk,  requiring 
I  him  and  his  band  to  return  and  enter  into  a  treaty  of 
peace.    This  order,  after  much  reluctance  and  delay,  on 
the  30ih  of  June  the  renowned  warrior  obeyed. 

On  the  6ih  day  of  June,  1832,  Black  Hawk  and  his 
band,  induced  by  White  Cloud,  the  prophet  of  the  Win- 
nebagoes, re-crossed  the  Mississippi  and  ascended  the 
Rock  river  to  the  county  of  that  tribe,  ostensibly  for  the 
purpose  of  planting  a  crop  of  corn  with  them.     His  real 
intentions,  however,  were  to  re-possess  himself  of  his  an- 
cient patrimony,  and  to  this  end  he  intended  to  make 
allies   of  the    Winnebagoes,  Potawattomies  and  other 
!  northern  tribes.     For  in  the  winter  of  1831-32  he  had 
j  manifested  dissatisfaction,  and  displayed  much  zeal  in 
'  his  efforts  to  obtain  recruits.     He  had  swelled  the  uum- 
;  ber  of  his  warriors  to  five  hundred,  embracing  the  pride 
I  and  chivalry  of  the  nation.     When   it   became  known 
j  that  he  had   re  crossed  the  river,  great  alarm  spread 
among  the  settlers,  and  frequent  petitions  for  protection 
were  received  by  Governor  Reynolds,  who  determined 
to  call  out  a  large  body  of  volunteers.     1800  men  ac- 
cordingly  met  at  Beardstown,  the  place  of  rendezvous' 
:  and  were  organized  into  brigades  and  placed  under  the 
|  c  >mmand  of  Gen.  Whiteside  by  Gov.  Reynolds,  who  also 
participated  in  the  campaign.     After  organization,  the 
State  troops  marched  to  Rock  river,  and  united  with 
i  the  regulars  under  the  command  of  General  Atkinson. 
On  the  9th  of  May  the  army  commenced  its  march  up 
the  river  in  pursuit  of  the  enemy,  arriving  at  Dixon  on 
the  morning  of  the  12th.     The  principal  event  of  this 
campaign  was  the  battle  of  Stillman's  Run,   May  14th, 
1  in  which  a  reconnoitring  party,   under  Major  Stillman, 
j  was   defeated.     On   the  night  of  the  battle,  Governor 
!  Reynolds,  as  commander-in-chief  of  the  Illinois  militia, 
j  made  a  requisition  for  two  thousand  additional  troops 
to  rendezvous  at  Beardstown  and  Hennepin  early  in 
I  June.     Dissatisfaction    and    demoralization    appeared 
|  among  the  State  troops  of  the  army,  and  May  27th  they 
were    discharged  by  Governor  Reynolds.     This  ended 
the  second  campaign,   without  effecting  any  important 
j  results. 

i  At  the  time  these  troops  were  mustered  out,  at  the 
:  suggestion  of  General  Atkinson,  Governor  Reynolds 
i  called  for  a  thousand  additional  troops  to  enhance  the 
'  previous  levies,  and  a  thousand  to  guard  the  frontier. 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


139 


A  regiment  was  raised  from  among  the  disbanded  troops 
to  guard  the  more  exposed  settlements  until  the  new 
levies  could  be  made  available.  One  of  the  companies) 
under  Captain  Snyder,  became  engaged  in  a  severe  skir- 
mish with  a  body  of  seventy  Indians,  at  Kellogg's  Grove. 
On  the  6th  of  June  Black  Hawk  and  one  hundred  and 
fifty  warriors  made  an  attack  upon  Apple  river  fort,  a 
stockade  situated  near  the  present  village  of  Elizabeth. 
The  Indians,  after  an  unsuccessful  attempt  of  fifteen  hours 
to  take  the  fort,  defended  by  twenty-five  men,  departed, 
loaded  with  spoils  taken  from  the  village  and  vicinity. 
Other  depredations  were  committed  before  the  levies 
could  be  brought  together  and  officered.  Organization 
was  effected  on  the  16th  of  June  at  Fort  Wilburn,  on 
the  south  bank  of  the  Illinois  river,  the  men  electing 
their  own  officers.  They  were  received  into  the  United 
States  service  by  General  Atkinson,  who  acted  as  com- 
mander-in-chief.  On  the  17th,  Colonel  Dement  and  his 
battalion  were  ordered  to  Dixon,  preceding  the  main 
army.  He  took  a  position  in  Kellog's  Grove  at  the 
block  house.  Near  this  point  Black  Hawk  and  his 
three  hundred  naked  warriors  drew  a  reconnoitering 
party  into  an  ambuscade,  and  pounced  upon  them  from 
a  bushy  ravine  with  yells  and  savage  fury,  killing  five 
men  before  they  could  make  good  their  retreat  to  the 
fort.  The  result  was  the  battle  of  Kellog's  Grove.  The 
block  house  fort  was  vigorously  attacked  for  nearly  an 
hour,  the  force  within  returning  the  fire  with  such  ra- 
pidity and  precision  that  the  assailants  retired,  leaving 
nine  of  their  number  dead  on  the  field,  and  conveying 
others  away  with  them. 

Early  in  July,  Gen.  Atkinson  having  heard  that 
Black  Hawk  had  fortified  a  position  in  southern  Wis- 
consin, started  thither  for  the  purpose  of  bringing  on  a 
general  engagement  and  terminating  the  war.  Eight 
weeks  were  spent  in  marches  and  countermarches,  result- 
ing in  a  fruitless  attempt  to  find  the  enemy.  This  con- 
dition of  things  resulted  largely  from  the  perfidy  of  the 
Winnebago  guides  to  whom  the  army  trusted.  At  the 
Burnt  Village,  on  the  White  Water  branch  of  Rock 
river,  Gen.  Atkinson  ordered  the  army  to  disperse  for 
subsistence.  A  council  of  war,  however,  convened,  and 
it  was  unanimously  agreed  by  the  officers  present  that 
it  was  necessary  under  the  existing  exigencies  to  disre- 
gard the  orders  of  Atkinson.  Gen.  Henry  set  to  work 
at  reorganizing  his  brigade,  and  fitting  it  for  the  de- 
mands of  rapid  marching.  Having  previously  quelled 
a  mutiny  among  the  volunteers,  a  circumstance  making 
the  turning  point  of  the  entire  campaign,  on  the  loth 
of  July,  he  set  out ;  his  brigade  then  numbering  six 
hundred  men,  and  soon  fell  upon  the  trail  of  Black 
Hawk  and  his  band,  which  from  starvation,  exhaustion 
and  sickness,  they  could  no  longer  conceal.  They  were 
overtaken  at  the  Wisconsin  bluff,  and  there  was  achieved 
the  first  important  victory  of  the  campaign,  with  a  loss 
of  one  mail  killed,  and  eight  wounded.  The  Indians 
left  one  huudred  and  sixty-eight  of  their  warriors  dead 
on  the  field,  while  a  number  of  wounded  were  found  in 


their  trail.  Night  came  on  and  it  was  not  thought  pru- 
dent to  pursue  them  into  the  bottom,  whither  they  had 
taken  refuge  in  the  tall  grass  and  dense  forest.  They 
crossed  the  Wisconsin  and  made  their  way  toward  the 
Mississippi,  followed  by  the  entire  army  under  Gen. 
Atkinson.  On  the  morning  of  the  second  of  August, 
the  army  reached  the  bluff  of  the  Mississippi.  The  In- 
dians having  reached  the  margin  of  the  river,  a  little 
below  Bad  Axe,  some  time  before,  were  making  prep- 
arations to  cross.  While  they  were  thus  situated,  the 
steamboat  Warrior,  Captain  Throckmorton,  disregarding 
the  white  flag  raised  by  the  Indians,  a  course  which  was 
severely  criticised,  discharged  into  their  midst  a  six 
pounder,  loaded  with  canister,  followed  by  a  severe  fire  of 
musketry.  Twenty-three  of  the  Indians  were  killed  and 
a  number  wounded.  Shortly  after  this,  General 
Atkinson  arrived  and  commenced  a  general  engagement. 
By  a  feint  the  main  body  of  the  army  was  drawn  aside 
and  while  it  was  moving  up  the  river,  the  Indians  were 
discovered  by  Henry's  men  who  through  the  jealousy  of 
Atkinson  had  been  placed  in  the  rear,  charged  upon 
them,  completely  routing  and  pushing  them  into  the 
river.  The  battle  ended  in  a  general  carnage,  but  few 
of  the  Indians  escaping,  among  them  their  leader,  the 
renowned  Black  Hawk.  This  bloody  scene  closes  the 
war,  in  which  many  of  the  brave  sons  of  Edwards,  Law- 
rence and  Wabash  participated  and  played  a  gallant  part. 
Believing  that  it  will  be  of  interest  to  our  many 
readers,  we  append  a  list  of  the  names  of  the  men  who 
served  in  the  Black  Hawk  war  from  these  counties. 

CAPTAIN  CHAMPION   8.    MARDING's  COMPANY. 

Third  Regiment  Second  Brigade,  of  Illinois  Mounted 
Volunteers,  called  into  the  service  of  the  United  States, 
on  requisition  of  General  Atkinson,  by  the  Governor's 
proclamation,  dated  May  15,  1832.  This  Company  was 
organized  and  their  officers  commissioned  May  5,  1832. 
Mustered  out  August  15,  1832,  by  order  of  Brigadier 
General  Atkinson. 


Men  fr  im  Edwards  C!ounty. 
Captain—  champion  S.  Marding. 

First  Lieutenant—  William  Curtis. 

Second  Lieutenant  —  Thomas  Sanders. 

Sergeants. 

Hill.Starlin 

James  Hunt 

Mitchell,  William 

James  Edmonson 
James  Ellison 
John  Edmonsou 

Mounts,  Stephen 
Pixley,  Lewis 
Russell,  Kobert 

Oorpnral. 

Rutherford,  Josiah 
Shelhy,  David 

Samuel  Edmonson,  2d. 

Shelby,  E. 

Sames  L  B. 

Private*. 
Bogwood,  David 
Cooper,  John 
Garland,  Joseph 
Greathouse,  David 

Shores,  William 
Spring  Henry 
Sterrit,  John 
Waldrup,John 

A  detachment  mustered  out  of  service  at  Fort  Dixon, 

under  command  of  Capt.  Jordan,  of  the  Second  Regi- 

ment, Second  Brigade. 

Men  from  Edwards  County. 

Oorpmfr, 

Lav,  Joshua 

Will-oil.  V,li'iaii,':M. 
Bengaman,  William,  4th. 

Madding,  Robert 
M.-Kin,,,.,-,  Alfred 
Moore,  Harrison 
Mnvs,  Matthew 

.Musician. 
Drury,  John 

SloUhV,     ' 
Sli.'H.V,  .l..llilfh:lll 

Thread,  B 

Private*. 

Thread,  Jame? 

Bennett,  James 

Underwood,  Alexander 
\V;m-en,  William  B. 

140 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


No  rations,  otly  as  privates,  drawn  by  any  commis- 

Johnston, Ahner 

Pollard.  Edwin 

i;;M\linLrs  Nat'-an 

sioned  officer  in  my  company;  only  one  half-bushel  of 

ti'k'lm"-','  w'ilHamson 
ellams,  Gideon 

lii.-l.ards.  Newton 
Small,  Thomas  H. 

corn  diawn  by  each  msn  durirg  the  time  of  service; 

Lawler,  William 
I  -u'ki'v   John  O 

Seeds,  William 

only  one  half-gallon  of  spirits  drawn  by  the  company  ; 

Lackey',  Thomas 
Neil  James 

Willi'im-   John 

not  one  pound  of  baggage  hauled  or  packed  for  any 

ivi  kins,  Thomas 

Young,  Jacob 

commissioned  officer  in  my  company.     This  company 
was  ordered  to  rendezvous  at  Hennepin,  June  10,  and 
arrived   the  llth,  and  was  mustered  into  service  the 

Detachment  of  Capt.  Barnes'  company  2d  Regiment, 
2d  Brigade  of  Illinois  Mounted  Volunteers.     This  com- 
pany was  organized  in  Lawrence  county,  Illinois,  May 

19th"                  Captain  So,omon  Hater's  Company                                *  «»2.       Mustered   OUt  AugUSt  15,  1832. 

Of  Third  Regiment  Second  Brigade  of  Illinois  Mounted                               SS  S^-Dan'ie^Mo^k 

Volunteers,  called  into  the  service  of  the  United  States                      Sergeants. 

Gaddy,  James 

on  the  requisition  of  Gen.  Atkinson,  by  the  Governor's               Thoma;  M*  Doriaid,  zd. 

Montgomery,  John 

proclamation,  dated  May  15,  1832.    This  company  was                      corporal. 

Jloaler,  Pev'ton 
McCleave,  Benjamin 

organized  in  the  county  of  Edwards  May  5,  1832.    Mus- 

James Buchanan 

Organ,  Daniel 
Lewi--  Thomas  T 

tered  out  August  15,  1832,  by  order  of  Brigadkr-Gen. 

Privates. 

Pollard,  James  W. 
Richards,  Joshua 

Atkinson.                                                                                                                            Bass^  "Miehard 

Turner,  Thomas  I. 

Crews,  James 

Turner,  John 

Men  from  Edwards  County. 

Christy,  Joseph  B. 

Turner,  E.  D.  M. 

Captain  —  Solomon  Hunter. 

Dnnlap,  Samuel 

Taylor,  George  W. 

First  Lieutenant—  Wil  iam  Carrabaugh, 
Second  Lieutenant—  John  S.  Rotrammel. 

Gullaher,  Bonapart                                  waiaen,  .jonn 

This  company  was  organized  in   Lawrence  county, 

Sergeant,. 

Former,  John 

Illinois,  on  Monday,  May  5,  1832;  marched  from  ^iere 

Thomas  .Taggers 
Joseph  MeCreary 

Hamilton  William 

June  2,  1832;  arrived  in  Springfield  June  9;  mustered 

John  Hocking 
John  Brown- 

Hen-lev.  Charles 

into  U.  S.  service  June  19,  1832. 

Corporal,. 

peoVnjamE. 

Captain  Jonn  Barnes'  Company. 

William  H.  Harper 
Zach  Bottinghouse 

HasSr 

Captain  —  John  Barnes. 
First  Lieutenant—  Elijah  Mays. 

Hugh  Mounts 
James,  N.  Harper 

Met.  rose.  William 
Michels,  Summer 

Sergeants. 
James  McNabb 

Moore,  ^rfCd8' 

Morris,  Allies 

Samuel  Mundle 

Mulling,  John  B. 

Bottinghouse,  Daniel 

Miffln,  William 

William  Mase 

Organ,  Daniel  A. 

Birkett,  Thomas 
Batson  William 

Moss,  Moses 
Rice,  Matthew 

Corporal,. 

Pea;  Salnoel 

Birkett,  Samuel 

Kobinson,  John  G. 

A.  8.  Badollett 

Pullis,  John  J. 

Charles,  Solomon 

Snell,  William 

Arthur  Chenoweth 

Carl,  John 

Skinner,  Thomas  W. 

Joseph  F.  Darr 

Curtis,  George 
Chism,  Elisha 
Podd,  Milton 
Dorothy,  Robert 

Tiuscott,  William 
Thompson,  Francis  B. 
Tait,  John 
Vincent.  James 

Private,. 
Barnes  Silas 
Bush,  John 

Ruark,  William  F. 
Stewart,  Joseph 
Strother,  Pendleton 
Thompson,  Jamesf 

Everly  Nimrod                                       Vincent,  Josiah 

Hunter,  John  T.* 

Westfall,  Isaac 

EmmerRon,  Alan                                     Williams,  Jonathan 

*  Promoted  Quartermaster  July  10,  1832. 
f  Wounded  ;  left  in  Hosp  tal  at  Dixon,  Aug.  2,  1832. 

nois,  on  the  5th  day  of  May,  1832.  Marched,  according 
to  Governor's  order,  for  Hennepin,  June  1,  1832 ;  was 
mustered  into  the  service  of  the  United  States  on  the 
19th  of  June,  1832.  Each  man  of  the  company  fur- 
nii-hed  tix  days'  rations  for  himself  and  horse.  The 
officers  of  said  company  drew  one  ration  per  day  in 
kind,  and  the  officers  and  men  drew  one  half-bushel  of 
corn,  as  forage,  duiing  the  whole  campaign. 


This  company  was  organized  in  Lawrence  county 
Illinois,  May  5th,  1832;  Mustered  out,  August  15th, 
1832. 

Captain  John  Arnold'*  Company 

Of  the  2nd  Regiment,  of  the  2nd  Brigade  of  Illinois 
Volunteers,  called  into  the  service  of  the  United  States, 
on  the  requisition  of  Genl.  Atkinson,  by  the  Governor's 
proclamation  dated  May  15th,  1831.  Mustered  out 
August  15tb,  1832.  This  company  was  organized  in 


Captain  Abner  Greer'g  Company, 

Wabash  county,  May  12th,  1832. 

Spy  Battalion  of  Illinois  Mounted  Volunteers,  called 

Me1>  from  Wabash  County. 
Captain—  John  Arnold. 

into  the  service  of  the  United  States  on  the  requisition 

First  Lienlennnt—  George  Danforth. 
Second  Lieutenant—  Samuel  Fisher.* 

of   Gen.  Atkinson,   by   the  Governor's  proclamation, 

Sergeavts. 

Hull,  Philip 

dated  ,  1832.    Mustered  out  August  15,  1832. 

Mitchel  C.  Minnis 
Hiram  Couch 

Hovt,  Jonathan  S. 
Hobbert,  Henry 

Men  from  Edwards  County. 

Mathias  Leather-land* 
John  A.  Dobbs* 

Keen,  Dennis 
M  ',  Barton  S. 

Captain—  Abner  Greer. 

Corporal,. 

McMillen,  James 
Ochletrec,  John 

First  LUuttnfint—Dnvid  D.  Marney. 

Solomon  Frear* 

Parmenter,  Isaac 

Second  Lieutenant  —  Aaron  Wells. 
Serqeant,.                                       Baird,  James 
Ehenezer  Z.  Ryan                                   Bajfd,  P™otor  B- 

John  Golden* 
Ira  Keen* 
Wesley  Wood* 
Private,. 

Rideefv,  William 
Reel,  Henry  R. 
Sanford,  Thomas 
Sanford,  Jacob 

A^snd°reH.  Gilmore                           R"<^y'oJnOi'hua 

Besley,  James* 
Bass.Dalphin 

Smith,  John  0. 
Turner    4bner 

Corporals.                                          Evans,  William 

Buchannan,  John  W. 
Buehannan,  Joseph  O.* 

Utter,  John 
Vanderhort  Philip 

James  Gadd^                             ,                Fv'te^i'o'ses1 

Buchannan.  Henry  R.* 

Woods,  Jeremiah 

Jeremmh  Cawthorn                                j?\"}'i'  lo'V™  "*  *"' 
Thomas  J.  England                                cm\'sp'i'eY\Villiam 
™««"-                                            Gibbons.  Harvey 
Andrews,  Silas                                           Jenadv,  Joseph 
Blizard,  Thomas                                     Jacknian,  Bazel 

Brines,  Jeffer-on 

GarnefjJnmes 
Golden,  William 
*  Absent 

Wear,  Thomas 
Wear,  Harvey 
Winders.  Warren 
Wright,  Robert 

ffith  leave. 

HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


141 


Detach 

Regin 


t   of  Captain   Ellas  Jordan'!   Company,   of  the   ! 

m ant,  2d  Brigade.    Enlisted  for  90  days.    Mounted  Volunteers. 
Crtj>fa;»-Elias  Jordan. 
First  Lieutenant— James  Kennerly. 
Second  Lieutenant— John  K.  Barnett 
Sergeant. 
James  Grayson,  4th 

Corporal. 
Zach  Wilson,  2d 


Minn, 


homas 


Carlton,  Robert 

C:impli.-ll,  Ui.biTt 
Campl-ell,  Patrick  S. 


August  2nd,  1832,  when 
Dixon's  Ferry,  Illinois. 

Men  from  Wabash  County. 

Adjutant— Isaac  Parmenter,  Adjutant  2d  Regiment,  2d  Brigade. 
First  Lieutenant— Samuel  Fisher. 


South;  the  former  holding  that  the  Union  was  inviolable 
and  that  the  federal  government  was  supreme,  the  latter, 
that  each  individual  state  was  supreme,  and  had  a 
right  to  withdraw,  by  virtue  of  its  sovereign  power,  from 
what  they  deemed  a  mere  federal  compact. 

The  anti-slavery  principles  of  Mr.  Lincoln  and  the 
party  that  elevated  him  to  power,  were  well  known,  al- 
though he  had  openly  declared  against  the  right  of  the 
government,  and  his  own  intention,  of  interfering  with 
the  institution  of  slavery,  where  it  already  existed.  His 

!  election  to  the  presidency,  however,  was  construed  by  the 
cotton-states  as  a  blow  at  that  institution.  Seldom  in  a 

the  command  of  Isaac  Parmenter,  Adjt.    Second  Regi-  |  nation's  history  has  any  one  been  placed  under  circum- 
ment  Second  Brigade,  from  the  day  of  its  enrollment  to  j  stances  go  trying  as  those  attending  Mr.  Lincoln's  in- 
mustered   out  of  service,  at  j  auguration,  although  he  fondly   hoped,   until   the  first 
|  shot  fell  on  Sumter,  for  a  settlement  of  difficulties  with- 
out resort  to  arms.     The  South  had   been  emboldened 
and  encouraged  in  rebellion  by  the  reticence  and  inac- 
tivity of  President  Buchanan.     The  treasury  was  empty, 
the  forts  and  arsenals  were  in  possession  of  the  enemy, 
and  they  had  shot  back  at  the  Union,  after  having  left 
it.     This  condition  of  things  and  this  course  of  conduct 
inspired  all  patriotic  hearts,  and  citizens  of  every  class — 
the  farmer,  the  mechanic,  the  student,  the  professional 
man,  renounced  all  distinction  of  education,  fortune  or 
birth,  and  walked  in  the  common  ranks  of  patriotism,  in 
defense  of  our  insulted  flag. 

The  first  blood  of  the  war  was  spilled  in  Baltimore, 
while  the   Massachusetts   regiment   of  volunteers   was 
passing  through  that  city,  three  of  its  members  falling 
dead  at  the  hands  of  the  mob.     The  first  regular  battle 
was  that  of  Bull's  Run,  June  21st,  1861.     The  last  en- 
!  gagement  took  place  at  Boro  Chico,  May  12th,  1865,  two 
days  after  the  capture  of  Jefferson  Davis,  at  Irwinsville, 
j  South  Carolina,  by  General  Wilson's  cavalry.    The  first 
aval  battle  of  importance  was  the  action  between  the 


Sergeant,. 
Matthew  Leatherland 

Jaquess,  W.^P. 

John  A.  Dodds 
Solomon  Frair 

Beauchamp,  Charles 
Gnklns'.n',  Jonathan 

John  Golden 

Hickev,  James 

Ira  Keen 
Wesllev  Wood 
Private,. 
Biirhatiiin,  .los.  O. 

Wright,  C.  W. 
Williamson,  Robert 
Ficklin,  O.  B. 
Ochletree,  John 

Buchanan,  Henry  R. 
Beslev,  .lumen 
Blgley,  William 
li.  ..1,1s.  Joseph  M. 

Reel,  Henry  R. 
Smith,  John  O. 
Turner,  Abner 
rtter.John 

Goddy,  John 
Garner,  J»mes 

Vanrli-rhotf,  Philip 
Wear,  Thomas 

G..M"ii.  William 
ll.ivl.  Jonathans. 
MrMullen,  James 
Miller,  Barton  S. 

Wear,  Harvev 
Hawkins,  Tilford 
Wheeler,  
Fortney,  Richard 

THE  AVAR  FOR  THE  UNION. 


This  conflict  was  inaugurated  April  12  1861,  by  the 
storming  and  reduction  of  Fort  Sumter,  December  20th, 
I860.  South  Carolina  had  passed  an  ordinance  severing 
her  connection  with  the  Union.  She  was  followed  in 
her  example  successively  by  Mississippi,  Florida,  Ala- 
bama, Georgia,  Louisiana  and  Texas,  prior  to  the  es- 


Confederate batteries  at  Charleston,  South  Carolina,  and 
the  steamboat,  Star  of  the  West,  when  the  latter  was 
driven  out  to  sea,  January  9th,  1861  ;  the  last  was  that 
between  Porter's  fleet  and  the  batteries,  at  Fort  Fisher, 
North  Carolina,  January  13th,  1865.  April  9th,  of  this 
year,  General  Grant  and  Lee  met  at  Appomattox  Court- 


tablishment  of  any  form  of  government.     February  4th,  j  House,  Virginia,  and  arranged  the  terms  of  the  latter's 

1861,  one  month  prior  to  the  inauguration  of  Mr.  Lincoln,  surrender,  which  subsequently  followed.     The  surrender 

delegates  from  six  of  these  states  met  in  convention  at  j  of  General  Johnston  to  General  Sherman  took  place  at 

Montgomery,  Alabama,  and   formed  the  "Confederate  Raleigh,  North  Carolina,  April  2:ith,  1865. 

States  of  America,"  and  established  their  place  of  meet-  I  Then  closed  the  most  sanguinary  and  at  the  same  time 

ing  as  the  seat  of  the  new   government.     On  the  8th  of  the  most  glorious   conflict  that  the  historian  has  ever 

the  same  month,  Jefferson  Davis  was  chosen   president,  j  been  called  upon  to  record.    The  sentiment  of  patriotism 

and  Alexander  H.  Stephens  vice-president.     The  seat  of  never  before  so  strong  in  any  people,  was  shared  by  the 

government  was  afterward  removed  to  Richmond,  Vir-  citizens  of  Edwards,  Lawrence  and  Wabash  counties,  and 

ginia,  after  the  secession  of  that  State.     This  course  of  readily  did  they  leave  their  occupations   and   pleasant 

conduct,  on  the  part  of  these  states,  and  those  that  follow-  \  homes  for  the  hardships,  privations  and  dangers  of  the 

ed  them  in  the  act  of  rebellion,  was  brought  about  by  |  battle  field.     The  names  of  these  patriotic  men   appear 

sectional  interests,  of  which  the  institution  of  slavery  was,  !  below  under  the  heads  of  the  commanders  to  which  they 

directly  or  indirectly,  the  cause.     Two  methods  of  inter-  ]  respectively  belonged. 

preting  the  constitution  of  the  United  States  originated  Lawrence  county  deserves  special  mention,  as  having 

between  the  statesmen  of  the  North  and  those  of  the  tendired  the  first  company  in  the  state  to  Gov.  Yates, 


142          HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


under  President  Lincoln's  first  call  for  75,000,  three 
months'  men.  This  tender  was  made  byMaj.  Daniel  L. 
Gold,  now  of  Washington,  D.  C.,  on  Sunday,  April 
17th,  1861,  at  10  P.  M.,  from  Vincennes,  while  the  proc- 
lamation was  yet  passing  over  the  wires. 

7th  Infantry. 

MUSTEB   BOLL  COMPANY    E. 

Kecniti— Baltzell,  Henry  H.  (Lawrence  County),  vet,  M.  O.  July  9, 1865. 
Mushrush,  Eli  (Lawrence  County),  vet.,  M.  O.  July  9, 1865. 

8th  Infantry.— Three  years'  service. 
MUSTER   ROLL   COMPANY    D. 

Drafted  and  SubttUiUe  Recruit— Bains,  Charles  W.  (Lawrence  County),  mus- 
tered out  Sept.  26,  1865. 

MUSTER   ROLL   COMPANY   I. 

Drafted  and  Substitute  Recruits. 

Harmon,  Andrew  (Lawrence  County),  mustered  out  Oct.  6, 1865. 
Ramsey,  William  (Lawrence  County),  mustered  out  Oct.  6, 1865. 
Wolf,  Henry  M.  (Lawrence  County),  mustered  out  Oct.  6, 1805. 

Ninth  Infantry. — Three  years'  service. 

The  Ninth,  in  which  Lawrence  county  was  represent- 
ed as  the  accompanying  Roster  will  show,  was  one  of  the 
six  regiments,  organized  at  Springfield  for  three  months 
service.  It  was  mustered  into  the  United  States  service 
for  three  years,  July  26th,  1861,  about  five  hundred  three 
months'  men  having  re-enlisted.  After  a  number  of 
expeditious,  marches  and  small  engagements,  on  tha  12th 
day  of  February,  1862,  eight  companies  entered  the 
fight  at  Fort  Done'son,  sustaining  a  loss  of  thirty-five, 
killed  and  one  hundred  and  sixty-six,  wounded  and  six 
prisoners.  At  Shiloh  April  6th  and  7th,  it  lost  sixty- 
one,  killed,  two  hundred  and  eighty-seven  wounded,  and 
two  prisoners.  Out  of  twenty-six  officers,  twenty-one 
were  killed  or  wounded.  At  Corinth  October  3d  and 
4th,  it  lost  nineteen  -men  killed,  eighty-two  wounded 
and  fifty-two  prisoners.  During  its  entire  term  of 
service,  it  participated  in  one  hundred  and  ten  battles 
and  skirmishes.  It  was  mustered  out  of  service  at 
Louisville,  Ky.,  July  9th,  1865,  and  arrived  at  Camp 
Butler  July  12th,  for  final  payment  and  discharge 


MUSTKR    ROLL,    COK 


\NY 


Mminan— Edward  Stephen  (Lawrence  County),  mustered  out  Aug.  20,  1864 

erhals,  Godfrey  (Lawrence  County),  died  Nov.  18, 1861. 
Bruening,  William  (Lawrence  County),  died  Oct.  1, 1861. 
Erbar,  George  (Lawrence  County),  mustered  out  Aug.  20, 1804. 
Fray,  John  A.  (Lawrence  County). 

Herbig,  William  (Lawrence  County),  mustered  out  Aug.  20, 1804. 
Hugenburg,  Frederick  (Lawrence  Co.),  died  Oct.  12,  '62;  wounds. 
Jacob,  Christian  (Lawrence  County),  mustered  out  Aug.  20, 1804. 
Klingenburg,  William  (Lawrence  Co.),  killed  at  Shiloh  Apr.  6,  '62. 
Lehr,  George  (Lawrence  County),  killed  at  Shiloh  April  6, 1862. 
Lippert,  Frederick  (Lawrence  Co.),  killed  at  Shiloh  April  6, 1862. 
Mueller,  John  (Lawrence  County). 
Mill.T,  William  (Lawrence  County). 
Nadler,  Andreas  (Lawrence  County). 
Randall,  Stephen  (Lawrence  County),  died  Aug.  6, 1802. 
Randall,  Jacob  (Lawrence  County). 

Richter,  Henry  (Lawrence  County),  killed  at  Shiloh  April  6,  1862. 
Roehrwiem,  William  (Lawrence  County),  M.  0.  Aug.  20, 1864. 
Schenck,  Charles  (Lawrence  County),  M.  O.  Aug.  20, 1804. 
Spohule,  John  (Lawrence  County). 
Tungeman,  John  (Lawrence  County),  killed  at  Corinth  Apr.  6,  '62. 


16th  Regiment  Infantry. 

MUSTER  ROLL  COMPANY  I. 

Kecruiti—  Daniels,  James  (Lawrence  County),  disch.  July  2,  '65 ;  disability. 
Ross,  John  (Lawrence  County).  ^ 

White,  Thomas  B.  (Lawrence  County);  was  prisoner;  mustered 

out  Aug.  10,  1865,  as  sergeant. 
White,  James  A.  (Lawrence  County);   was  prisoner  ;  mustered 

out  Aug.  19, 1805,  as  corporal. 

MUSTER  ROLL,    COMPANY   K. 

Privates— Irving,  Corban  W.  (Lawrence  County),  mustered  out  Aug.  19, 1805 
Parrott,  John  L.  (Lawrence  County),  disch.  Aug.  7,  '65;  disability. 

Eighteenth  Infantry.— Three  Years'  Service. 

This  Regiment  was  organized  under  the  Ten  Regiment 
Act,  at  Anna,  Illinois,  and  mustered  into  the  State 
Service,  for  thirty  days,  by  Captain  U.  S.  Grant,  May 
16,  1861.  May  28,  1861,  it  was  mustered  into  the 
United  States  Service,  by  Captain  T.  G.  Pitcher.  Was 
engaged  in  the  three  days'  battle,  at  Fort  Donelson, 
with  a  loss  of  fifty  men  killed  and  one  hundred  and  fifty 
wounded.  Took  part  in  the  engagement  of  Shiloh, 
April  6th  &  7th,  los'ng  ten  killed  and  sixty-five  wounded. 
Companies  H.  and  C.  were  so  reduced  in  numbers  after 
the  battles,  that  they  were  consolidated  with  the  re- 
mainder of  the  regiment.  During  the  Shiloh  battle  was 
in  General  Oglesby's  brigade.  In  the  fall  of  1862,  two 
new  companies  were  raised  at  Carbondale.  Company  K 
was  transferred  to  the  Mississippi  Marine  Brigade,  per 
special  order,  "No.  69,  War  Department,  February  11, 
1863."  The  regiment  was  mustered  out,  December  16, 
18"5,  at  Little  Rock,  Ark.  aud  on  the  31st  received  final 
payment  and  discharge,  at  Camp  Butler,  Illinois. 

MUSTER  ROLL  COMPANY  O. 

Private!— Evans,  William  (Edwards  Co.),  mur.  by  R.  DickermanSep.30,'61. 

Filkey,  William  H.  (Wabash  County). 

Loten,  Joseph  (Edwards  County),  discharged  Jan.  21, 1863. 

Litherland,  Samuel  (Wabash  County),  vet.,  promoted  Qjiarter- 
master-sergeant  on  consolidation  ;  mustered  out  Dec.  16, 1865. 

Pickering,  George  (Wabash  Co.),  klld.  at  Ft.  Donelson  Feb.  1  r..  Y,.'. 

Stevenson,  A.  J.  (Wabash  County),  sergt.-vet ,  M.  O.  Dec.  16, 1865. 

Woodrup,  John  (Edwards  County),  trans,  to  V.  R.  C.  Oct.  9, 1863. 
Veterans— Brinn,  John  O.  (Wabash  County),  mustered  out  Aug.  23, 1865. 

Rice,  Andrew  J.  JWabash  County),  mustered  out  Dec.  16, 1803. 
Recruit— Hockey,  William.(Edwards  County). 

18th  Infantry  Reorganized.— Three  years'  service. 

MUSTER   ROLL   COMPANY   C. 

Private— Laird.'Satnuel  (Wabash  County),  mustered  out  Oct.  24, 1865. 
MUSTER   ROLL   COMPANY    K. 

Private*-- Biggerstaff,  Wesley  (Edwards  County),  mustered  out  Dec.  16,  '65. 
Golden,  James  (Edwards  County). 

Hawthorne  James  E.  (Edwards  County),  mustered  out  Deo.  16,  '65. 
Hays,  Arthur  M.  (Edwards  County),  mustered  out  Dec.  1«,  1865. 
Harkrider,  John  (Edwards  County),  mustered  out  Dec.  1C,  Is:.:.. 
Lechner,  William  C.  (Edwards  County),  mustered  out  Dec.  16,  '65. 
Little,  James  M.  (Edwards  County),  mustered  ou  Dec.  Hi,  Is.,:,. 
Loyd,  James  D.  (Edwards  County),  mustered  out  Dec.  Hi,  lsc.r,. 
Land,  John  A.  (Edwards  Co.),  died  at  Little  Rock,  Ark.,  July  29, '65. 
Milspaugh,  Daniel  (Edwards  County),  mustered  out  June  18, 1865. 
Mabcrry,  Emanuel  (Edwards  County),  mustered  out  Dec.  16, 1865. 

19th  Infantry. 

Vnauigncd  J!,-rniits. 
Dailey,  William        Murphy,  James         Ryan,  Martin         Sullivan.  1'ati  i.-k 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  W ABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


143 


20th  Infantry. 

MUSTER  ROLL,   COMPANY  B. 

Drafted  and  Subititute  tfecruita-Castv,  Chauncy  (Wai  .ash  Co.),  M.  O.  Jan.  7,  '60. 
Greathouso,  Irvin  (Wabash  County). 

aist  Infantry. 

Firm  Astiitcmt-Svrgeon— Carl  Muns  ( Wabnsh  Co.),  reported  dead  Feb.  16, 1802. 
Twenty-Sixth  Infantry.— Three  years'  service. 

This  regiment  in  which  the  counties  of  Edwards,  Law- 
rence and  Wabash  are  well  represented,  was  mustered 
into  United  States  service  with  seven  companies,  at 
Camp  Butler,  Illinois,  August  31st,  1861,  and  not  hav- 
ing been  armed,  at  first  did  guard  duty  at  Quincy  with 
hickory  clubs.  During  the  fall  armed  with  old  English 
Tower  muskets,  it  was  detailed  to  guard  the  Hannibal 
and  St.  Joe  railroad.  Three  more  companies  complet- 
ing the  organization,  were  raised  prior  to  January  1st, 
1862.  February  19th,  1862,  left  Hannibal,  Missouri, 
for  the  South,  stopping  at  Corinth,  where  the  regiment 
was  assigned  to  Brigadier  General  J.  B.  Plummer's 
Brigade,  Brigadier  General  Hamilton's  Division,  Major 
General  Pope's  Corps. 

After  an  active  service  of  more  than  two  years,  four 
hundred  and  sixty-three,  out  of  five  hundred  and  fifteen 
men  present  for  duty,  re-enlisted  as  veteran  volunteers, 
January  1st,  1864.  During  its  four  years  of  service, 
the  regiment  marched  six  thousand  nine  hundred 
and  thirty-one  miles,  and  fought  twenty-eight  hard 
battles,  besides  many  skirmishes.  It  was  permitted  by 
order  of  the  commit)  ling  general  to  place  upon  its 
banners,  "New  Madrid,"  "  Island  No.  10,"  "  Farming- 
ton,"  Siege  of  Corinth,"  "luka,"  "Corinth  3d  and  4th 
October,  1862,"  "  Holly  Springs,"  "  Vicksburg,"  "  Jack- 
son, Miss.,"  "  Mission  Ridge,"  "  Resaca,"  '' Kenesaw," 
"  Ezra  Church,"  "  Atlanta,"  "Jonesboro,"  "  Griswold- 
ville,"  '•  McAlister,"  "  Savannah,"  "  Columbia,"  "  Ben- 
tonville."  The  regiment  was  mustered  out  of  service, 
July  20th,  1865,  at  Louisville,  Kentucky,  and  finally 
paid  and  dis  charged,  July  28th,  at  Springfield,  Illinois. 

NON-COMMISSIONED    STAFF. 
-Albert  Rude,  mustered  out  July  20, 1865. 


MUSTER  ROLL  COMPANY   O. 
A.  Abbott  (Edwards  County),  M.  O.  July  20, 1 

1 ;  disch.  Sept.  19,  '54  ;  dis,,.,  v 
icharged  Aug.  26,  1862   as  1st 
sergeant ;  disability. 
Ctorjwrab-Ishmael  Fortney  (Edwards  County),  wounded  ;  discharged  Oct. 

Will'iam  S.  Taite  (Edwards  County!,  diseh.  Jan.  23  ;  disability. 

v,.  Tuvlor  (Edwards    Couiitv),  wounded  at  Corinth ; 
killed  at  Resaca  May  13,  ISM. 

Thomas  Light  (Edwards  <\>.>,  killed  at  Dallas,  Ga,  May  30, 1884. 
-Busket,  Reiner  (Edwards  County),  vet.,  died  at  Scottsboro,  Ala., 


Bones,  Thomas    (Edwards   County),  wounded 
charged  Oct.  n,  isr,l,:i-  MTL'<  ant  :  .Usabilit 
]'!"'!!,  Saii.iK  1   .Edward    (Guilty), 


nde'd  ;  discharged  Oct. 


Deg:iu.  John  (Edwards Co.),  died  at  Pt.  Pleasant  Mar.  28, 18f 
BwdetOD.  Anderson  (Edwards  County),  killed  at  Mission 

Soov'Jrs,  William  '  Edwards  Co.),  vet.,  mustered  out  July  20 
ennegan,  John  (Edwards  County),  vet.,  corporal,  killed 

Ham"  Enoch  (Bdwards  County). 

*D?(  I- 

Barnett,  Lewis  i  Kdwm-ds  Co.),  died  at  Hannibal,  Mo,  Jan.  2s,  '(12. 
Glover,  Kiehards  iK.luanl..  County),  mastered  oat  July  20,  ixn.v 
Taylor,  Harrison  K.  .Edwards  County),  mustered  out  July  211,  Iwi.V 

MUSTER  BOLL  COMPANY   H. 

•mat— Philip  J.  Spring  (Lawrence  Co.),  M.O.as  scrg.  July  1",'65. 
Pii«i(f«— Bimner,  Joseph  M.  (Lawrence  (;o.),  disch.  Sept.  (t,  1XJ12;  disability. 


Cantwell,  Benton  (Wabash  County),  vet,  mustered  out  July  20, '65. 

Degilltawny,  Ant ,,  I  Wabash  Co.  i,  vet.,  mustered  out  JulV  a)  'Ci. 

Hocking,  Warren  (Edwards  Co.),  vet,  mustered  out  July  20,  18(1.5. 
Hocking,  William  H.  (  Edwards  County),  disch.  Mar.  :),  '03;  disab. 
Hedge,  William  .  Lawn-nee  Count  VI,'  vet,  transferred  to  Co  (i- 

mustered  out  July  20, 18SIC 
Miner,  George,  S.  (Edwards  County),  vet,  corporal,  died  at  home 

Spring,  Phiiip  (Lawrence  Co.),  vet,,  M.  O.July  20, 1865,  as  1st  serg. 
Recruitt— Benson,  Joseph  C.  (Edwards  County),  died  at  Savannah,   Ga., 

Dec.  20, 1864. 
Blair,  James  (Lawrence  County),  killed  at  Colliersville,  Tenn., 

Collis'on,  .'lames  M.  i  Lawrence  Co.),  vet,  M.  O.  Julv  20,  '65,  as  eorp. 
•y),  trans,  to  V.  R.'C.  Sept.  7, 18B2. 


Hershey,  John  K.  (Lawrence  County),  vet,  M.  O.  July  20, 1865. 
Hacking,  Frank  (Edwards  County), 'mustered  out  July  20, 1865. 
Hocking,  Francis  M.  I  Edwards  County!  mustered  out  July  20,  '65. 
Irwin,  Samuel  I.  (Lawrence  Co. I,  diseh.  Oct.  2.  1.1(12:  disability. 
Krcuger,  Lewis  i  Waba-li  County),  mustered  out  July  20,  1865. 
Shurtletf,  Hereanus  (Edwards  County  i,  died  at  Si'.  Louis  Mo 

April  2«.  18(12. 
Smith,  William  F.  (Lawrence  County),  wounded;  discharged  Oct. 

2,  1862;  disability. 

290i  Infantry-Three  years'  service. 
Quarternuuter—  Ebenezer  Z.  Eyan  (Lawrence  County),  resigned  Mar.  4, 1862. 

30th  Infantry  .-Three  years'  service. 

MUSTER   KOLL  COMPANY   B. 
PHvalM-Adwell,  John  (Wabash  County),  vet.,  discharged  July  22, 1864,  as 

Fisher.  John  B.  (Waiiash  County),  died  at  Cairo  Dec.  13, 1861. 
Greening,  James  (Wabash  Co.),  vet,,  M.  O.  July  17,  1865,  as  sergt. 
Kenny,  Lorenzo  (Wabash  County). 

Mekci'f'wiVl'inm  D.((Wabash  CmMi'tVl'di"cnargedOAtpril114,1i862?'' 

Martin,  Arthur  (Wabash  County),, liseh.  Sept..  [864;  term  expired. 

Retherford,  Martin  V.  (Waiiash  County),  vet,  M.  O.  Julv  17,  1865. 

Ray,  George  W.  (Wabash  Co.),  vet,  M.  o.  July  17, 180:,,  as  corporal. 

Smith,  George  P.  (Wabash  County). 

Tungate,  William  (Wabash  County),  discharged  Oct.  14,  1862. 

Taylor,  George  (Wabash  C,,.),  vet.,  M.  (J.  July  17,  1865,  as  corporal. 

Veach,  Samuel  (Wabash  County.,  vet,  mustered  out  .lulv  IT  Iwla. 

Veach,  James  F.  (Wabash  County). 

Vermillion,  Charles  W.  (Wabash  County),  vet,  died  at  Nashville 

Workman,  Samuel  M.  (Wabash  Co.).  died  at  Cairo  Feb.  10, 1862. 
Wycoti;  John  M.  (Wabash  County),  discharged  April  14, 1862. 
Recruits— Colhorn,  Frftnclfl  L.  .Wabash  Co.),  trans,  to  V.  B.  C   April  27.  1864. 

Stratton,  Joseph  C.  (Wab'nsli  Co),  disch.  De 
wink,  H.  William  (Wabash  Co.),  died  at  V 

Thirty-Second  Infantry— Three  years'  service. 

The  thirty-second  Illinois  Infantry,  was  organized  at 
Camp  Butler,  by  Col.  John  Logan,  and  was  mustered 
into  the  United  States  service,  December  31st,  1861.  It 
bore  a  distinguished  part  in  the  battle  of  Shiloh,  April 
6th  and  7th,  1862,  losing  forty  men  killed  and  two 
hundred  wounded.  Was  engaged  in  the  advance  on 
Corinth,  and  in  the  battle,  as  a  re-enforcement  to  Gen. 
Rosecraus,  October  4th.  Next  day  did  good  service  at 
Matarnora,  losing  seven  killed,  and  twenty -nine  wounded. 
On  the  8th,  surprised  and  captured  over  a  hundred  rebel 
cavalry,  at  Lamar.  From  this  time  forward,  saw  no 
service  beyond  numerous  marches,  till  June,  when  it 
participated  in  the  siege  of  Vicksburg,  July  oth,  march- 
ed with  General  Sherman's  army  toward  Jackson, 
experiencing  its  most  trying  march,  being  tired  and 
worn  out  during  the  siege.  Early  in  September,  captur- 
ed nine  piecesof  artillery  at  Harrisonburg,  La.  Novem- 
ber 24th,  landed  at  Vicksburg.  December  22d,  the 
brigade  advanced  to  Fayette,  driving  the  enemy  before 
it.  January  23,  1864,  returned  to  Vieksburg,  where 
the  regiment  was  mustered  as  a  veteran  organization, 
February  3d,  started  on  the  Meridian  expedition, 
marching  three  hundred  miles.  In  June,  engaged  in 
the  siege  of  Kenesaw  Mountain,  occupying  a  most  exposed 
position  in  the  advance  and  July  5th,  in  the  assault  on 
Nickajack  creek,  was  the  first  to  plant  its  colors  on  the 


144        HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  W ABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


enemy's  works.  July  18th,  the  regiment  was  transfered  ' 
to  the  Second  Brigade,  Colonel  Logan  commanding,  and  j 
sent  to  Marietta  to  guard  the  depot  of  supplies  at  that 
place.  September  8th,  forty-one  out  of  a  foraging  party 
of  fifty  men  were  captured  by  the  enemy,  after  a  spirited 
resistance.  October  3d,  near  Kenesaw  Mountain,  was 
attacked  by  the  enemy  in  strong  force,  and  suffered  a 
loss  of  twelve  men  killed.  Participated  in  Sherman's 
March  to  the  Sea,  and  in  the  siege  of  Savannah,  lost 
Captain  E.  C.  Lawson,  and  four  men  wounded.  February 
3d,  1865,  waded  the  ice-cold  waters  of  the  Salkahatchiej 
for  a  distance  of  two  miles,  and  after  a  half  hour's 
skirmishing  on  the  opposite  bank,  compelled  the  enemy 
to  evacuate  their  line  of  defense.  March  21st  was  engag- 
ed in  the  skirmishing  line  at  Bentonville,  N.  C-,  losing 
heavily.  September  16th,  mustered  out  of  service  at 
Fort  Leavenworth,  Kansas,  and  ordered  to  Camp 
Butler,  Illinois,  for  final  payment  and  discharge.  The 
regiment  traveled,  while  in  the  United  States  service, 
about  eleven  thousand  miles. 


MUSTEK   ROLL,  COMPANY     I. 
-William  Ulm  (Wabash  County),  resigned  Sept  3, 1862. 

Hiram  K.  Wolganmt  i  Wabasfi  C,,A  M.  ( i.  Sept.  Hi,  LSI;:,. 
Corpora?*— David  M.  Cawser  (Wabash  County),  vol.,  M.  O.  Sept.  16,  1865. 

Robert  II.  M'.Neil  (Wabash  Countv). 

Musician  -George  Biedlamau  (Wabash  Co.),  pro.  Lieut,  in  6th  Mias.  colored. 
Wa,,,,,,«-Joseph  Urenon  JWnbash  County) 

Privates— Albeit/.,  Ubertiua  (Wabash  County),  died  at  St.  Louis  May  2n, '62. 
Compton<  Thomas  (Wabash  Co.).  killed  at  Shiloh  April  ii,  fs(a. 
'       i  Co),  disch.  April  28.  ls'^:  .usability. 

'   Co.),  M.  O.  Dee.  :il,  1ST,:  term  'expd. 
ash  Coumvl,  died  at   Holivar,  Tenu, 
Oct.  11.  1802  ;  wounds. 

Fuller,  Samuel  (Wabash  County),  vet.,  mustered  out  May  27, 18C5. 
Id,  Thomas  (Waha-h  C.Hintv  i,  trans,  to  V.  K.  C.  Sept.  1,1,  18ii:j. 
dan,  John  (Wabash  County). 

"le  prison 


Crackel,  James  (Wabash  C 

Crane,  An, I y  \V.  ^aba- 

Diselms,    Washington    iWa 


Gold,  Thomas  (\yabash  Count>)", 'trans!  to  V 
Krishe'r,  John'( Wabash  Count))',  vet., 


4, 1863 ;  wounds 


June  in,  1-W4;  No.  of  grave,  1SUU. 
letchum,  Philander  (Wal.asli  c,..\  disch.  Oct.  14, 
Ic.Nair,  Alfred  (Wabasii  Co.),  M.  O.  Dee.  HI,  1864; 
'eters,  Samuel  L.  i  Wabash  County),  vet  ,  mtlstere 
Peakers,  William  (Wabash  County),  died  Aug.  3, 1863, 
race  (Wabash  Couut.v),  41.  O.  Dec.  31,  18ii4;  te 
,  Thomas  (Wabasli  County),  disch.  April  (i,  18li3; 


Ketch.lt 
McNair, 
Peters,  s, 

Pool,  Ho'race  (Wabash  Countv),  4i.'b.  Dec.  3l7l8(';4;  term  expired. 
Kulsford,  Thomas  (Wabash  County),  disch  April  .;,  Is,:',;  wounds. 
Sumens,  William  (.Vahash  Co.).  .if.-,  Ii.  Amr.  1's,  186:i;  disability. 
Sanford,  Daniel  (Wabash  County;,  dfach.  \pril  6,  IN',:):  disability. 
Wood,  Nelson  (Wabash  County),  disch.  Nov.  22,  lsr,2 ;  disability. 
Recruit— Preston,  Samuel  (Wabash  County),  mustered  out  June  3,  1866. 

MUSTER   ROLL   COMPANY   K. 
Pi-icatet— Gains,  Jacob  (Lawrence  County),  disch.  June  28,  1862;  disability. 

Harris,  James  (Lawrence  .  ountyi,  trans,  to  V.  1;.  C.  Sept.  IS,  V,:l. 

Waggoner,  John  L.  (Lawronoc  County),  vet..  M.  l ).  Sept.  Hi,  Isi;',. 

Wilson,  James  B.  (Lawrence  County),  v  t.,  M.  O.  Sept.  In,  1865. 
Remits— Baehe,  Arthur  c  Law  rcncc  Cottntv), 'mustered  out  Sept.  16,  1864. 

Heath,  Robert  (Lawrence  Coumy). 

Jones,  John  l>.  (Lawrence  County) stored  out  Sept,  10,  1805. 

Law,  Chailes  L>.  (Lawrence  Countvi,  died  at  Washington,  D.  ("., 
Mar.  17,  18H5. 

McNeece,  Gomgo  W.  (Lawrence  Co.),  mustered  out  Sept.  16, 1865. 

Mullins,  James  K.  I  l.au  idice  County). 

Smith,  Jonathan  (Lawrence  County),  mustered  out  Sept.  16,  1865. 


unds  Sept.  3,  1804. 

_ isiuned  Nov.  4, 1864. 

John  A.  Porter,  mustered  out  Oct.  8,  18tJ5. 

Second  iteufenanf-William  A.  Mitchell,  mustered  out  as  sergt.  Oct.  8, 1835. 
Sergeant-Scoti  Brownlee,  disch.  Sept.  23, 1864,  as  private;  term  expired. 
Corpora/— David  B.  Brownlee,  private,  died  at  R  Ha,  Mo.,  Nov.  24, 1861. 
Musicians— James  L.  Dryden,  mustered  out  Oct.  24,  1854;  wounded. 

Joseph  F.  Young,  discharged  Sept.  2:1,  1801 ;  term  expired. 
Pruales— Allen,  William  S.,  corporal,  killed  at  Chiekamauga  Sept.  20, 1863. 
led  at  Cassville,  Mo.,  April  la,  1862. 
vet. 


;,  Jose 

Arthurs,  Will 
Azdel,  Williai 
'  nstrong.J 


im  T  ,  killed  at  Stone  Kiver  pec.  31, 1802. 
C.,  .li-'-harirod  An-.  2s,  l.MiJ:  disability. 
„      mes,  discharged  Aug.  lu,  188S;  disability. 
Kailes,  Charles  B..  discharged  Sept  IB,  1864  :  tern,  expired. 
Baird,  Nathaniel  T.,  discharged  Dec,:!,  is;-:  difnhilitv. 
Marlon,  Thomas  o.,  discharged  July  31,  1862;  disability. 
Carson.  Una-,  ret.,  mustered  out  i  let.  8,  I866jiu  corporal. 
Criswell,  William  P.,  vet.,  mustered  out  Oct.  8, 1865,  as  corporal. 
Constant,  Eno»,  mustered  out  Jan.  24,  1865. 
liowell,  George,  discharged  Sept.  24,  18(14;  term  expired. 
Donnell,  George,  vet.,  disch.  June  2, 18H5.  as  corporal;  wounded. 
Jiavis,  James,  vet.,  killed  at  Adairswllo,  Ga.,  May  17,1864. 
Kckeison.  Albert,  discharged  Sept.  2:1.  ls.;i : 'term  expired. 
Klder,  James,  k  lied  at  Stone  River  Dec.  :;l,  18>i2. 
Kduar,  John  B.,  discharged  Aug.  Ill,  18",:! :  disability.        .. 
FUner,  William,  corporal,  died  at  Nashville  Sept.  1,  1863. 
Godfrey,  EUchard.,dled  at  Springfield,  .'Mo.,  .May  Hi,  1802. 
Gibson,  William  .M  .discharged  \o.il  14,  1862;  wounds. 
Harper,  Hugh  W.,  transferred  to  Vet.  Uesorve  Corps. 
Hayes,  Orlando,  mu.-tered  out  June  •>,  is;:,;  prisoner  of  war. 
Haitzcil,  Willi  no,  discharged  Sept.  L':;,  18(4:  term 
Henderson.  John  R,  died  O.-t.  In,  1S62:   wounds. 


I,  ism  :  term  expired. 


m 


en.  Tli on  .as,  transt' Tred  to  V.  R.  C. 
j..-,..,  Henrv  II.,  \-et.,  mustered  out  Oct.  8,  1865. 
JlcCov,  joiin  w.,  must -red  out  (jet.  u,  1864,  as  sergeant. 
McClanahan,  Frank,  transferred  to  V.  R.  C. 

MePherrin,  James  C.,  transferred  to  Marine  Brigade  at  St.  Louis 
McGregor,  Joseph. 

McMullen,  John  K.,  discbargod  Sept.  25,  1863  ;  disability. 
Mitchell,  William  A.,  vet.,  mustered  out  Oct.  8, 1865,  as  1st  sergt. 
Moss,  Jacob  W.,  vet.,  killed  at  Adairsville. 
Munson,  Ezra  E.,  discharged  Sept  2:'.,  is ",4;  term  expired.J 
Nelson.-George,  died  at  Rienzi,  Miss.,  June  23,  1864. 
Nichols.  George  W.,  discharged  Sept.  •_•:!,  Is  u  ;  term  expired. 
Paxton,  Samuel,  vet.,  mustered  "(it  (let.  s,  is.ii,  as  sergeant. 
Patterson.  William,  died  at  Chattanooga  Jan.  5, 1864. 
Ralston,  James,  vet.,  died  at  Louisville,  Ky.,  Aug.  24,  1864. 
Shearer,  William,  died  at  Holla,  Mo.    Dec.  1,  1861? 
Shearer,  Hugh,  died  at  Holla,  Mo.,  Dee.  10,  1861. 
Seholts,  Kzra,  died  Dec.  I,  18ii:i ;  wounds. 
Stewart,  Abraham,  discharged  Sept.  2:1,  IS04;  term  expired. 

,rt,  Isaac,  mustered  out  s  ,pt.  2(1:  term  expired. 

;pson,  George  V 

taff,  Henry,  die 
Wimmer,EZekiel,yt- 
Wright,  S.  Gamble,  discharged  May  19, 1863;  disability. 
Becruite-Baird,  Thomas  F.,  discharged  June  2, 1862;  disability. 

Kitchen,  John  W.,  mustered  out  Oct.  8,  1865. 

Drafted  aad  Substitute  Becruit-Evims,  Robert  T.,  sub.,  died  at  Louisville 
Mar.  1,  1865. 

Thirty-Eighth  Infantry.— Three   Years'  Service. 

The  Thirty-Eighth  was  organized  at  Camp  Butler, 
Illinois,  in  September,  1861,  by  Colonel  William  P. 
Carlin.  October  21,  it  was  engaged  at  Fredericktown 
against  the  enemy  under  Jeff.  Thompson.  March  3, 
1862,  it  became  a  part  of  the  division  of  southeast 
Missouri  under  General  F.  Steele.  In  ten  days  it  com- 
pleted a  march  of  220  miles  to  Cape  Girardeau,  Missouri, 
May,  1862.  It  took  part  in  the  following  actions  and 
skirmishes  :  Perryville,  October  8,  1862,  capturing  an 


Thirty-Sixth  Infantry.— Three  Years'  Service. 

This  regiment  was  organized  at  Aurora,  Illinois,  in 
September,  1861,  by  Colonel  Nicholas  Grensel,  and  j  ammunition  train,  two  caissons,  and  about  100  prisoners  ; 
mustered  into  the  United  States  service  by  Captain  A.  Knob  Gap  capturing  two  guns,  and  losing  three  men 
G.  Brackett,  U.  S.  A.,  September  23,  1861.  It  partici-  j  killed  and  eight  wounded  ;  Stone  River,  December  30, 
pated  in  the  following  engagements  :  Boonville,  Ark.,  i  1862,  to  January  4,  1863,  losing  34  killed,  109  wounded, 
March  6,  1861 ;  Leetown,  March  7,  and  Pea  Ridge,  i  and  34  missing ;  Liberty  Gap,  June  24,  25,  26 ;  Chicka- 
March  8,  186 1  ;  Perryville,  losing  seventy-five  men  in  !  mauga,  September  19,  losing  180  men.  February  29, 
killed  and  wounded  ;  Stone  River,  from  December  26,  i  1864,  re-enlisted,  and  was  mustered  March  16,  1864.  It 
1862,  till  January  2, 1863,  coming  out  of  the  battle  with  [  participated  at  Pine  Top,  and  at  Kenesaw  Mountain. 


only  200  men;  Chiekamauga,  September  20  and  21, 
1863  ;  Gordon's  Mills,  September  20,  1863.  The  regi- 
ment was  mustered  out  of  service  October  8,  1865,  at 
New  Orleans,  and  arrived  at  Camp  Butler,  Illinois, 
October  17,  for  final  payment  and  discharge. 


September  1,  1864,  engaged  in  the  battle  of  Jonesbor 
From  that  time  forward   it   was    engaged   in    various 
skirmishes,  marches  and  guard  duties,  till  it  was  mustered 
out  of  service,  and  ordered  to  Springfield,  Illinois,  for 
final  piymeut  and  discharge. 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WAS  ASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


145 


CVon-V-Edwar  1  Colyer  (Edwards  Co.),  M.  <).  MI  T.icut.  c,.|.  March  20,  I  sun. 
Quarto-muter— William   Forrman  (Edwards  County),  M.  O.  Sept.  15, '.14 ; 
term  expired. 

NOS-COMMISSIONED    STAFF. 
Cjmmitsary  Sergeant— James  Scott  Stone  (Edwards  Co.),  M.  O.  March  20,  '60. 

MUSTER    ROLL,   COMPANY  C. 
Captain— John  O'Meara  (Edwards  County),  M.  O.  March  20, 1806. 

MUSTER  ROLL  COMPANY  I. 
Captaim— Charles  Churchill  (Edwards  Co.),  term  expired  Sept.  15, 1865. 


Lee  Woods  (Edwards  Co.),  M.  <  i.  Mareh  211,  18 

Green  (Edwards  County),  M.  O.  Mareh  20 
«/-«t&/v««»t-01iver 'Simpson  (Edwards  County),  discharged  No 


First  LUulMomt— Joseph  Green  i  Edwards  c..uii 


to  accept  a  promotion  in  Id  U.  8.  Infantry. 

Sergeants— Charles  Cole  (Edwards  County). 

James  Pettigrew  (Edwards  Co.i,  diseh.  Sept.  i;,,  1865 as  1st  sergt 
John  Henderson  (Edwards  Co.,',  diseh.  Mav  l,;,ls,;l:  wounds.8 
Morris  Harris  (  Edwards  County),  M.  .  I.  Sept.  3U,  18114. 

Cbrporah— Arbuer,  I-:.  Hall  E.lwards  Co.i',  di-eh.  June  27.  Isiti;  disaliilitv. 
Lu-iils  Harris  (Edwards  Co.),  1st  Sen.'!.,  diseh.  April  7  Y.2  di's 
William  P.  Richmond  (Edwards  County),  died  at  Pilot  Knob, 

Andrew  J.  jett  (Edwards  Co.), died  Sept.  15, 1864,  as  sergeant. 
Wright,  Bunting  (Edwards  C.M.  died  July  28,  ]x.!3;  wounds. 
Thomas  Sharon  (Edwards  County),  died  at  Murfreesboro,  .nine 


Music 


s  Murry  (Edwards  County),  killed  at  Chiekamauga  Sept. 
19, '63. 

Privates— Allen,  Thomas  (Edwards  County),  vet.,  M.  O.  March  20,  1866. 

Briscoe,  Johu(Edwards  County;,  died  at  Pilot  Knob  Mo    Xov 
24,  1861. 


H.  (Edwards  County),  vet.,  disch.  Jan. 

Curtis,  Jafvis  (E.lwards  County),  dis 
Ourtis,  Nath 
Jhi-m,  Ricf 

corporal;  wounds. 
Cannon,  Boggs  (Edwards  County),  M.  O.  Sept.  15, 1804. 
Clark,  John  J.  .  Edwards  Countv),  vet. 


,  .  , 

Dixon,  Joseph  (Edwards  County),  diseh.  Jan.  7,  I«fi4;  disability. 
Ewing,  Aaron  (Edwards  Co.),  Missing  in  a  -timi  at  Stone  Kiver." 

dgar,  John  (Edward.-  Co.],  died  al   I'.i.-uh.mtas.  Ark.,  Apr.  10,  '62. 

llis.  Jose  - 


,  ,  .          .,         . 

Ellis.  Joseph  (Edwards  <-o.  I.  M  (  >.  Sept.  21.  V.j  ;  wounded  and  pris. 
Franklin,  William  (Edwards  c...),  di*.-h.  Apr.  H.  v,2  :  di.-al.ilitv. 

Gill,  John  ..Edwards  County  i,  di.-d  at    Ham  burg.    I'..  June  (I.  I 


Horton,  Richard  (Edward-  c.'.'i, diseh.  Au-.s,  is;-;  disability! 
Harper,  John  lE.lwurds  County).  Mareh  ,;',  Is, 1:1 ;  wounds. 
Harper  (ieori;.-  (Edward*  Countv),  vet.  M.  t  K  Mareh  2n,  1806. 
Harder!  Joseph  (Edwards  County),  trans.  ,„  V.  R.  C.  Feb.  6,  1863. 
Hedge,  Thomas  (Edwards  Co  ),  killed  at  Atlanta,  Ga.,  Aug.  6, '64. 
Hall,  Charles  (Edwards  County),  diseh.  Feb.  2",  I8J3. 


,  .         .      ,         . 

y,  Thomas  (Edwards  Co.)',  died  at  Nashville  Oee.  26,  1863. 


., 

M.-Kibben,  Dudley  (Edwards  Co.),  mustered 
McKibhen,  P.  ter  S.  (Edwards  Co.),  mustered 
M.-Kibheii.  Luther  E. 

''        * 


, 

Sept.  15,          . 

.,  Sept.  15,  ima. 

(Edwards  County),  diseh.  Dec.  10,1861; 


Y,4:  prisoner  

Piekford,  Charles  (Edwards  County  I,  died  Jan.  17,  18H3;  wounds. 
Powell,  Cilrran  (Edwards  County),  mustered  out  Sept.  15,  1864. 
Smith,  Thomas  (Edwards  County  i.  mu-tered  out  Aug.  22,  18li4. 
Rudolph,  Charles  (Edwards  County!,  diseh.  Nov.  21,  '01 ;  disab. 
Smith.  Charles,  Sr.  ,  Edwards  Countv).  vet.  M.  O.  March  20,  1806. 
Smith,  Chad.-.  Jr.  i  Edwards  <  'oiinty  >.  vet.  M.  O.  Mareh  20.  1H66. 
Smith,  George  (Edwards  Co.),  disch.  Auu.  14,  18::|;  disabili 

Shunk,Henry(kdwardsr    ' '        ' 

Stanley,  George  i  Edwanl 
Stillwe'll,  John  (Edwards 

BtJnnett,  Ja.-'ob  (Edwards  Co.),  died  at  Nashville  Dec.  31, 1862. 

Snowdall,  Joseph  i  Edwards  .  ,,.>.  vet.,  M.  (I.  Mareh  2u,  IS'Ki. 

.James  8 -ott  (Edwards  Co.),  vet..  Pro.  (J.  M.  Sergeant ;  M. 

iwards  County),  vet.,  drowned  Cumberland 


Co.),  died  at  Murfreesbo.,  T.,  May  19, '( 
ds  Co.),  died  at  Ironton,  Mo.,  Feb.  24,  'I 
ty),  died  at  Andersonville;  No. 


Uiv.-r,  April  14,  IK'U. 
Walker.  William  (Edwtuu,  ^uuu.j 

Young,  Mieha.-l  (E.lwards  County)   ... ....  _.. 

RccrMtt—  Aflumson,  Wm.G.  i  Edward.-  Co.),  disch.  Feb.  -.'(I,  1862;    disability. 


nty).M.  0.8eptU 


Adamson.  Moses  (Edwards 

Birkett,  Francis,  (Edwards  „.,.,,  „„,=,..  „.,.  <,,,  ,<,,.*.  „,.,, 
Brown,  John  .  Edwards  County),  discharged  for  disability, 
liak.-r,  William  (Edwards  Co.i,  yet.,  M.O.  Mar.  2(1, 'Wl,  as  corporal 
Brown,  Franklin  .  Edward-  Countyl.  vet.,  M.  O.  .Mar.  2(1,  I8l»). 
Pukes,  H.-nry  (Edwards  Co.),  diseh.  Nov.  -Jl    ls.,1;  disability. 
Elliott,  .lame-  (Edward-  County),  vet.,  M.  O.  Mareli  2(>,  I*,;.C 

Fawkes,  Franklin  II.  (Edwards  C ty).  M.  II.  Mareli  2n,  1806. 

Fawkes,  Thomas  i  Edwards  Co.),  di-eh.  Feb.  Hi,  lsc,2;    disability. 
Green,  Thomas  (K,lw,     ' 


•i  Co.),  vet.,  M.'o.  March  20,  1866. 


Harper,  William  (Edwards  County  i,  M.  O.  March  20,  1866. 
'     "dwards  County),  diseh.  lice.  12,  1864. 

.(Edwards  Co.),  vet.,  M.  O.  Mar.  20,  '66,  as 


Hederiek 


Me, lie,-.  Henry  i  Edwards  Countyi,  Di.-d 

Aug.  3.  1S04.     No.  ol  Grave,  4,648. 
MeVoy.or  MeVaughn,  Nathan  (Edwards  Co.),  died  at  Ooltewah, 

Ten  ,  May  12,  1864. 


Posey,  Samuel  (Edwards  County),  M.  O.  Sept.  21   1861 
Robinson,  John  i  Edwards  Counly),  ab-ent  -i.-k  al  M.  O.  of  Reg't. 
Reinus,  EdL-ar  (Edwards  Countv),  vet.,  M.  O.  March  2(1,  1806. 
Keofield,  William  (Edwards  Conn,  v,.  B.  O.  Mareh  •>  ,,  Isr,,-, 
Snidle,  John  ,  Kdwanls  County),  M.  (I.  Mar.-l,  1-2,  lso4,as  corporal. 
Seotield,  Edward  (Edwards  Countv),  yet.,  M.  (I.  Mareh  2u,  Isijii. 

Shilling,  G -ge  ,  EdwantoC ity),  M.  U.  Mareh  2.1,  IKIK. 

Sentence.  Joseph  i  Edwards  Co.),  died  in  prison  at  Danville,  Ga., 

Thompson,  Willi 


Thompson,  William  It.  i  Edwards  Co  ).  died  Nov.  21,  18  1;  dii 
Tucker,  William  A.  1 1.  I  Edwards  Countv).  Mil.  March  2o    Is 
1-lley,  Momeville  W. ,  Edwards  County),  diseh.  Oct.  2.5,  '62;  d 
Vandevender,  John  (Edwards  County),  M.  U.  Jan.  2,  lV" 
West,  Koberl    i,  Edward-  Collntvj,  diseli.  Jan.  17,1802; 
Drafted  ami  Stbrttute  Xrcruin-Ha.krr,  Tliomas,  s    ' 
Flaningan,  1'airi 

STer^ 
Jan.  4, 1866. 

Palmer,    Jen-mi; 


isabil. 
disab. 
isability. 

lingan,  Patrick,  sub. 

genson.  Am:.,  sub.,  M.  (I.  Jau.28,  1SD6. 
'  '      rds  County),  M.  O. 

liah   M.,  (Edwards  County), 
sub.,  M.  C.  Jan.  21,  I860. 
Savage,  James  (Edwards  County),  sub. 
Winfield,  Stephen  (Edwards  County),  sub. 

Fortieth  Infantry.— Three  Years'  Service. 

Was  organized  by  Stephen  G.  Hicks,  of  Salem,  Illinois, 
and  had  in  its  ranks  a  number  of  representatives  from 
Edwards  and  Wabash  counties.  At  the  time  of  its 
muster  into  service,  August  10,  1861,  it  numbered  seven 
hundred  men.  It  was  brigated  with  the  23d  Indiana, 
8th  Missouri,  and  the  9th  Illinois,  under  command  of 
Col.  W.  H.  L.  Wallace.  It  fought  at  Pittsburg  Land- 
ing, April  6, 1862  ;  Holly  Spring,  July,  1862  ;  Mission- 
ary Ridge,  October  1863.  Having  completed  its  three 
yeais  term  of  service,  it  re-listed  January  1,  1864.  It 
participated  in  the  battles  of  the  Atlanta  campaign,  and 
was  also  with  Sherman  in  his  inarch  to  the  sea.  It  was 
mustered  out  of  service  at  Louisville,  July  24, 1865,  and 
on  the  28th,  at  Springfield,  received  final  payment  and 
discharge. 

Surgeon*— William  Graham  (Wabash  County),  mustered  out  July  24, 1865. 
Hrtt  Asiiaant-Surgeun—  William  E.  Turner  ( Wabasll  Co.),  M.  O.'July  24,  '65. 

NOJT-COMMISSIONED  STAFF. 
Hospital  Sfcraard-William  P.  Harvey  (Lawrence  Co.),  M.  O.  Julv  24, 1865. 

MUSTER  ROLL  COMPANY  E. 
Ser»«i!tt-Samu.el  T.  Ulm  (Wabash  Co.),  trans,  to  1st  West  Tenn  Inft.  Jan. 

Private*— McGregor,  Thomas  (Wabash  Co.),  disch.  Aug.,  1864,  term  expired 

Bisley,  James  (Wabasi,  Co.),  trans,  to  1st  West  Tenn.  tufty  ..Jan 

28.  1864. 

Stanley  Thomas  (Edwards  County). 
Stanley,'  Francis  (Edwards  County). 

Rtciuib—  Baird,  James  (Wabash  Co.),  diseh.'.  let.  3,  1864;  term  expired. 
Bargh,  Joseph  (Wabash  County.) 


•r,  John  C.  (Wabash"co!),  disch 
from  Company  i*. 

MUSTER  ROLL  COMPANY 


Sept.  4,1863;  disability; 


Frank,  Havill  (Wabash  Co.),  detached";  i 
Pint  Lieutenant— George   II.  Humphries   (Wabash  Co ),  died  of   wounds 

Watson'M.  Uimtnn  (Edwards  Co.),  resigned  Mch.  10,  '04. 
John  F.  E'ldiugs  (Edward-  Co.i.  M.  <  I.  Julv  21,  1865. 
Second  Lieutaunili—llKnry  Cra-kel  (Wabash  Co.),  died. 

IWM  Ingenoll  iWal.a-h  Co.),  resigned  Jan.  8, 1863. 
Carparalt— Samuel  Wells  (Wabash  County). 

M.  Wilman  (Wabash  Co.).  trails,  to  Sig.  Corps  October  1,  186:1. 
T.  D.  Keen  (Wabash  Co.i,  veteran. 

Joseph  King  (Edwards  Co.),  disch.  Feb.  16,  1863;  disability. 
J.  F.  Eddings  (Edwards  Co.),  veteran. 
John  Dreniri  (Wabash  County). 
R.  C.  Sweat  (Wabash  Countv). 
•Bell,  William  li.  (Wabash  Countv). 

Barnet.T.  J.i  Wabash  Co.i,  died  January  20,18.51;  wounds. 
Model,  li.  (Wabash  County). 

Burrill.  George  (  Edwards  Co.),  vet,  mustered  out  July  24,  1865. 
liuekett.  J.  W.  i  Edwards  Co.),  disch.  Mav,  18ii:i;  disability. 

Copeland.  I!.iEdwardsCo.),disch.Aug.!'i,'04,ascorp'l;termexp. 
Hale,  E.M.I  Edwards  County). 

"    'Vitt,  A.  C.  (Wabash  Co.).'diseh.  Aug.  9, 18r,4  ;  term  expired. 
~.  W.  (Wabash  Co.),  vet.,  died  July  ll,  11114;  wounds. 
Jtered  out  July  24, 1865. 


Denham,  B.  W.  (Wabash  Co.i,  vet.,  di 

Evans,  John  T.  I  Wabash  Co.),  vet.,  m 
Klli«.  William  (Wabash  County). 


Card,  Reason  (Wabash  Coumvi,  must.  -red 
' 


C..  Septe 
ut  July  2 


,  . 

Card,  Fran.-i,  ,  Wal.a-h  County  .,  diseh.  Feb.  16,1863;  disability. 
Gardner,  Henry  i  Wal.a-h  County). 

Ham,  Henry  i  Wabash  Co.),  yet.,  'mustered  out  Julv  21,  1815. 
In-.  Martin'  (Wabash  Co  i  i.-t.,  mastered  out  Julv  24,  l»(;'.. 
Kimball,  W.  T.  (Wabash  Co.),  vet  ,  killed  at   Griswoldville,  Ga., 
November  22,  1804. 


146 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  W ABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


•Miter,  Joseph  (Edwards  Co.),  disch.  Aug. 
unly,  Join,  <Wiil  ash  County), 
orsworthv,  John  (Wabash  County). 
>r,  Patrick  (Wabash  Count 


10,1864;  term  exp. 


.,  vet.,  1 

"'wa'l"a'i;\l;,0,  disch.  At. 


r^^^^j^^^^^^^.^ 

Voight,  William   (Kdwards   Co.],  vet.,   killed   mar  Atlanta,  Ua , 


Deuliam,  .Ia 
Fonietl1,  \\il 
Gould,  T 


I'.  (Wnba-.li  County), 
lliam  (Vi  al  ash  i  u.i.  vet',  mustered  c 
Kdwari 


it  July  24, 18 

i:  di.-'ahility 


(.anoilg,  James  D.  (Kdwards  (o.,,  diseh.  Aug.  19,  I8B4;  termexpd. 
Gibson,  Stephen  S.  (Kdwards  (•,,.,.  ».  ( i.  July  21, 1WV1,  as  sergeant. 
Harris,  William  A.  i  Kdwards  Co.),  M.  u.  July  24, '6:.,  as  sergeant, 
lligbee,  William  H.  (\Vaba-h  CJo  ",  niu-t,-re,i  ,,nt  VUK.  3d,  1864. 

SiL-t.ee;  John  H.  iWaha-hCo.i.  mustered  out  July  24,  1865. 
itchen,  Rigdon  S.  (Kdwards  Co.),  vet.,  mustered  out  July  24, '65. 
Kitchen.  John  C..  veteran,  must. 'red  out  July  24,  1865. 
Lilt/.,  George  (Wahash  Co.),  disch.  Aug.  I'.i.  1x61;  term  expired. 
"••:, Samuel  (Wabasl,  C,..,,  mustered  out  July  -    — ' 
P  (Kdwards  County). 


Stone,  William  (Wabash  County),  - 
Tanquery,  John  N.  i  Kdwards  Co.i. 
Ulm,  Samuel  N.  (Edu  ards  Co.),  kill 


Riide,  DavidV  (1 
Rice,  Or    ,.~          . 

''.  disc™  April  27,  .=«... 

illed  Kenesaw  Mt.,  June  27,  '64. 
Weaver,  Gotleib  (Edwards  Conn tv). 
Watkins,  William  (Edwards  County). 

MUSTER   ROLL,   COMPANY   K. 

Pr iKite-Finley,  Andrew  W.  (Wabash  Co.),  vet.,  mustered  out  July  24,  '05. 
46th  Infantry.— Three  years'  service. 

MUSTER   ROLL  COMPAKY   F. 

Becn<i(s— Elliott,  William  (Wabash  Co.), died  at  Shreveport.La.,  June 25, '65 
Gross,  Josiah  (Wabash  Countv  i    M    n    Jan  20   lsr,1 
Hart,  John  W.  (Wabash  Co.),  Vet.  recruit.  M.  O.  Jan.  ax,  1865. 
Messenger,  Theodore  (Wabash  ( 
Sanford,  William  H.  (Wabash  C 

47th  Infantry.— Re-organized.    Three  years'  service. 

MUSTER   ROLL   COMPANY   A. 

Prirola-Glikinson,  Alfred  W.  (Wabash  Countv),  drafted  ;  disch.  July  20,'65. 
Kenard,  Robert  (Wahash  County),  drafted ;  disch.  July  20.  Is,,:,. 
Moser,  Benjamin  (Wabash  County),  drafted  ;  M.  O.  Sept,  la,  '65. 


48tU  liifaiitrv. — Three  years'  seivice. 

This  gallant  regiment  had  a  large  representation  from 
Wabash  county.  It  was  oganized  at  Camp  Butler  Sep- 
t  mber,  1861,  by  Isham  N.  Haynie.  It  fought  at  Fort 
Henry,  February  7,  1862 ;  Fort  Donelson,  February  13 
to  16,  1862 :  Shiloh,  April  6  and  7,  1862 ;  siege  of 
Corinth,  May,  1862  ;  Mission  Ridge,  November  24  and 
26,  1863  ;  Kenesaw  Mountain,  June  10  to  July  3, 1864; 
Sandstown,  July  6  to  12,  1864;  Atlanta,  July  21,  22, 
28,  1864 ;  siege  of  Atlanta,  July  28  to  August  26, 1864 ; 
siege  of  Savannah,  December,  1864 ;  South  Edisto  River, 
February  9, 1865;  Bentonville,  March  20,  1865,  and  in 
other  engagements.  It  was  mustered  out  August  15, 
1865. 

Ut  Aug.  15,  1865. 

MUSTER   ROLL  COMPANY   G. 
:m.-Willi»m  W.  Beall,  resigned  March  24, 1862. 

George  M.  Kensipp,  honorably  discharged  Jan.  28, 1865. 
Isaac  E.  Carlton,  mustered  out  Aug.  i:.. '186.1. 
Lieutenant— Theodore  S.  Bowers,  promoted  Staff  Gen'l  Grant. 

William  H.  Murray,  mastered  onl  Aug.  15,1865. 
Lieutenant— George  Kank,  mustered  out  Feb.  15, 186*. 
Hepburn,  Comrie,  died  Nov.  1,1862. 
William  H.  Brown,  mustered  out    \iu;   15  1865 
-    "-nry  W.  Reinsmith,  disch.  April  22,  186-2;  disability. 


i  H.  Ka 

II,  vet,  mustered  out  An 
.ingenfeltcr,  mustered  < 


Corpora/.— Benjami 
Davids. 
Charles 


y,  vet,,  mustered  out  Aug.  15, 1865. 
troman,  died  at  Savannah,  Tenn.,  April  '4, 
Albert  Compton,  killed  at  Fort  Konelson.  Feb.  1.1,  Lsiy. 


llenrv  C.  Sharp,  trans,  to  S 

Robert  H.  Walker,  vet,  mustered  out  Aug.  15,  1865. 

Georire  Aiidrus,  died  at  .Mound  City,  Feb.  17,  1862. 
-Arnold,  William,  died  at  Keokuk,  Iowa.  April  26,  180,2. 
liaird,  Thomas  R.,  v,  t.,  died  at  -Marietta.  Ga.,  Sept.  Ill,  1 
Baird,  Kpl.raim  p.,  vet.,  mustered  out  Aug.  15,  186.1,  as  c 
Bass,  Burrell  G,  vet,  died  June  1,  IMil;  wound,. 


Bass,  Ezekiel,  mustered  out  Oct.  27, 1864. 

Belim,  Jacob,  killed  near  Atlanta,  (.a.,  July  2?,  1804. 

I'.anU-.  .him. •>  A,  ret.,  innM.-iod  ..tit  AUK.  i:.,  is.;:.,  as  corporal. 

Brldwell, Hamon, discharged  Nov.24,  IMS;  die  biiity. 

Compton,  .Markns,  disoliarged  April  22,  1862;  disability. 

Clark,  Charles,  discharged  April  -j2,  Is(i2:    disability. 

Cotton,  Peter,  must, -re, I  out  Oct.  27,  1864. 

ggp" — "0"t0"-"'18M- 

Kri:.r.'  l';i-n";ainin,  discharu.'-d'May  ii,"']s>  liYdisabiii 
Gray,  Ralph,  vet,  mustered  out  Aug.  15,  18U5. 

GoroioVor  Compton,  Vunel  G,  disch.  April  22, 1862;  disability. 
Husbrook,  Paseal.  oi-ciiaiKed  March  28,  !*••,:;;  wounds. 
Hill,  Morris,  vet,  mustered  out  Aug.  15, 1865. 

Henry,'  Abram,  discharged  April  23,  1862 ;  disability. 
Hill,  Oliver  S,  vet,  mustered  out  Aug.  15, 1865,  as  corporal. 

___ .,_fcered°outAJime13; 'wTto  date  Aug.  15,'c5. 
t,  mustered  out  Aug.  15, 1865. 
Keller,  Adami  muster. '.lout  ( let.  25,  1864. 
Melcher.  Joseph  F,  vet..  M.  <>.  AUK.  M,  180x1,  absent  sick. 
Mid. U,  ton.  Larner,  discharged  April 21,  1862;  disability. 
Miller,  John.  \et..  mil, t. Ted  out  Aug.  1.1,1865. 
Montgomery,  William,  killed  at  Shiloh,  April  6, 1862. 
Montgomery,  Leonard,  died  at  Camp  Butler,  Nov.  25, 1861. 
Motor,  George,  discharged  June  11,  1862;  disability. 
McDonald,  Robeit,  vet,  mustered  out  Aug.  15.18IS. 
t,  mustered  out  Aug.  15, 1865. 


Ivy,  William  C,  vet,  muste 
Ingram,  Samuel,  vet,  must 
Keen,  Jordan,  vet,  muster. 


Ogden,  Joseph  1),  trails,  t.,  Signal  Corps,  Ml 
Ollcndorff,  August,  mustered  out  Oct._27, 1864. 


Martin,  Alfred,  vet,  mustered  out  Aug.  15, 1815. 

--     •    •        --,,  LSI;:,,  as  corpl.- absent  sick. 
orps,  .March  28,  1864. 

„__„ it.  27,1864. 

Olleiidorrt,  John,  mustered  out  Oct.  27, 1864. 

Putnam.  William  II,  vet.,  mustered  out  AUK.  l.i.  180.1,  as  corporal. 

Kcil,  Jacob,  died  at  c  amp  Butler,  III,  .Nov.  3,  1861. 

Rigg,  Henry  H,  vet,  mustered  out  Aug.  1.1,  18C.1,  as  sergeant. 

Rounding.  John,  died  at  1'itt-t.nr-  l.andiiiK.  April  20,  1862. 

Shenenherger,  Reuben,  vet,  died  at  Atlanta,  Aug.  1.1,  1864,  w'nds. 

Simmonds,  William   R,  vet,  killed  at  New  Hope  Church,  Ga, 

June  ii.1864. 
Steikiltz.  Frederick. 

Sanford,  Joseph,  died  Pitt-bur-.'  I.an.limr.  April  21,1862. 
Sanford.  llenjamin  F,  vet.,  killed  at  Atlanta,  La,  July  21,  1864. 
Shear,-.  J,,h  ..  M.   \  h-,or,  Ga.,  Dec.  13,  18:4. 

Trunks.  Edward  C,  vet,  killed  nc.,r  Atlanta,  Ga,  Aug.  11,  1864. 
Turner.  Daniel  I-:,  mastered  out  Oct.  27,1864. 
1'tter   John    vet.    mustered  oil!   AUK.  15,  1865. 
-     -Us,  Robert  C,  vet.   died  at  Marietta,  Ga    Sept.  10, 1864. 

—  "--— •    -'-charged  June  26,  Is.-:.:  disai.il,,, 

1  to  signal  Corps,  March  28, 1864. 
Wolfington,  Samuel,  vet,  mustered  out  Aug.  25, 1805. 
Zull,  Andrew,  died  at  Cairo,  Feb.  17, 1862. 
J?ecrui/« — Andrews,  George  V,  mustered  out  Nov.  23, 1864. 


rsoii,  Jacob,  vet.,  discharired  June  25, 
l.  \\  ilson,  mustered  oul  Atm.  15,  W5. 

" 


disability. 


Bredwell  1 

P.aird,  John  P.  died  at  Nashville,  Tenn,"july  4,  1864. 

Bosk  John,  dish iraWy  M.  o,  April  2. 1865. 

Copeland.  James  A,  mustered  out  Aug.  15,  1865. 
Clark,  Geo.  W,  died  Atlanta,  Ga,  July  21, 1864;  wounds. 
Collins,  Conway  B,  died  Marietta,  Ga,  July  31,  1864. 
Clark,  Benjamin,  died  Cairo,  Nov.  26, 1864. 
Cout^r,  James  K..  died  Rome,  (ia,  Aug.  SI,  1864. 
Chapman,  Robert  L,  died  Nashville.  Tenn,  July  7, 1864. 
Dyer,  Jame*  II,  mustered  out  AUK.  1.1,1865. 
K.'pler,  Daniel  I. ,  mastered  out  May  13. 1865. 
Fuller,  Simpson  A,  mustered  out  Aug.  15.  1805. 
Fuller.  Isaac  J,  muster,  d  out  Aug.  15, 1866. 
Killer  or  Miller.  John,  mustered  out  Aug.  15,1865. 
llashrook,  Pascal  C,  mustered  out  Aug.  15,  1865. 
Hiller,  Herman,  killed  at  Dallas,  Ga,  May  26, 1S64. 
Johnson,  James  H,  mustered  out  Aug.  15,  1865. 
Keneipp,  Edward  B,  mustered  out  Aug.  15,1865. 
KhiKsbiirv,  Hiram  O,  died,  Chattanooga,  Oct.  14,  1864. 
Middleton,  Jeremiah,  mu.-tcicd  out  ioV  1.1,  1865.    Abs< 
Mover,  David,  mustered  out  Aug.  15,  1805. 
Muney.  Goo.ge  W,  mustered  out  AUK.  15,1865. 


Patton,  Michael  S,  discharged  June  21,  186.1 ;  disability. 
Risley.  James  T,  mustered  out  Ann.  15,  1865. 
Rigg,  Thomas  T,  mu.-tered  out  Aug.  15, 180,5. 
RigK.  Andrew  F,  mustered  out  AUK.  1.1,  1866. 
Risley,  F-dwin.  dis.-luirged  May  8,  180,2;  disability. 
Sapp,  Alberts,  musiered  out  Aug.  1.1,  1865. 
Sanford,  Ahram,  mustered  out  Aug.  15, 1865. 
Samomel  Louis,  mustered  out  Aug.  l.i.  1865;  wounded. 
Shenrer.  William  M  .  mastered  out  AUK.  15,  1865. 
Shaw,  Samuel  B,  m  .stored  out  AUK.  LI,  1865. 
Showalter,  William  H,  mustered  out  Aug.  15,  1865. 
Show-alter.  Alfred  M,  mastered  out  AUK  l.i.  1805. 
Showalter,  Daniel,  discharged  June  26.  1865;  disability. 
Bmilh,  Joseph,  discharged  Feb  24,  lie*;  disability., 


,  ,  .      ,        . ;  .. 

Smith,  Frederick,  discharged  June  25, 1865;  wounds. 

Sanford,  Isaac,  vet.,  mustered  .nil  Ails,'.  15,  1865. 
rim.  Hichard  H.,  mastered  out  Aug.  15,1865. 

' 


Ulter,  Charle-  W..  died  D<  al  Atlanta,  Ga,  July  SO,  1864. 
Wallace,  Elijah  A,  mu.-tered  out  Aug.  15,  1865. 
Willman,  George,  muster,  d  out  Aug.  1.1.  1865. 
Wooley.  Feley  W,  died  at  ScottslK.ro,  Ala,  May  3,  1864. 
Wells.'Georgi'-  M,  di.  d  at  K.-saea,  (ia..  June  22,  1864. 

'       >  Bluff,  »Miss..  Jdly  7,  18C3. 
>ut  Aug.  15, 1865,  as  sergeant 

STER  ROLL  COMPANY  H. 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


147 


Eastwood  John  S  .  mustered 
Frair,  .1  ilm  T  ,  died  near  D  -ca 
Fuller,  John  !!.,  died  :it  I!  >me,  Ua.,  .Inly  3,  1814. 
(Jard,  Tim  ithv,  died  at  Scott   boro,  Al:i.',  Apiil  12,  1804. 
'  i?,  I.'., 


June  22,  ISo. 
D  -catur.  Ga. 

e,  Ua.,  .Inly  3,  1814. 

' 


(iard,  Frauds,  mustered  out  Ang,  1.-.,  1865. 

Holdsou.  Joseph  1!.,  mustered  out  Aug.  15,  1835.' 

Hill,  William  T.,  must  ired  out    Vug.  I.'.,  IS'l.'i. 

Holds,. n.  Hivid,  died  at  S  lottstmro,  Ala.  March  2'>,  1864. 

Hallo  -k,  Aa-on,  died  at  Ma  IHOU,  Ind.,  Jan.  1 1,  18  ». 

Jvil,  James  F..  n, uttered  our   Aug.  1.1,  1885. 

KimbaU,  Joseph  L.,  died  at  K  mi  •.  (ia..  Ang.  in,  is",!:  wounds. 

Moser,  William,  killed  near  Iiallas,  (ia..  Mav  2S,  18-4. 

M  •(  ;  ire,  John  D.,  died  ai  ludianap-ilis   I)..;..  2,  1804. 

Neil,  An-lr  >w  H.,  died  at  Little  |J  ick,  July  :!  I,  18J5. 

Ross  or  Rose,  Philip,  mustered  out  Aug.  15,  18,35. 

Reed,  Wan-.-n,  mustered  out  Aug.  15,  1865. 

Swinck,  William,  nvi-tore  I  out  .Vug    15,  1865. 

Slimmerville,  Henry  A  ,  died  at  Nashville,  Teun..  June  Id,  1805. 

Warren,  Cliri-to  .her.  killed  near  Atlanta,  (ia.,  July  21,  1804. 

Young,  James  W.,  mustered  out  Aug.  15,  1805. 

MUSTER   ROLL   COMPANY    K. 

Recruit— Harvey,  David  (Lawrence  Co.),  died  at  Scottsboro,  Ala.,  May  5,  '64. 
Forty-Ninth  Infantry.—  Tliree  Years'  Service. 

This  regiment,  Illinois  volunteers,  was  orginized  at 
Camp  Butler,  Illinois,  by  Col.  William  R.  Morrison, 
Dec.  31st,  1861,  and  on  the  23d  Feb.  was  ordered  to 
Cairo,  Illinois.  Was  assigned  to  the  Third  Brigade, 
McClernand's  Division,  at  Fort  Henry,  the  8th  ult., 
and  on  the  llth  moved  to  Fort  Donelson.  Engaged  the 
enemy  on  the  13th,  losing  14  killed  and  37  wounded. 
Remaining  at  Donelson  until  March  4th,  it  moved  to 
Metal  Landing,  and  two  day's  later  embarked  for  Pitt?- 
burg  Landing,  Tenn.  Disembarked  at  Savannah,  and 
on  the  21st  completed  the  march. 

Participated  in  the  battle  of  Shiloh,  losing  17  killed 
and  99  wounded. 

Moved  from  Bethel,  Tenn.,  by  rail,  March  10th,  1863, 
to  Germantown,  and  on  the  12th  to  White  Station,  and 
was  assigned  to  the  Fourth  Brigade.  Nov.  10th,  assisted 
in  the  capture  of  Little  Rock.  On  the  15th,  moved  by 
rail  via  Duvall's  Bluff,  to  Memphis,  arriving  November 
21st,  1863. 

January  15th,  1864,  three-fourths  of  the  regiment  re- 
enlisted,  and  were  mustered  as  veteran  volunteers. 

On  the  27th  inst.,  marched  to  Vicksburg,  and  was 
with  Major  Gen.  Sherman  in  the  Meridian  campaign, 
returning  to  Vicksburg,  March  3d.  Was  assigned  to 
Red  River  expedition,  and  on  March  14th,  participted 
in  the  capture  of  Fort  De  Russey,  La.. ;  April  9th,  en- 
gaged in  the  battle  of  Pleasant  Hill,  La.,  and  returned 
to  Memphis,  June  10th,  1854. 

June  21th,  ordered  to  Illinois  for  veteran  furlough. 
The  detachment  of  non-veterans  remained,  commanded  by 
Capt.  John  A.  Logan,  engaging  in  the  battle  of  Tupelo, 
July  14th  and  15'Ji,  1864.  After  the  expiration  of  the 
veteran  furlough  rendezvoused  at  Centralia,  Illinois,  and 
proceeded  via  Cairo  and  Memphis  to  Holly  Springs,  and 
rejoined  the  command.  Participated  in  the  Oxford  ex- 
pedition, and  returned  to  Memphis,  August  30th. 

Arrived  at  Jefferson  Barracks,  Mo.,  Sept.  30th ; 
moved  thence  to  Franklin,  and  drove  the  enemy  from 
the  place  ;  was  with  the  army  in  pursuit  of  Gen.  Price 
through  Missouri,  and  returned  to  St.  Louis,  Nov.  18tb, 
1864.  From  there  it  moved  to  Nashville,  Tenn.,  and 
took  part  in  that  battle,  December  15th.  On  the  24th, 
was  ordered  to  Paducah,  Ky  ,  to  muster  out  non-veterans, 
and  thereafter  the  regiment  did  garrison  duty.  Was 
mustered  out,  Sept.  9th,  1865,  and  arrived  Camp  at  But- 


ler, Illinois,  Sept.  15th,  1865,  for  final  payment  and  dis- 
charge. 

MUSTER   ROLL,    COMPANY  C. 
Captain — George  Berz,  mustered  out  Sept.  9, 1865. 
First  /.iVudwi/ifs— Simeon  Spira,  term  expired  Jan.  9,  1865. 
John  Linck,  mustered  out  .Sept.  9,1865. 
Sergeants — Henrv  Herwejr.  mustered  out  Jan.  !l,  1st;.-),  as  1st  sergeant. 

Valentine  MoTe,  discharged  NOT.  21, 18M;  wounds. 
Corporals— Carl  Schnlze,  mustered  out  Jan.  !i,  LSI;:.,  as  private.  , 

John  Link,  veteran  pro. 

Jacob  Lehr.  discharged  June  24,  lsi',2:  disability. 

ike,-,. Nicholas,  died  at  Cineinnat  i,  March  1,  18112. 


Kreiieer',  Henry,  died  at  St.  Louis,'  May  2^18627 "wounds. 

Mueller'  William,  vet.,  mustered  out  Sept.  9, 1865,  as  sen 
Moellman,  John,  discharged  Oct.  :i,  ISU2;  disabilitv. 
scharWdl 


M.Miseii',  Peter,  discharged  Oct.  8,1862;  i 
Pctrce,  John,  discharged  for  disability. 
Peohler,  .lolm,  discharged  Oct.  18,  18(12; 


Peohlcr  J ,,  discharged  < 

Phoff,  Tli lore,  discharged  net.  :iu,  18i'i2:  disabilitv. 

°    'after.  Valentine,  discharged  Oct.  2.  l.s,12;  disabilitv. 


t^.iin,  . 

Selfert,  Frederick,  mustered  out  Jan.  9,  1805,  a«  corporal. 
Stempel,  Bernhard,  killed  by  falling  of  a  tree,  Nov.  12,  1864. 
Schulte,  Carl,  discharged'  May  12,  18112;  disability. 
Temme,  William,  mustered  out  Jan.  !i,  ISii:>. 
Wannemaeker,  I'eter,  vet.,corpl..  killed  at  Ph-as't  Hill,  April  9,  ' 
Recruits  —  Brockaus.  Frederick,  veteran,  mustered  out  Sept.  9,  1865. 

Sept. 
,      'o5. 

ut  .Inly  1,  18<r>. 

,  shiloh,  April  (i,  1862. 

Kerkziek,  Ilenrv,  nmM.-ie  1  ,,ni  .Inlv  1,  1865. 
Loelfelman.  Hermann,  mustered  our  July  1,  1805. 
Meyer,  John,  mustered  out  Julv  1,  18'i.i. 
Nilhans,  Frit/.,  mustered  out  F.'-b.  17,  1865. 
.\ortropp,  ll  'iinel,,  mustered  out  July  1,  1885. 
Nimeyer,  Frederick. 

Piper,  Fritz,  discharged  March  in,  is  !.->;   disability. 
Hoettgor,  Frederick,  veteran,  mustered  out  September  9,  1865. 


OLL  COMPANY     D. 


54th  Regiment  Infantry. 

MUSTER  ROLL  COMPANY  0. 

Private— Albert,  Charles  K.  (Lawrence  Co.),  died  at  home,  Oct.  15, 1863. 
MUSTER   ROLL   COMPANY  I. 


Moore,  Christopher  (Lawrence  County). 
Napier,  peter  ,  Lawn-nee  Co.),  diseh.  Am-,  in,  isill:  disability. 
I'lnmer,  Kobert  ( Wahash  Co.i.  mnsten-,1  out   Feb.  17,  18U5. 
Williams,  Joseph  E.  (Lawrence  Co.),  veteran, 
.-••••l  li  Regiment  Infantry. 
NON-COMMISSIOUED  STAFF. 

Commissary  Sergeant-Paul  T.Halbeck,  trans,  to  Co.  H.  Dec.  31,  18C4,  from 
Edwards  County. 

MUSTER   BOLL   COMPASY    F. 

Corporal— Jacob  Stevens  (Wabash  Co.),  discharged  Nov.  3, 1863. 
PruHtn— Gouldsburjr,  Albert  (Wabash  Co.l,  diseh.  Sept.  •*),  '(12;    disabilitv. 
Lacer,  John  i  Wabash  Co.),  lost  <m  sir.  (fen.  Lyon.  Man-h  :ii,  'ti,-,'. 
Mulenax,  James  (Wabasb  Co.),  diseh.  Julv  2:1!  IKK):  disabilitv. 
Mulenax,,Ias.(Wnhash  Co.l, trans,  i,,  MUs.  Marino  Hrig.  Ap'l  l  '03. 
Nichols.  James   \    ,  Waha-h  Co.l,  diseh.  Dec.  !.,,  Is  -,2 ;  di~abditv. 

—.John  Finney  (Wabash  County). 

,  Uavid  S.  ( Wabash  Co.),  killed  at  Vicksburg.  June  17, '63. 
,John  F.  (Wabash  Co.),  diseh.  Oct  in.  1x112: 'disabilitv. 
David  (Wabasb  Co.),  killed  at  Vickshnris.  June  17, 1863. 


Goldburg,  (iabriel  S.  (Wabash  Co.),  diseh. 
Pulley,  Haxidi  Wabash  ( ',,.!,  diseh.  Dee.  15, 
Smalliouse,  Albert  (Wabash  Co.),  lost  on  str! 


Co.),  lost  on  str.  Gen.  Lyon,  .March  in,  '6.1. 

Swartz,  Jacob  i  Wabash  Co.),  lost  on  str.  (Jen.  Lyon,  March  :il,  'til. 
Smnlhonse,  Alfred  (Wabash  Co.),  lost  str.  (Jon.'Lvon.  M,-h.  :ll,  Y,.v 
Weil,  liobert  (Wabash  Co  ).  lost  on  str.  lien.  I.vo'n    March  :ll    't.f, 
tfwruife-Goldburtr,  Gabriel  S.  aVabash  (V.),  disch._Aprii  2!.,  Y.2  ;  disability. 

Ge°nVLyon,  Mar'.SL  '65. 
MUSTER  ROLL  COMPAKY  H. 
First  Lieutenant— Pm]  T.  Halbeck  (Edwards  Co.),  lost  on  stmr.  Gen.  Lyon, 

March  31, 1863. 

Pint  Sergeant-Henry  A.  Fitze  (Edwards  Co.),  diseh.  Sept.  3, '(12  ;  disability, 
Corpuralt—  Walter  L.  Gamer  (Ed wants  Co.),  dis,-har.i.'od  June  2.',  1865. 

Kinsey,  Cullison  (Edwards  Co.),  lost  on  str.  Gen.  Lyon,  March 

Musician— will'Hulon  (Edwards  Co.),  disch.  Sept.  29, 1862 ,  disability. 

P/iMfa>— Brown,  Isaac  ,  l-Mwards  Co.  i.  logt  on  Mr.lo-ii.  Lyon.  UoTCh  91,  'B5. 
Cullison.  Henry  ,  Kdwards  (Vi.  di-eh  Sept.  2n,  Is  ;2  :  disability. 

Illott,  Oeorgo  (Edwards  Co.),  dl»ch.M»rohl 

•Hntt,  James  (KdvvardsCo.),  die, 

llotr,  William  ILf  KduardsCo.i,  vet.,  mustered  out  AUK   I-'   IS'li 
'      W.lliam  F.  (KdwardsCo.);  lost' str.  Gen.  Lyon,  Mar.  :)l,'l 


Elliott, Oeorgo  (Edwards  Co.),  dUich.  March  :;. "isnn:  disabilitv 
1 '.111.  .It.  .lames  I  Kdwards  Co. i,  died  at  Memphis,  March  '.I,  18Hl' 
Klllott,  William  H.(E.lwards  Co.),  vet.,  mustered  out  Ami  I'  IS' 
Gaede,  William  F.  (Edwards Co.),  lost  str.  Gen.  Lyon,  .Mar.  81  '65. 

Bproall,  Charles  (Edwards  Co.),  lo»t  on  rtr.Q«n.  Lyon,  Mi'    :i  -n:!' 

Vtooent,  George  L.  (Edwards  Co.),  lost  on  str.  Gen.  Lyon,  March' 

VincenC'joseph  (Edwards  Co.),  diseh.  Nov.  12, 1862;  disability. 


148         HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


V,,iL-t.  Adolph  iKdwards  Co  I, killed  .-it  Corinih.  Oct.  4,  1862. 
West    AlfXiinder  iKdwards  Co.),  disch.  Sept.:;,  1*112;  ilisability. 

Winkles,  William  (Law-re -  Co.),  vet.,  must, -red  out  Aug.  12,  '65. 

-Fowler.  David  (Edwards  Co.),  must,  led  ,nu  Aug.  12. 18li.r>. 
Stapleford.  Jackson  (Edwards  Co.),  mustered  out  Aug.  12, 1865. 
««r«/l-Green,  William  K.  (Edwards  Oo.),  mustered  out  Aug.  1-2, 1865. 
Gilt  I  n  fnii  i  i-y  Regiment. 

This  regiment  was  organized  at  Carrollton,  Illinois,  by 
the  venerable  Colonel  Jacob  Fry,  the  hero  of  three  wars. 
He  was  also  the  fat  her  of  the  celebratrd  Provost-Mar- 
shal, General  Fry,  who  was  so  distinguished  during  the 
late  rebellion  as  the  Provost-Marshal  of  the  United 
States.  The  61st  mustered  February  5th,  1862,  and 
was  ordered  to  the  front,  and  became  a  part  of  the  com- 
mand under  General  Prentiss.  At  Pittsburg  Landing 
this  regiment  distinguished  itself  by  holding  the  ground 
until  every  other  regiment  in  the  division  had  given 
way.  The  regiment  was  highly  complimented  by  Gen. 
Prentiss  for  its  gallant  stand.  April  7th  it  lost  80  killed, 
wounded  and  missing,  including  3  commissioned  officers. 
Had  an  engagement  with  Forest.  After  this  time  the 
regiment  was  mostly  employed  in  skirmishing  and  doing 
garrison  duty.  The  command  did  good  service  during 
the  war,  and  was  discharged  September  12th,  1865. 

Colonel— Daniel  Grass  (Lawrence  Co.),  hon.  disch.  as  Lt.  Col.  May  15, 1865. 

MUSTER   ROLL   COMPANY    H. 

raptnia— Elias  C.  Davis  (Lawrence  Co.),  hon.  disch.  as  2nd  Lt.  May  1.1,  '65. 
Fmt  Lieutenant-George  W.  Bryan  (Lawrence  Co.,,  resigned  Jan.  9,  18  5. 
Pritafc*— Burgess.  Charles  s   (Lawrence  Co.),  M.  IP.  Sept.  11,  'I;.-.,  as  .sergeant. 
Cummings,  Isaac  (Lawrence  Co.),  died  at  Jettcrson   Barracks, 

ViiMLawrence  Co.),  disch.  June  17, 1862;  disability, 
is,  Elias  P.  (Lawrence  County),  died. 

Dutton,  John  C.  (Lawrence  Co.i,  vet.,  mustered  out  Sept.  8,  1865. 
Farrar,  William  G.  (Lawrence  Co.),  vet,,  M.  O.  June  28, 1865,  as 

Heath,  Asahei  (Lawrence  County),  died. 

Judy,  John  C.  (Lawrence  Co.),  trans  to  Co.  E,  pro.  2nd  Lt.,  M.  0. 

Sept.  8,  ISC,:.,  as  captain  of  Co.  G. 

Mieure,  Charles  (Lawrence  Co.),  disch.  June  2, 1862;  disability. 
Petty,  John  M.  (Lawrence  County),  died. 
SchrilU,  Samuel  (Lawrence  Co.j.diseh 
Salisbury,  George  W.  (Lawrence  Co.), 

Smith,  Joei'B.  (Lawrence  County). 

Shoiirs,  Nelson  A.  (Lawrence  Co.',,  diseh.  Feb.  V.',  1K64,  disability. 
Smith,  John  J.  (Lawrence  Co.),  sergt.,  died  at  Sumner,  111.,  June 
24,1864. 
;rlan 

Walters,  William  W.  (Lawrence  Cn'),  mustered  out  March 22,  '6 
.Kecruito-Baker,  W.  H.  II.  (Lawrence  Co.).  It  O.  Sepl.  g,  1865,  as  sergeant 
Dutton,  Stewart  (Lawrence  Co.),  trans,  to  V.  R.  C.  May  1:.,  1804. 
Evans,  John  B.  i  Law-pence  Co.i,  n.u-tercd  out  Sept.  8, 1865. 
Gruv,  Salathicl  (Lawrence  Co.),  M.  i  >.  Sept.  8,  1865;  pris.  war. 


Da 
Davi 


i;a.io 
High 


cs,  Stephen  <;.(Liiwp-en 


,mtv>. 
>.),died. 

mville 

e  23,1862;  disability. 
rry,  James  IL  (Lawrence Co.'),  trans,  to  V.  H.  C. :  M.  o.  .luly.i.'i  5. 

ss'cll,  /.:.cl,arias  T,  (Lawrence  Co.),  mustered  out  "    " 


. 

/,.. -lianas  T,  (Lawr 

,  Anthoiiv  (Lawren  .,  .    , 

aggonor.  Philip  (Lawrence  Co.),  died  Jetterson  liurracks,  Mo., 


Trtickev.  Ant! v  (Lawrence  Co.),  mustered 

-       Lawrence  C 

mustered  out  Sept  8, 1865. 

'...I,  must. -red  "lit   Sept.  S.    ISli:,. 

,  M.  II.  June  -_'s,  IS'if,;  iiris.  war. 


Winkles,  Levi  (Lawrence  Co.), 

Witsel,  George  M.  (Lawrence  Co. 

Willet,  Riinion  (Lawrence  Co.),  1W 

Wilber,  Benjamin  F.  (Lawrence  Co.), 

Trantferred  from  S3d  Iltinoit  Infantry—  Hruee.   Nathaniel    (Lawrenc 

mustered  out  Sept.  8,  1865. 


MUSTER   ROLL   COMPANY   K. 


Second 
FiritS 


Licut<-n<i*t—ll<- 


Sergeant— John  R.  Hit.-  (Lawr 
rrj 1  . 1 

Corporals— Ja 


James  M.  Harlan  (Lawrence  Co .).  M.  O.  Sept.,  1 865,  as  sergeant, 
arcs— Baker,  Kc/.in  M.  (Lawrence  Co.).  M.  I).  Sepi.  s,  'il.-,.  as  corporal. 
Bauer.  Joseph  iLawivnoe  Co.),  died  Camp  P.iitler,  III.,  Jan.  25, '64. 
;red  out  Sept.  8, 1865. 
:en-d  out  Sept.  8,  1865. 


er,  Joseph  (L 
aire,fZrra  (Lawrence. 


rly. 
Joh 


Con 

(Lawrence  Co.),  disci..  June  14.  lsi',5  :  disability. 
1'ay,  (ieorge  (Lawrence  Co.),  mi  isle  red  out  Sept.  8,  1865. 

j  Co?),  mustered  out  Sept^S,  'C5. 

:  Co.),  musttred  out  Sept.  9, 1865. 


Cudgel,  JohnS.  (Lawrence  I 
JIaleom,  Benjamin  L.  (Lawr 
Heath,  Tobias  (Lawrence  Co 


Jennings,  Seth  M.  (Lawrence  Co.),  mustered  out  Sept.  9. 18 
Judy,  Joseph  H.  (Lawrence  Co.i,  mustered  out  .-ept.  i),  1865 
Kimmel,  John  (Lawrence  Co.).  died  at  Cairo.  Feb.  1,  1864. 
King,  William  A.  (Lawrence  Co.),  diseh.  May  16,  18ii4;  disa 


.  .,  .  , 
red  out  Sept.  g,  1865. 
tered  out  Sept.  8,  1865. 


Landis,  William  '(Law 

Lathrop,  Thoiiiii-  K. 

Laws,  Lewis  (Lawre 

Laws,  William  (Law 

Loas.  Thonia*  F.  (  L  ..  .    ,          . 

Malone,  John  II.  (Lawrence  CVli  dttch.JnDe  -s,  Isi;:,  :  disability. 

Mann,  Henry  II.  (Lawrence  Co.,,  mustered  out  Sept.  8,  1»U5. 

Musgravc,  William  II   (Lawrence  County). 

Musrilsh,  liobeit  il.awrenc,.  Co.),  imiste'red  out  Sept.  8,18^5. 

Beeves,  Lorenzo  (Lawrence  Co.),  died  at  Camp  Butler,  111.,  Jan. 

16,  181,4. 

Roderick,  John  8.  (Lawrence  Co.),  mustered  out  Sept.  8,  1805. 
Roderick,  Thoma~  L.  >  Law  rcncc  Co.).  nutst,-re  i  ,,ut  Sept.  S,  'tVi. 
Rush,  Benjamin  F.  (Lawrence  Co.),  died  at  Din-all's  Bluft;  Aug. 


i  (Lawn-nee  Co.),  discharged  (Pet.  24,  ls.;4,  as  corpora 
ram-is  M.  (Lawrence  Co.),  discharged  Aug   111,  1864. 
Lawrence  Co.i,  mustered  out  Sept.  8, 
Co.' 


t  Sept.  8,  1865. 
1864,  as  c 
i  Co.),  discharged  Aug  10, 

I,  mustered  out  Sep..  s.  Is,, 

Slimner.  Henry  (Lawrence  Co.),  mustered  on:  Sept.  s.  1x6.-,. 
Tevis,  Lyeiirgus  (Lawrence  Co.),  mustered  out  Sept.  s,  isi;.',, 
Turner, 'Henry  C.  (Lawrence  Co.),  mustered  out  Sept  s,  LSI;. 
Vooiim,  Kimu're  M.  (Lawrence  Co.i.  mii-tered  out  Sept.  8,  1 
"  11,  Henry  J.  (Edwards  Co.),  mustered  Out  Sept.  8,  1865. 

).),  die 
County). 
Sixty-Second  Infantry  .--Three  years  aei-rice. 

The  Sixty-second  was  organized  by  Col.  James  M. 
True,  at  Camp  Dubois,  111.,  April  10,  1863.  December 
13,  1862,  left  Holly  Springs,  Tennessee,  for  Jackson,  near 
which  it  overtook  the  enemy  under  General  Forest,  and 
skirmished  with  him  for  a  distance  of  twenty  miles. 
August  12th,  1864,  left  the  seat  of  war  for  Illinois,  on 
veteran  furlough.  The  regiment  was  mustered  out  at 
Little  Rock,  Arkansas,  March  6, 1866. 

Co.),  trans,  as  consolidated ; 

NON-COMMISSIONED   STAFF. 

__„ jiF.Struble(L«wrenceCo.\musteredoutMayl,  '65 

Quartermaster Serftnt—'Eastaee  L.  Park  (Lawrence  Co.,,  disch.  June  27, 

1803,  for  piomotion  -jnd  West  •leuu.  Infantry. 

/Vwcipn!.W«.;<;i<m-Simon.lol,uson  ,  Lawrence  Co.),  reduced  to  ranks  Co. 
A,  mustered  out  April  6, 1865. 

MUSTER  BOLL  COMPANY  A. 

Captains— Henry  C.  McClave  (Lawrence  Co.),  resigned  Sept.  11, 18 
Thomas  J.  Warner  i  Lawrence  Co.),  died  Aplil  15,  1X64. 
Jacob  J.  Applegate  (Lawrence  Co  ),  trans,  as  consolidat. 

'(L'a'wrence'co^vet.,"tran's 


S,, •„,!,(  /.iciirru.ii.r— Benjamin  F.  Strimi-r  (Laurence  Co.),  res.  Sept.  3,  1862, 
Sergeants—  Benjamin  F.  (iosiiell  (Lawrence  Co.),  vet.,  tr 
sol  dated  ;  mustered  out  March  6,  1866,  as 


Thomas  J.  Spain.  I  Lawrence  C. 
George  W.  Sadie  iWaha«h  Co.),  vet.,  trans,  to  Co. 
dated;  promoted  Com.  Sergt, ;  mustered  out  Mi 
(Lawrence  Co.), 


T,die'd°a"t  Anna,  III?AprU 14, '62. 
>.  A  as  , 


Corporal*— Perry  V.  VVatson  (Lawrence  Co.),  mus  ered  out  May  2,  1865. 

Cornelius  Berkshire  (Lawrence  Co.,,  absent  sick  at  M.O.  of  re(rt. 
Theophilus  .Smith  i. Lawrence  Co.),  vet.,  trans,  to  Co.  A  as  con- 
solidated; mustered  out  March  ii.  I.*.;.;,  as  sep-geant. 
Justice  Strilbk-  (Lawrence  c,,.  .  discharged  March  24,  1863. 
John  M.  Johnson  i  Lawr,  nee  Co.),  vet.,' trans,  to  Co.  A  as  con- 
solidated; promoted  2nd  Lieu..;  M.  (I.  March  6,  1866. 
Harrison,  Bisley  i  W  abash  Co  ),  vet.,  trans,  to  Co.  A.  as  consoli- 
dated: musteVed  out  March  6, 1866. 

John  Wall;,.-,-  (Lawrence  Co.),  vet.,  Irans.  to  Co.  A -as  consoli- 
dated; discharged  Junes,  1865;  disability. 
.Musicians— Joseph  llrennen  (  Wabash  Co.),  mustered  out  May  2,1865. 

Simon  John-',,,  I  Lawr •<•  Co.),  M.  (1.  April  12,  '65,  as  private. 

Pl-irafei- Atkins,  Adna  (Lawrence  (o.).died  Little  Hock,  Ark.'.  March  4,  '62. 
Ackman, Charles  i  Lawrence  (',,.,  disoh.  April  lo,  isr:;:  disability. 
Buchanan,  John  (Wabash  Co.),  disch.  I>ee.  ;,,  lxr.2:  disability. 
Buchanan,    George,    W.   (Wabash  Co.),   vet.,  trans,  to  Co.  A  as 

consolidated;  mustered  out  March  6,  1866. 

Bishop,  William  (Lawrence  Co.),  died  K.-nlon,  Tcnn.,  Dec.  7, '62. 
Baker,  George  (Lpwrenee  Co.),  vet.,  trans,  to  C...  A  as  consoli- 
dated; mustered  mi  March  6,  1X66,  as  corporal. 


Blad 

Bishop, 

Bishop, 


(Lawrence  County). 
i-  (Lawrence  Co.), died  at  Padueah,  Ky..  May  «,•«, 

Lawrence  Co.i,  vet.,  trans,  to  Co.  A  as  consolidated  ; 
t  March  6, 18.66. 

Custcr,  Thomas  (Lawrence  Co.).  vet.,  trans,  to  Co.  A  as  consoli- 
dated; mustered  out  March  tj,  1866. 

Crampton,  Leon  (Lawrence  Co.),  vet.,  trans,  to  Co.  A  as  consoli- 
dated; mustered  out  March  r,.  Is,;.;,  us  corporal. 
illiam  A.  (Lawrence  " 

sol  (dated  ; 
Crosby.  Thomas. I.  (Lawrence  Co.),  vet, 

dated  ;  mustered  out  March  i;.  ixii.;.  as  corporal. 
Carn.au,  Wiley  (Lawrence  Co.),  vet.,  trans,  to  Co.  A  as  < 

dated:  mustered  out  March  r,,  is.iil,  as  , 
Crosliv,  Sylvester  (Lawrence  C»O,  vet.,  trans. 

dated;  discharged  July  7.  ISC,:  disability. 

Cod  i  ran.  Thomas  :  Law  re County). 

Deuen,  Mansou  (Lawrence Co.,,  died  Little  Rock,  Ark.,  Dec.  1, '63. 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


149 


Delonge,  Noah  (Lawrence  Co.),  died  Lawrence  Co.,  111.,  July  2,  '62. 
Ldokiuk,  Thomas  (Lawn-nee  Co.i,  vet,  trans,  to  Co.  A  as  consoli- 

dated: mustered  cut  March  6,  1806. 

Evans,  Zeddiek  (Lawrence  Co.),  vet.,  trans,  to  Co.  A  as  consoli- 
li, 1866. 


dated : 
Gosncll,  James  (Law:.  .. 

dated;  mustered  out  March 
Gos 


isiili. 


Miell,  \Villiiiin  (Lawrence  Co. I.  vet.,  trans,  til 
lated  :  mustered  (nit  March  11.  isiii;,  as  corpor 
ckson.  Andrew  (Lawn-nee  Co.),  disch.  .Ian.  1 


ns.  to  Co.  A.  as  consoli- 
eorporal. 

'    Co.  A  as  consoli- 


,  Abram  S.  (Lawren 


t".',  died  at  Mattoon,  HI.,  Sept. 


.lomon'jo 


.  (Lawrence  Co.),  promoted. 


Lai:  ra  i  me,  Henrv  (  Lawrence  CM.  i.  \c 

date,!:  mustered  ..nt  .Inly  1:1,  ISiir,. 

WoCleave,  John  B.  (Lawrence  Co.).  vet., 


,  .     . 

solidated  :  mustered  out  Marc 
Lake,  Aaron  (Lawrence  Co.),  vet.,  died  at  Little  Rock,  Ark.,  Aug. 

Lane!  J^mes  (Lawrence  Co.),  died  at  La-rence,  III.,  Ang.  7.  1863 

i  me,  Henrv  (  Lawrence  CM.  i.  \ct,  irans.  to  Co.  A  as  consoli- 

Co. A  as  consoli- 

. .),  vet.,  trans,  to  Co.  A  as  con- 

solidated ;  mustered  out.  March  6,  1866. 

MeCleve,  Benjamin  F.  (Lawrence  Co.),  vet.,  trans,  to  Co.  A  as  con- 
solidated: mustered  out  March  6,  1866. 

iller,  Philip  (Lawrence  Co.t.vet..tians  to  Co.  A  as  consolidated  ; 
.lied  at  Fort  Uihsnn.  Sept.  24,  1865. 

,  to  Co.  A  as  consoli- 


Miller, Philip  (La 

died  at   Fort  Gil 
Miller,  Jeremiah  i  Lawn-nee  Co.),  vet,,  trans,  to  Co. 

dated:  mustered  out  March  0,  1866. 
More,  Martin  I  Lawrence  Co  l.vet.,  trans,  to  Co.  Aasc 
'  US.-.  2.  186T,: 

.  .1.1  Law 


mistered  out 
0-borne,  Jacks 

dated,  mustered 
--•*-•          - 


bolidated; 
Co.),  vet.,  trans,  to  Co.  A  consoli- 


solidated 


Sylvester  (Lawrence  Co.),  vet  ,  trans 
1;  discharged  May -I.  lsr,;,:  disability. 

Co.),  Died  at  Padueah,"  Kv.,  Mav  21,  '82. 


,  Willi 

dated;  mustered  out  March  6, 1866 
Smith,  W.  H.  H.  (Lawrence  Co.),  vet. 

dated;  mustered  out  July  IT>,  1865. 
Struhlo,  Norman  (Lawrence  Co.),  vet.,  died 

Sniper,  George  W.  (Lawre 
.smith.  James  M    (Lawrence  Co.),' 

'    i  Fort  Gibson.  Dec.  28, 1865. 

:>.),  vet.,  trans,  to  Co.  A 


Co.  A  as.  consoli- 
trans.  to  Co.  A  as  consoli- 
Bluff,  Ark., 


Co.),  died  Kenton,  Tenn  ,  Oct.,  '62. 

,  .  Co.),  vet.,  trans,  to  Co.  A  as  consoli- 

dated; died  at  Fort  (Jibson. 

Vanansdol,  Charles  H.  (Lawr  .,        .,  , 

consolidated  :  mustered  out  March  li,  IWifi,  as  corporal. 

Wallace.  Cyrus  L.I  Lawrence  •(',,. ),  died  Columbus.  K  v.,  June  17,Y,2. 

Watson,  David  (Lawrence  Co.),  mustered  out  May  -1,  1S(V>. 

Williams,  James  B.    (Lawrence  Co.),  vet.,  trans,  to  Co.  A  as 
consolidated. 

Youngnmn,  John  (Wahash  fo.\  absent  sick  at  M.  O.  of  regiment. 

Zehner,  Nathan  (Lawio Co.),  mustered  out  May  2,1865. 

Recruits—  Bennett,  William  T.  (Lawrence  Co.),  trans,  to  Co.  A  as  consoli- 
dated; mu-tored  on'  Ang.  2,  1865. 

Dicksoii.  William  .1.,  died  m  Tenn.,  (let.  l,1s.;_-:  mustered  out 
March  0,1866. 

Fullilove,  Jphn  A.  (Lawrence  Co.).  trans,  to  Co.  A  as  consoli- 
dated; mustered  out  March  0,  1866. 

Phillip,  W.  II.  II.  t  Laurence  Co.  I.  diseh.  Dec.  1,1863  ;  was  prisn'r. 

Short,  Isaac  N.  (Lawrence  Co.).  trans,  to  Co.  A  as  consolidated; 
mustered  out  March  6,1806. 

Watson,  Benjamin  F.  (Lawrence  Co.),  pro.  com.  sergeant. 

Wallace,  William  S.  (Lawrence  Co.i,  trans,  to  Co.  A  as  consoli- 
dated; mil-teredout  March  8,  1866. 

Zechnor,  Seih  d  awrencc  Co.).  trans,  to  A  Co.  <a  consolidated; 
mustered  out  M»rch  6, 1886. 


Cnp/aia—  Robert  J.  Ford  (Lawrence  Countv) ;  term  expired  April  14, 18 
Ser»«"K-Cochran,  Daniel,  vet.,  ]        - 
Corporate— John  r 


•hran,  Daniel,  vet,,  pro.  1st  sergeant,  then  1st  lieutenant. 
,l,n  Urn-croft,  rot.,  trans,  to  Co.  C  as  consolid'd;  pro.  1st  sergt., 
then  2d  lieutenant. 


. 
Powell,  Canover,  trans,  to  Co  D  as 


ol'td;  M.  O.  March  r> 


ShuKs,  .las.  H.  (Lawrence  c,,'. i,  trans,  to  Co.  F.,  M.  O.  March  6, '66. 
—Allen.  John  F.,  corporal,  died 


,  .,          s.    o.      as  consolidated,  M.  C  i.  Aug.  2,  U85. 

Richards,  Elias,  (Lawrence  Co.),  trans,  t"  Co.  E  as  consolidated, 

mustered  out  June  20,  '65. 
Stuart,  .John,  (Lawrence  Countv),  trans,  to  Co.  E  as  consolidated, 

mustered  out  March  6,  '06. 

Ml'STER  ROLL,  COMPANY  K. 

Veteran— Evans,  Samuel   (Lawrence  Co.),  trans,  to  Co.  E  as  consolidated, 
mustered  out  March  6,  '60. 

Host,  i  at  Sixty-Second  Infantry  as  re-organized. 

Quartermaster—  Henry  F.  Walters,  resigned  Nov.  16, 1865. 

MUSTER  ROLL  COMPANY  A. 

OipMm— Benjamin  F.  Gnsnell.  (Lawrence  County),  M.  O.  March  f,  1866. 
>/,(-John  M.  lohnson,  (Lawn-nee  Co.),  M.  O.  March  6,  1866. 

MTSTKI!  ROLL  COMPANY  C. 

Srcond  Lieutenant— John  Barcraft,  (Lawrence  Co.\  M.  O.  March  6, 1866. 
Sixty-Third  Infantry  .-Three  years'  service. 

This  regiment  was  organized  at  Camp  Dubois,  Illinois', 
December,  1861,  by  Colonel  Fran cisMoro,  and  mustered 


into  service,  April  10,  1862.  It  was  assigned  to  the 
Fourth  Brigade,  Seventh  Division,  and  Seventeen  h  Array 
Corps.  It  fought  at  Richmond  Louisiana,  June  16th, 
1863;  Mission  Ridge,  November  23d  and  24th,  1863; 
Ogeechee  canal,  November,  1864;  in  the  campaign  of 
the  Carolinas  in  1865.  It  was  mustered  out  of  service 
at  Louisville,  Ky.,  July  13th,  1865  and  arrived  at  Camp 
Butler,  Illinois,  July  16th,  1865  for  final  payment  and 
discharge. 

MUSTER  ROLL,  COMPANY  A. 
Vcferatu— Fyffe,  George  W.  (Lawrence  Co.),  mustered  out  July  13, 1865. 

Lathrop,  K/.ra  (Lawrence  County),  mustered  out  July  13,  1865. 
Miller,  George  (Lawrence  County),  mustered  out  Jul'v  13,1865. 
Painter,  James  (Edwards  Countyi,  mustered  out  July  13,  1805. 
Robinson,  Joseph  (Lawrence  Co'.),  mustered  out  July  13,  1-05. 
Seed,  Ttiomas  C.,  (Lawrence  Co.),  mustered  out  July  13,  1865. 

MUSTER  ROLL,  COMPANY  B. 
Captains— George  J.  Johns  (Edwards  County),  resigned  Nov.  27, 1862. 

Arnot  L.  M,-CoV  ,  K,  I  wards  County',  must, 'red  out  April  fl,  1862. 
F.rit  Litulmant— John  C.  GiaTMB.  (Kdwards  County),  resigned  Oct.  13,  '6i 

William  A.  Harris,  (Kdwards  Co.),  term  exp.  April  7,'05. 
Second  LleuteunMt  -Albert  L.  Hunter.  (Edwards  Co),  M.  O.  April  9,  1865. 
b',r,t  >,.,-,„-«,,/     Henry  Wcvlc,  '  Kdwards  County.) 
ierjwmto-Willinm  Painter.  1  Kdwards  Co.),  Ml  1 1.  April  9,  1865,  as  1st  serg't, 

William  P.  Degan,  (Edwards  County.) 

Samuel  llaliam,  (  Kdwards  County ustored  out  April  9,  1805. 

Corporals—  Edward  I',.  llanna.  \ct..  (Edwards  Co.).  M.  (I.  July  13,  1865. 

James  Rice,  vet.,  (Edwards  Co.i.  M.  1 1.  as  sergeant.  July  13,  1805. 

Reuben  Hayne,  (Edwards  Co.),  M.  o.  April  «i,  isi;5,  as  corp-ral. 

John  Lovelett,  (Edwards  Co.i,  M.  ( i.  April  :i.  isi,',,  as  private. 

James  M.  Skaggs,  I  Kdwards  Co.),  M.  (I.  April  11,  Is.,:.,  as  sergt. 

William  Kimliall,  (Edwards  Co.) Btered  out  April  <i,  1»,\ 

Cornelius  N.  9ray  i  Edwards  County),  discharged  Feb.  2:,,  iw,4. 

Joseph  Williams.  (Edwards  Conniyi,  mn-ter.-d  out  April  9,  l.sii.i. 
JfMic-ioiu— Wm.  Crackles,  (Edwards  Co.),  killed  in  S.  Carolina  Feb.  25,  05. 


Win.  Crackles.  (Kdwards  C 
John  Day,  (Kdwards  Count 


,  . 

y),  discharged. 

.i.  died  Iluntsvill 


oner— Barney  Kilev,  (Edwards  Co.).  died  Huntsville,  Ala.,  Feb.  16, 1864. 
i(.<.<— Armstrong,  Thomas  N.  (Kdwards  County),  M.  o.  April  9.  1805. 

Arnold,  Jesse,  (Edwards  Co.),  died  at  Lagrange,  Tenn..  Nov.  1:.,'(12. 
J-    "   '" 'wards  Co.),  died  at  C5iro,  May  3, 1862. 

Co.),  killed  ill  South  Carolina,  Feb.  25,T.5. 
Barberj  Henrv,  (Kdwards  Co.),  died  at  Jackson,  Tenn.,  Oct.  23,'62. 
Kenton.  Samuel  R.  (Kdwards  County.) 

Cowling,  Richard  (Edwards  Countyi    mustered  out  April  9,1865. 
Cowling,  Francis  i  Kdwa'ds  Countyi.  vet.,  M.  1 1.  July  13,  1865. 
Thomas  (  Kdwards  Co.),  died  at  Anna,  Iil.,"M       " 
iehard  (Kdwards  County),  m 
Cuncoh'no,  Patri'-k  (Edwards  County.) 
Druer,  liaruev  (Edwards  Countyi.  mustered  out  April  9,  18BS. 
Dinnel,  .lame's  ,  Edwards  County),  M.  o.  \piil  n,  HI;.-,,  as  Seri:ea 
•    C«,,,dn;«ne«lChera«,s'.C.,Mareh5,lt 


'illiam  I  Kdwards  Countv),  mustered  out  April  :!:-'.  IsllJ. 

Samuel  (Edwards  County  i,  disch.  Nov.  1st,  18ia;  disali 

,  .lolm  (Edwards  County),  mustered  out  April  !l,  ]si;;,. 

«k,  Asel  (Edwards  County.) 
Horton,  Frederick  (E.lwards  County),  muMcrcd  out  April  9,  1805. 
Holloman.  Henry  H.  (Edwards  Co.),  diseh.  Aim. -Jn,  Isc,-.':  disab'ty. 
Hall,  William  i  Ed  wards  County],  disehm-g,  ,1  at  St.  Louis,  Mo. 
K  noose,  Christian  (Edw<    ' 
Lindsay,  Samuel  (Kdwai 
Lambert,  Ellas  C.  (F.dwa 
I ,charh-s  K.  (Edward 


K  noose,  Christian  (Edwards  Co.),  trans,  to  E  vet.,  M.  O.  July  13,'65. 

Lindsay,  Samuel  i  Kdwards  County.) 

.  (Edwards  County),  mustered  out  April  !>,  Tsor,. 
Edwards  County.) 
Moody,  John  (Edwards  County)  'di»ch.  Nov.  7,  1862;  disnlvlity. 

Ceoix-c  i  Kdwards  Coun 
,      hn  (Edwards  County), 
Norton,  John  C   (Edwards  County.) 
Naylor,  Joseph  (Edwards  County],  mu 
'  ' 


,  .         .    , 

MeCombs,  Ceoix-c  i  Kdwards  County),  mustered  out  April  !l, 
Merritt,  John  (Edwards  County),  diseh.  July  u\,  Iwit;  disab 
ty.) 
y], 
ty).'  disch.  Jun 


>Co.  A  Vet ,  M.  o.  July  i:i,Y,r,. 


ias  (Kdwards  Colintvi,  died  at  Cairo.  Mav  In,  1802. 
,c.-i Edwards  Co.),  di».  at  Ja<-ks.m.  Tenn.,  dis'tj 

in  i  I-Mwards  Co.),  diseh.  Nov.  7,  Isna:  disability. 
March  13, 1 

ice,  James  rL  (Edwards  County),  died  at  Ann^Vll.^Ma 


I!ol..-rson,  John  (Ed 
Riley  Francis  ( Edw 
H, ley,  1, avid  (Edwards  Cotin 


lisch.  Nov.  7,  18i;2;  disability 

),  discharged  March  13, 1804. 

mustered  out  April  9,  1865. 

y),  died  at  Anna,  III.,  Ma 

Bay.'Andrew  .1.  (Edwards  County  i.  mustered  out  April  !>, 
Sullivan,  Dennis  (Kdwards  '  '  ''  '  ' 


,lav  9,  1SII2. 
P,1865. 

!  Co.),  "died  at  Anna,  111.,  Mav  lo,  LS02. 
Sloan,  Jefferson  G.  (Edwards  Countv.) 

Wilkerson,  Wm.  II.  i  Kdwards  County),  mustered  out  April  9,1865. 
Wheeler,  John  (Kdwards  County),  mustered  out  April  9,  1865. 
Wilkerson,  John  (Edwards  County),  died  at  home  May  20,  1862. 

MCSTER  ROLL  COMPANY  C. 
Yrterata—  Carlisle,  John  K.  (Lawrence  Co.),  M.  O.  July  13,  aa  1st  sergeant 

commanding  1-t  lieutenant. 

Dirkeisim.  Francis  M.,  mustered  out  July  13,  1865. 
Lewis,  Aimer  H.  (Lawrence  Countv).  mustered  out  July  13,  1865. 
McCausland,  John  (Lawrence  Co.),  mustered  out  July  13,  1885. 
Nimmo,  William  I  Lawn-nee  County)   mustered  out  July  13,  isr.5. 
Walker,  Levi  H.  (Lawrence  Co.),  M.  O  July  13,  Iwo.  as'eorporal. 


Apr 


Sixty-Fourth  Infantry  Regiment. 

The  64th,  better  known   as  the  '•  First  Battalion  of 
Yates'  Sharp  Shooters,"  was  organized  at  Camp  Butler, 


150 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


in  the  month  of  December,  1861,  by  Lieutenant  Colonel,  ! 
D.  E.  Williams.  It  consisted  of  four  companies!  the  last 
of  which  was  mustered  into  the  United  States  service, 
December  16th,  1861.  Two  additional  companies  were 
mustered  into  the  service,  December  31st,  with  Fred.W. 
Matteson  as  Major.  The  Colonel  of  the  64th  was  John 
Morrill.  January  10th,  1862,  the  command  started  for 
the  seat  of  war,  via  Quincy.  Here  it  was  armed,  moved 
south,  and  in  conjunction  with  Pope's  army  took  part 
in  the  expedition  against  Fort  Pillow.  Subsequently 
became  a  part  of  the  command  under  Rosecrans  ;  after- 
wards under  Sherman.  The  leading  engagements  in 
which  it  took  a  part  were  siege  of  Corinth,  luka,  Dallas, 
Kenesaw  Mountain,  and  Resaca.  These  are  a  few  of 
the  more  important  engagements  ia  which  this  regiment 
took  a  part.  Was  paid  and  discharged  at  Chicago,  111., 
July  18th,  1865. 

MUSTEK  ROLL  COMPANY  F. 
Jtecruil— Shed,  John  J.  (Lawrence  Co.),  diseh.  Dec.  26, 1864;  term  expired. 

MUSTER  BOLL  COMPANY  K. 
First  Sergeant— John  O.  Shown,  (Lawrence  County),  discharged  June  11, 

1865,  as  private;  disability. 

gergtant— John  Crackell,  (Wabash  County),  M.  O.  July  11, 1865,  as  private. 
Corporal-Frederick  Grot',  (Wabash  County),  M.  O.  July  11, 1865,  as  sergt. 
George  A.  Williams,  ( Lawrence  Co.),  M.  O.  July  11.  l«i;5,  as  priv. 
Thomas  Smith,  (Wabash  County),  mustered  out  July  11,  I8(i5. 
Waqoner—  Amaziah  Turner,  (Lawrence  County),  mustered  out  July  11,1865. 
P,  i«,fc.-Boyce,Wm.  M.  (Wabash  Co.),  killed  at  Kenesaw  Ml.,  June  27, 1864. 
Black,  James  (Wabash  County),  mustered  out  July  11,  18  5. 
Madder,  Aloozo  (Wabash  County),  mustered  out  Julv  11,  I8'5. 
Crackell,  Matthew  (  Wal.a-h  Comity),  died  Allatootla,  Ga,  June  5, 

Cluxto'n  Aaron '(Wabash  Co.),  died  at  Chattanooga,  May  23, 1864 

W.  (Lawrence  County),  killed   near  Atli     ' 


Sidney  Aberncthv  (Lawrence  County),  discharged   Ma 
disability;  died  June,  1862. 


Atlanta,  Ga., 
•M 


Curry,  Ja 

Davi^Mart8in4(Wabash  Co.).  died  Jeffersonville,  Ind.,  April  6, 
Dean,  Kpliraim  (Waha-ih  Co.),  died  at  Decntur,  Ala.,  April  1,  18i 
Dunlap,  Allen  (Lawrence  County),  mustered  out .  Julv  11,  I8li5. 
Garrett,  Horatio  (Wahash  CountVi,  <lied  in  Georgia,  June  5,  18S4. 
Gray,  Daniel  V.  (Wahash  County),  di-ch.  Oct.  ti,'lsr,4:  disai.il. ty. 
H»rumhouse,  Charles  (Wabash  County),  mustered  July  1 1, 1865. 
Knoles,  James  (Wahash  Counn  i.  .M.  (').  July  II.  isn'v  ai  corporal. 
Kimbrell,  John  iWahash  County),  mii-tcrc'd  out  July  11,  18ti5. 
Lambert,  Wm.  H.  (Waba-.li  County),  unistcrt>d  out  July  11,  18H5. 
Nicholson,  Arch  (Lawrence  Co.),  trans  to  5  Keit.  V.li.C.!  I  >oc.  L".i,T,4. 
Shafer,  George  (Wabash  County  i.  mustered  out  July  11,  1865. 

Stolt,  Samuel  (Lawrei Countyi,  mustered  out  July  11,  1865. 

Schick,  John  V.  (Lawrence  County),  mustered  out  July  11, 186.1. 
Turner,  Hezekiah  (Lawrence  County)  mustered  out  July  11,  1805 

66th  Infantry.— Three  Years'  Service. 

The  organization  of  this  regiment  was  begun  at  the 
Benton  Barracks  in  September,  1861,  by  John  W. 
Busge,  and  the  eight  companies  composing  it  were  known 
as  "Western  Sharp  Shooters."  The  ninth  company 
was  added  December  5th,  and  Benjamin  S.  Compton 
was  mustered  in  as  Colonel.  The  regiment  was  mus- 
tered as  the  Fourteenth  Missouri  Infantry.  November 
20,  1862,  the  regiment  was  transferred  to  the  State  of 
Illinois,  and  numbered  sixty-six.  It  was  out  July  7, 
1865,  at  Louisville.  Kentucky,  and  arrived  at  Camp 
Butler,  Illinois,  July  9, 1865,  for  final  payment  and  dis- 
charge. 

NON-COMMISSIONED  STAFF. 

Quarkrmatttr  Sergeant— Geo.  E.  Alden,  (Lawrence  Co.),  pro.  cap.  and  A  Q.M 
MUSTEK  ROLL  COMPANY  I. 


C<Tpram.-Jerry  N.  Hill,  (Lawrence  County),  re  igned  Nov.  18, 1863,  V.R.C. 
John  L.  Hays,  (Lawrence  County),  mustered  out. 
'  J.  Smith,  (La 


unty),  on  detached  serv 

ered  out  Julv  7, 

M.O.J.- 

ames  O.  Ackinson,  (Wabash  County),  died 

Mav  29, 18R2. 

avid    W.  Foster,  (Edwards   County),  died  at  Paducah,  Ky 

iharged  May  18,  18C2;  disabi 


t  of  Regimi 
I  Lintenant— James  I'.  I.amott.  (Lawrence  Co.),  .... 

V.  Litherland.  (Wabash  County),  M.  a  .TulyJ,  ««. 


Davi 


-Ahernethy,  Elijah  (Lawrence  County),  corporal, 

lanta.l.a..  July'-.  IS.I4. 

corjil.  killed 

i,  disch.  Oct.  18,  18J4; 


jv  2-J 

James  (Wa'bash  Co.)  corpl.  killed  at  Corinth,  Oct.  4,  1861 
,  Wm.  P!  (Wabasli  Co.),  dii    '     ' 


Andr 

Beesley, 

Beeslev,  Samuel  c.  i  Wabash  County),  vet. 

Blessing,  Geo.  w.  i  Wabash  co.i,  died  at  St.  Louis,  MO,  D  c.  lc.,'61. 

Blessing,  John  C.  (Wabash  Co.),  diseh.  July  11.  Is.a;  disability. 

Barnes,  Lafayette  ,  Lawrence  c,,,,  vet    M.'O.  July  7,'lio;  as  sergt. 


Lawrence  County),  vet. 
~ 


. 


Foster,  Wm.  F.  i  Edwards  County),  M.  t  >.  July  7,  isi;,i;  detached. 
Goodart,  Andrew  (Wabash  County),  vet..  M.  u.  Julv  7, 18H5. 
Greenlev,  Gco.  W.  (Lawrence  (,,.,,  vel..  .M.  ( i.  Julv'7,  '6j :  as  corpl. 


Hedrick",'Henderson  (Edwards  County),  mustered  out  July  7, '65. 
:  (Lawrence  County!,  mustered  out  July  7,  1865. 


Howell,  i'eter 
Lamott.  Dani 


ph  (Lawrence  County),  discharged  June  1.1,  ISi 
Benj.  F.  (Wahash  Co.),  disch.  May  18,  1862;  di 
.  (Wabash  Co.),  vet.,  killed  nr.  Atlanta,  Ga,  Jill 


,  . 

Long,  Joseph  (Lawrence  County), 
Melntosh,  licni.  F.  iWai.ash  c. 
Miller,  Jlio.  !\Val,a«li  Co.l,  vet., 


sabilitv. 
-'  '64. 


NerT,  Louis  H.  (Wabash  County,  .diseh.  Juh  ••':  Is.,-  disability. 
Pierce,  8amu«l  .Lawrence  Co  |,  vet ,  M.  (I.  July  7   is,;;,;  as  private. 
Pixley,  Casper  (Kdwards  Co. i,  vet,  M.  u.  July" 7,  isi;.-.;  as  c,,rporal. 
Rice, "Marshall  (Kdwards  Co.i,  disch.  June  lie,,  ls.;.':  disability. 
Smith.  Wm.  J.  i  Lawrence  Co  i,  vet  .  M.  t ).  Julv  7,  IM;->;  as  corpl. 
Shraeder,  Samuel  i  Wabash  County.) 

Test),  Eli  (Wabash  Countyi.  vet..  M.  O.  July  7.  1815;  as  corporal. 
Turner,  James  F.  (Wabash  Co.),  vet,  M  (i.  Julv  7,  Isii.l;  as  corpl. 
Thrasher,  Algernon  (Wabash  County),vet,  mustered  out  July  7, 

18H5,  as  corporal ;  wounded. 
Whittaker,  Edward  P.  (Lawrence  County),  vet.  sergeant,  killed 

Atlanta.  Ga,  Julv  22,  18C4. 

West,  John  1!.  (Lawrence  Co.)  diseh.  Oct.  30, 1864;  term  expired. 
Semiitt— Blood,  Henrv  E.  (Wabash  County),  M.  O.  July  7,18M,  a*  corporal. 
Baird,  Adam  F.  (Lawrence  Couufyl,  must. Ted  oiu  July  7,  1865. 
Bunyan,  Ezekiel  (Wabash  Countyi.  mu-tored  out  July  7,  1865. 
Carter,  George  W.  (Kdwards  County),  mustered  out  July  7,  1865. 
childress,  Tiiomas  (Wabaib  County),  mastered  ant  July  7,  1865. 
Crump,  Geortre  F.  (Lawrence  Countv),  mustered  out  Julv  7,  lsr.,1. 
-    ),M:0.  July  7.1W15;  wounded. 


May  Hi,  1864. 

Gould.  Invin  i  Edwards  Coiintv1!,  mustered  out  July  7, 18R5. 
Greenlee.Wm.  M.    Lauren, •••  County),  mustered  ont  Julv  7, 1865. 
Hedrick,  George  F.  (Kdwards  County  .  mustered  out  July  7,  1*05. 


ck,  George  F.  (Edw 
ield,  Hy.  D.  (Lawrei 

llo\ve.  James  K   (  Law  rcnoe  Cou 
Howe,  WilliamS.  (Lawrence  Co, 


IM'xIey, 

Pixley, 

Peppie, 

Price,  J  . 

Pixley,  John  (Lawrence  Co.),  killed 

Pierce,  Frederick  (Lawrence  Coumy 

Pool.  Chester  1).  (Wabash  County),  d 


ut  July  7,  1865 
d  ...it  July  7,  1 

out  July  7,  18 
t  July  7,  186 

t  .lufv  7,  186 
t  Julv  7,  186 
out  July  7,  1 

lit  July  7,  1 
Julv  7,  1 


.Ionian,  Joshua  (W  abash  County),  mustered  out  July  7.  lsi;l. 
Johnson,  Thos.  J.  (Lawrence  County),  mustered  out  July  7,  1865. 
Kelsey,  James  E.  (  Wabash  County),  mustered  out  July  7, 1865. 
Kearicher,  Jacob  (Edwards  Co.),  died  at  Rome,  (ia  ,  July  12,  1864. 
Keen,  Levi  C.  (Waliash  Countv,  disoh.  July  n.  ls..l;  disability. 
Litherland,  Matt.  I).  ( Wabash  County  I,  mustered  out  July  7,  18  5. 
Litherland    Daniel  M.  (Wubash  County),  died  at  Pulaski,  Tenn., 

April  in,  1864. 

Miller.  Horace  S.  (Wabash  County),  mustered  out  Ju 
Mill.L'.an,  William  (Lawrence  County),  mustered  < 
Mi!N.  Qflorin  u.  .  Lawrence  County),  mustered  out  July  1 
Myers,  I'hilip  i  Edwards  County),  muster,-. 1  ,,ut  July  7,  'l.sr,6. 
Myers,  Joseph    Edward-,  County),  mustered  out  .lufy  T,  T~" 
"  y,  Lewis  (Edwards  County),  mustered 
?is  (Lawrence  County),  mustei 
je  (Lawrence  County),  mustered  out  . 
Price,  James  c.    Lawrence  Countv),  mustered  out. 

'      "id  at  Dallas,  Ga ,  May  30,  1864. 

uy),  mustered  out  June  2d,1805. 
untv),  discharged  May  28,  18C.5. 

Rothrock,  Parmena  (Edwards  County),  mustered  out  July  7, 1865. 
Sloan,  Jefferson  (Wabash  County),  mustered  ont  July  7,  1865. 
Sloan,  Francis  M   'Wabash  Countyi,  mustered  out  July  7,  1865. 
Stewart,  Luther  M.  (Lawrence  County),  mustered  out  July  7.  1866. 
Sharei  ~  "'  '      •-••••"-•••-  --       - 

Titze. 
Turne 

tered  out  J 

Walser,  Gaither  C.  I  Edwards  Co.l,  M.  O.  July  7,  1865,  as  corporal. 
Walser,  Franklin  (  Kdwards  Count, ),  mustered  out  Julv  7,  1865. 

'     n  (Lawrence  Cour-  •  *-' 

.. ..   -dm.  Peter  (Lawre 

Wood,  Francis  (V 

Wilhelm,  John  L.  (Lawrence  County),  died 

Sept  26,  1864. 

UHASSIGNED    RECRUITS. 

Akers.  James  J.  (Lawrence  County.) 

Cromer,  George  W.  i  Lawrence  County.) 

King,  Lafavette  (Wabash  County)    died  at  Camp  Butler,  111,  April  7,1864. 

MoGauhv,  Daniel  F.  (Lawrence'county),  discharged  June  l«,  1864. 

Maddox,'  K.  F.  C.  (Lawrence  County),  died  at  Camp  Butler,  III,  Feb  24,'64. 

Whyde,  Alexander  (Wabash  County),  died  at  Camp  Butler,  111,  April  7,'64. 

70Ui  Tnfantry  H.  - 

Men  fn 

MUSTER  ROLL  BOMPASY  K. 
Captain — George  K.  Brumlay,  mustered  out. 
First  L.eufeiinnl-Robert  W.  Musgrave,  mustei 
Sfcond  Lieuttaani—  Henry  A.  Club,  mustered  ( 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  W ABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


151 


Pint  Servant. 
Henry  Patterson 


William  M.  Powers 
William  11   Tamiimry 
Tlmiiiiis  1).  Shepcid 
Peter  Carver 


ll'iol  c'l'.'vocum 
,|,.hn  M.l.i.  kirson 

J;unes  C.'  Ib.ys 

Elijah  II.  Lowe 
Gvorge  W.  Pickerel 

William  H.  Seed 

I'rintl,  «. 

Appling,  Georize  D. 
A.-hhrook,  Willi,,,,, 


Barker,  Francis  M. 
Black.  William 
Bunu.Seely 
Brnmblay,  George  R.« 
Bank-.  HaneyB 
Bower  ,  Samuel  M. 
Bryan-,  George  W. 
Beach,  Chambers 
Bowman,  Christian 
Bird.  1'h., mas  F. 
H,  rkshire,  John  W. 
Berkshire,  K 


.Jatnes 
Bache;  Arthur 
Coombs,  Francis  M. 
Cain,  William 
Currell,  Lorenzo  D. 

Crosby,  Nathaniel  B. 


,  . 

Funk.  Anderson  E. 
Fisher,  Lafayette 
Foster,  Robert 
»  Promoted  Captain  July  25,  1862. 


Frenrh,  Bascomb 
(o,rdon,  Jackson  D 
Garner,  George  1). 


-l.-ev,  Wi  lia 
Kissinger,  William  M. 
Ken.-l,  •!-,  Aloin 
Kuetl,  Silas  F. 
Eaiiir-on,  Jason  L. 
Mill-,  William  W. 
.Miohads.  Jacob 
MeEHrosh,  David 
Myers,  John 


i  i,-n 


ohn  H. 


Parsons,  Johr 

Rains,  James 

Ralney,  \Varren  R. 

Richards,  liant'ortli 

Kodcnck.  John  3. 

lieiter, "Arthur  H 

Ramsey,  Samuel  H. 

Rogers',   lohn  W. 

Robinson,  William  A. 

Shiiadin,  Clinton 

Sphar,  Johnf 

Scotr,  James 

ir,  Hezekiah 
;r,  Amaziah 

,  miteet.  Ben;a:i,in  E. 

White.  Joseph 

White,  Milton 

We-ucr.  Alexander 


Boot) 

,•::;.; 

Cm! 


Wilber,  George  W. 
f  Transferred  from  C8th  III.  Infantry. 


TCth  Regiment  Infantry. 

MUSTER  ROLL,  COMPANY  F. 
Secnit— Ostrander,  Charles  (Lawrence  Co.),  trs.  to  5  III.,  M.  O.  Mar.  1,  '66. 

MUSTER     BOLL,  COMPANY  H. 
Corporal— Leyerance  King  (Lawrence  County),  died  at  Lagrange,  Tenn., 

Prit<K«-Gleason','  Gershom  (Lawrence  County),  killed  at  Jackson  Cross 

Roads,  July  7,  1804. 
King,  John  (Lawrence  County),  M.  O.  as 


I  July  L'.', 


ergeant,  Lewta  (Lawrence  Co.),  M.  0.  May  :ii,  is.;;,;  wounded, 
teeter,  Loren*>  (Lawrence  Co.),  trans,  to  V.  K.  C.  Nor.  ",  ls-;:i. 
.-  (Lawrence  County),  mustered  out  Julv  22, '» 


Roberts,  Joseph  i  Lawrence 
Van  See. pie,  Stephen  (Lawrence  County), 
infantry;  absent  sick  at  mustering  out  of 


ty),  mustered  out  July  22,  '65. 

County),  mustered  out  July  22,  18*15. 
County)  mustered  out  July  22, 18  5. 

County),  transferred  to  .",7  111. 


87th  Regiment.— Three  years'  service. 

NON-COMMISSIONED   STAFF. 
Principal  .V^ic/cra-Columbus  L.  Freeman  (Edwards  Co.),  M.  O.  June  16,  '66. 

MUSTER   ROLL   COMPANY   B. 

Corpora!.— Joseph  G  Coles  (Edwards  Co.),  M.  O.  Jun«  16, 1865,  as  sergeant. 
James  Feaverston  (Edward.-  c.,untyi.  mustered  ,,ut  .June  18,  MH6. 
/VirirtM— Armor,  Anthony  (Edwards  County),  mustered  nut  June  1C,,  im;.1. 
Butler.  William  L.  (Edwards  County  I.  mustered  out  Jim.- 1C,  18C5 
Clark,  W.  H.  F.  (Edwards  County),  mustered  out  .Inn.'  1C,  ISM 
1.1!.i". .'.'»"!«'  (Kd»ards  County)/c(ied  J 


1  July  17, 1803. 
:h.  Dec.  8,  1 
Jui 

Fortney,  William  K."(  Wabash  cV,",'int'y)',"transf erred  to  Co.'o'  2 


Ellis,  William  W.  (Edwards  Co.),  disci,.  Dec.  s,  l,x,;:,  ;  disability. 
Elli-,  John  (Edwards  County),  mustered  out  June  16,  1»« 
Ellis,  Tholna-  E.  (Edward-  County,,  mustered  out  .In 


Fever-ton.  Henry  (  Edwaid*  County) 
Hoovers,  James  F.  (Edwards  County 
Henscly.  Hiram  (Edwards  County)." 
Hoover,  George  W.  .Edwards  Count, , 

Johnson,  John  ( Edward-  County),  mii-tercd  out  Jane  1C,  ixo*. 
Jordon.  El, -by  i  Waba-li  CountJ  (,  disch.  Sept.  1'.,,  lsC:l;   ilisabili 

Johnson,  Will ian,  (Edwards  CoSn.v),  mustered',,,,.  June  Hi,  1 


),  M.O.June  10,  '66,  as  sergt. 
nty),  mustered  out  June  16,  '65. 


% liniyt,  mustei 

-Mussett,  William  ,  Edwards  Co.),  M.  (I.  June  1C,  I KC ',,  a.,  corporal 
'       H.  (  Edwards  County),  mustei     '        '   ' 
(Edwards  County),  musterei 
W.  (Edwards  County),  died 


(Edwards  County),  mustered  out  Ji 

mustered  out  June  1C,  1805. 

Mound  City,  111., 

abash  County),  mustered  out  June  1C,  1865 
Satterly,  Philip  ,  Wabash  County),  dinch.  May  12,  1865  .disability. 

Thompson,  Daniel    W.   i, Edwards  County,,  died  at  -New  Orleans 


STEH  ROLL  COMPANY  II. 
irds  County),  resign* 

;  Conntyi,  ipjii-tered  out  .In 


Firtt  Ifeiitemdite— Willinm  II.  Jones  ( I'.dw  ards  Co.).  resigned  Dee.  13,  18,13. 

John  D.  Fiebcr  (Ed  nurds  Co.),  mil-tered  out  Juua  16,  '65 
Second  Lie«lfnm,l  -William  B.  Tribe,  mustered  out  June  1C,  1865. 
Fiiit  Sergeants—  James  M.  Black  (W  abash  Co.),  mustered  out  June  1C,  1865. 
Eil ward  Deems  i  U  aUi-h  Co.),  mustered  out  June  1C.  ls,i."i. 
William  Pnoklaad  (Edwards  Co  ,.  M.u.  June  1C,,  iscs. 
Alfred  Bas.-ett  (Edwards  I  'o.),  mustered  out  June  16,  1865. 
Corporals— James  Brown,  Jr.  (Edwards  County),  mustered  out  June  1C,  '85. 
James  T.  Hum  (Edwards  Counn  |, "mustered  out  June  1C,,  Is,;:,. 
Robert  McCrcerv  (Edwards  Co. >',  died  at  .Memphis  Mar    is    l,s,i:l 
James  F.  Hanks  (Edwards  Co.),  nan-,  to  V.  R.  C.  May  i;,,  isc,4. 
Peter  Bail.-y  (Edwards  County),  died  at  .Memphis  Mar.  1,  18(3. 
Thoma-  Cromc,  Jr.  (KdwardsY.onuty j,  mustered  out  June  1(1, ',;;,. 
Isaac  Decme  (Edwards  County),  mn-tcrcd  out  Jlav  21,  1865. 
John  Kuykendall  (Edwards  County),  mustered  out  June  16, '65. 
Uuiicians—  Fieihnc'k    Harrison   (Edwaids  County,,   died  at  Helena,  Ark., 

April  H),  1WJ5 ;  wounds. 

Columbus  I..  Freeman,   promoted  Principal  Musician 
H-ijo.er- William  Dunk  ,E,l«a  (taXJounty)  mustered  out  June  16,1863. 
Pricuta—  Ateibcriy.  Jim.  r  .Edwards  Co,  inly  i,  muster,  d  out  June  Hi,  186B. 
Bassett,  George  (Edwards  County),  mustered  out  June  16,  I8oo. 
Bunting,  Sylvc-t.-r  ,  Edward-  Coumy  ),  mustered  out  June  Hi,  1805. 
Bell,  James  W.  (Edwards  County). 


r.,  H,  James  W.  (Edwards  County). 

Colyers,  Robert  {Edwards  Co.),  died  at  Carrolton,  La.,  Sept.  IS,  'C3. 
Culiisoli,  Thomas  i  Edwards  County),  mu.-tercd  out  June  10,  1865. 
Tilham  ,  Edward.-  County/,  mustered  out  June  1C,,  181*. 
.ium  (Eilwards  County),  disch.  .Nov.  S,  l,sc,:i  •  disability. 
Reuben  C.  (Edwards  Co.),  mustered  out  June  Hi,  1M,5. 


Cullison    William  (Edw 

Ee,  William  (E,' 
p-ford,  Reuben 
k,  Thomas,  Jr.  i  Kdwards  Co.),  M.  O.  June  16,  '05;  _  , 

Davis,  Robert  E.  (Edwards  County),  mustered  out  June  10,  1805, 

Estes,  Timothy  (Edward-  County). 

Elliott,  Richard  E.  (Edwardi  County),  trs.  to  V.  R.  C.  Sept.  1,  1862. 

Elliott,  Daniel  (Edward's  County)',  died  at  Memphis  Mar?  Hi,  1803. 
Elliott,  William  U.  (Edwards  Co.),  died  at  Jlcmphis,  April  1U,  18>i3. 
Glover,  James  (  Edwards  County),  died  at  home  Sept.  8,  1863. 


,  ,        . 

enderson,  Gcorirc  ilvlwurds  County),  mustered  out  Aug  2,  1865. 
udson,  George  W.  (Edwards  Conntyp,  mii.-ter.-d  out  June  Hi,  'M. 
ughs,  James  {Edwards  Countyi, 


,  George 

,  James  {  , 

ugo,  William  ,  Edwards  County  i, 


,          . 
t  Memphis  May  15,  1863. 


HoFtJu,  James  (Edwards  County);  mustered  out  June  IB,  !..„. 
Ives,  Charles  (Edwards  County),  disch.  June  1:1,  ls,,:i;  disability. 
Long,  Robert  (Edwards  Coimiv,,  nui-tcied  ,,ui  June  Hi,  1865. 
Lowery,  Isaia,,  (Wabash  County),  died  u  Memphis  .Mar.  1C,  1863. 
Lucus,  Abraham  (Wabash  C.miiU  ),  trans,  to  V.  K.  C.  June  17, 1864. 
Lance,  Willi  m  H.  (Wabash  Coumy),  mustered  out  June  10,  1865. 

JlcKibbeii,  Jlanlcv  (Edwards  County), -tcrcd  out  June  Hi  1805. 

McKibben,  David  (Edwards  Co.),  JI.',  i.  June  1C,  1805,  as  corporal. 

' mistered  out  June  1C,,  Is,;;, 

.  to  V.  R.  C.  Jan.  15,  1804. 

McCreery,  William  P.  ,  Edward-  Co. ,,  mustered  out  June  10,  1805. 
Moore,  Samuel  (Edwards  County),  died  near  Tyler,  Texas,  while 

Morris,  Rufus  (Edwards  County),  mustered  out  June  16, 1865. 

Me  Kibhcii,  Zebnlon  (Edward*  County),  died  at  .letleisou  barracks, 

Mo..  Aug.  21,  1863. 

Ncal,  Thomas  (Edwards  County),  died  at  Memphis  Mar.  11, 1863. 
Orr,  William  (Edwards  County),  mastered  out  June  10,  isir, 
Oi-r,  Cunningham  (Edwards  Co.).  disch.  Mar.  3,  isct;  disability. 
Park,  E.  L.  (Edward-  Count]  ,,  died  at  .Memphis  May  19,  1863. 
Peter,  Andrew  (Kdward.,  County,,  mustered  out  June  16.  ISliS. 

Peek,  Joseph  (i* abash  County),  mustered  out  June  10,  isos. 
Riddens,  James  JI. (Edwards  County),  mustered  out  June  1C,  18C5. 
Snowdall,  Edwaid.  Jr.  ,  Edward-  Co.,,  mustered  cm  June  10,  1865. 
Sncllen,  William  (Edwards  County),  mil-tered  out  June  Hi,  1865 
Smilh,  William,  Jr.  (Edwards  Co.,".  M.ti.  June  16,  Is,:,;  was  prsnr 
Smith,  George,  Jr.  (Edwards  County),  musiered  out  June  16,  1865. 
Spiuell,  William  K.  (Edward- Co.),  M.  IP.  .lone  ic,  1865;  was  prsnr. 
Thrash,  Stephen  S.  ,  Wabash  Co.),  JI.  O.  June  16,  1805,  as  corporal. 
Tail,  John  (Ed»ards  County),  M.  O.  June  1C,  1865,  as  sergeant 
Utley,  Robert  W.  (Edwards' County  ,  mustered  out  June  Hi  lsc.5. 
Vinson.  John  (Edwards  Co.),  discharged  Am.-.  8,  IS,;:|;  disability. 
Wilkins,  John  (Edwards  County),  died  at  JUmphis  May  14  1803 

"^ •''^K'1"--JSfco:A0bJJuneV^WaaV^er- 

— .. ),  died  at  Warrenton,  Miss.,  June  9,  '6:1. 

JNomto-Campbell.  James  (Edwards  County),  died  at  Katchez,  Miss,  Dec. 

Harris,  Bedford  (Edwards  County),  transferred  to  H  18  111.  inftry. 

reorganized:  mustered  ou I  Dee.  16, 1865. 

Harris,  James  T.  {Edwards  County),  transferred  to  Co.  H  18  111. 
infantry  r.-organi/eil:  absent  sick  ;,t  must-rim:  out  of  regimt. 
II,  Franklin  C.  (Edwards  County),  tran-fcrred  to  Co.  H  1"  III. 
lifantry  reorganized  :  absent  sick  at  I 
Seatfield,  James  (Edwards  County),  kill 

Sept.  Hi,  1864. 

Hutchins,  Henry  J.  (Edwards  County),  transferred  (o  .Co.  HIS  III. 

infantry  ;  discharged  Sept.  Ill,  1865. 
Horton,  Richard  (Edwards  County),  transferred  to  Co.  H.  18  111 

'iifantry;  musiered  out  Dec.  16.  1865 


Stanley,  Charles  (Edwards  County),  transferred  to  Co.  H  18  111. 

infantry  :   discharged  J  ,1  ly  fl,  1865. 
Stewart,  Alexander  (Edwards  County,,  transferred  to  Co.  H  18 

III.  infantry;  discharged  July  9,  1865. 
Tail   James  M.  or  W.  (Edwards  County),  died  at  Morganzia,  La.] 

Tribe',  William  B   (Edwards  County),  transferred  to  Co.  H  18  111. 

infantry:  on  detached  service  at  mustering  out  of  regiment. 

Waters,  i;eori;c  ,  Kd wards  County,,  iran-lerrcd  to  Co.  H  18  111.  in- 
fantry; mustered  out  Dee.  IK,  IX, M. 

Weaver.  Alexander  ,  Edwards  Countyi.  transferred  to  Co  H  18  III. 
infantry  ;  on  dc!a<-he,i  ->-n  ice  at  m, interim:  ,,,11  of  reciim  lit 

West,  Robert  X.  ,  Edw-ards  County),  transferred  to  C...  H  18  III.  in- 
fantry; discharged  Aug.  2.',,  181.5. 


152 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WAS  ASH  COUNTIES,  1LL1NOJN. 


MUSTER   ROLL  COMPANY    K. 
,  Thorn  is  (Edwards  County),  transferred  to  Co.  D. 

.Sen-Kid— Fowler,  Silas  51.  [Kdwards  County),  1 
~       ' '        nder  M.  (F  '         '    " 


Orr,  Alexand 
)rr,  Alfrud  (li 

ltt.<-ruits— Alii' 


aferred  to  Co.  ] 


(Kdwai-ds  Coiinly),  transferred  to  Co.  II. 
•ds  County),  transferred  t  i  Co.  H  IS  infaii 
Samuel  t  Wabash  County),  died  at  Camp  i 


Mar.  13,  1804. 
iaker,  Abram  (Wr. 
•Try,  Thomas  II. 
elv'ilihee.  Luther    K.   iKd«ards   County),' 
died  at  Camp  Butler,  April  I   — 
88th  I  maiif  i-y  Regime 


9, 1865,  as  corporal 
91st  Infantry  Reglment.-Three  Years'  Service. 

This  regiment  was  organized  by  Col.  H.  M.  Day,  at 
Camp  Butler,  Illinois,  and  mustered  in  September  8, 
1862.  October  1,  ordered  to  Louisville,  Kentucky,  and 
was  assigned  to  duty  guarding  the  L  &  N.  railroad,  in 
Gen.  Gilbert's  division,  on  27th  December,  1862,  at 
Elizabethtown,  Kentucky.  After  an  engagement  the 
regiment  was  captured  by  Morgan,  and,  after  beiug 
paroled,  was  sent  to  Benton  Barrack,  Mo- 

July  14th,  having  been  exchanged,  ariivrd  at  Vicks- 
burg,  Miss.,  from  there  moved  to  Post  Hudson  and 
Carrollton,  La.,  thence  to  New  Orleans.  Here  the  reg- 
iment was  transfered  to  the  First  Brigade.  Embarked 
October  22d,  for  Brownsville  ;  took  part  in  the  captur- 
ing of  the  fort  and  city,  and  driving  the  enemy  from  that 
part  of  Texas;  did  garrison  duty  several  mouths  at 
Brazos,  Santiago,  and  New  Orleans.  The  Ninety-first 
took  an  active  part  in  the  campaign,  which  resulted  in 
the  capture  of  Spanish  Fort  and  Fort  Blakeley,  and 
caused  the  surrender  of  Mobile ;  had  a  sharp  en- 
gagement with  the  enemy  at  Eight  Mile  creek,  on  the 
Tombigbee  river ;  mustered  out  of  service  July  12,  1865, 
at  Mobile,  and  on  the  22d  of  July  following  at  Camp  But- 
ler, Illinois,  received  final  payment  and  discharged. 

MUSTER  ROLL,  COMPANY  F. 

Captains— Elmus,  Ryn,n,  (Lawrence  County),  resigned  Sept.  13, 1863. 

Thomas  J.  Ball  win,  I  l.awre, 'County  I,  resigned  Feb.  5,  1864. 

William  W.  Shepperd,  (Lawrence  County),  M.  o.  Julv  v_<,  1*65. 
Kr«(ii«,(«,an(S-Alfred  11.  <  I  ra-s.  i  Lawrence  Co.),  resigned  .Inly  &,  lx,i:i. 
Thomas  J.  Tanquary,  (Lawrence  Co.),  51.  o.  July  12,  Isir.. 

Second  Lieutenant     Nathan   I!.  Hull1,  (Lawre •  Co.)    resigned  Sept.  in,  1861. 

C.  M.  Bosley,,  Law  rence  c,,.,,  51.  o  (as  seri;i  ,.  July  !•_>,  Y,:,. 
lin  Rogers,  (Lawrence  Co.),  d.  at  New  Orleans,  Nov.  19,  '63. 
as  Rich,  i  Lawrence  County). 

"  Mills,  (Lawrence  Co.),  M.  o.  July  12,  Isi;:,,  as  private, 
r  Monroe,  (Lawrence  Co.),  died  at  Carrollton,  La.,  Sept. 

Hiram,  Jones,  (Lawrence  Co.),  M.  O.  July  12, 1865,  as  sergeant. 

Joseph  (Joslen,  (Lawrence  Co.),  51.  0.  July  12,  1x65,  as  private. 

Obadiah  B.  Webb,  (Lawrence  County),  M.  '  i.  July  12,  1865. 

John  StandnVId,  I  Lawrence  Conntyi',  mustered  out  July  12,1865. 
•Acres,  John,  (Lawrence  County.,  mustered  our  July  12,1865. 
Allison,  Warner,  (Lavrenoc  Countyi.  mustered  out'  July  12,1865. 
Brunson,  Alexander.  .Lawrence-  Co.),  51.  o.  July  12,  1865,  as  Corp. 
Barnett,  Robert,  t  Lawrence  County),  muster.-, I  out  July  1.',  1865. 
Brannan,  Alexander  !>.,  (Lawrence  Countyi,  51.  O.  .Inly  12,  lsiir>. 
Barber,  Elipbalet.  'Laurence  Conntv),  mustered  out  July  1'2, 1865. 
Boree,  A.  D.,  (Lawrence  County),  transferred  to  Company  C. 
Coleman,  Thomas,  (Lawrence  County),  mustered  out  July  12, 1865. 

untv'i 

Collison,  John  Wl, '(Lawrence  Co.),  51.  o.  July  12. 1865,  as'corporaL 
Corrie,  George  IL,  (Lawrence  County),  mustered  out  May  10, 1865. 

Dennison,  John 
April  28,  1864. 

Delimit,  Jacob,  (Lawrence  Co.).  d.  at  Carrollton,  La.,  Nov.  4, 1863. 
Ill-long,  .lettorson,  .Lawrence  Countyi,  mustered  O'lt  July  12, 1865. 
Dixun,  Theodore,  (Lawrence  Co.).  d.  at  New  Orleans,  Feb.  1:1,  '65. 
Dubois,  Charles,  (Lawrence  County),  died  Brazos  Santiago,  T, 

Evins/John  S.  (Lawrence  County),  sergeant,  died  Brazos  Santiago, 

Emmons,' James  C.,  (Lawrence  Co.),  d.  at  N.  Orleans,  Sept.  10,  'S3. 

F.mmons,  Charles,  (Lawrence  Co.),  disch.  Mar.  IX.  Ism,  disability. 
Fitchey.  William  11..  (Lawrence  Countv),  51.  O.  Ji.ly  12.  IS05.  - 


Corporals—  Thom 

John  T.  Mills,' 
Alexande    " 


Clark,  Thomas,  i  Lawrence  County), "M.  o.  Julv  12,  IgliS,  as  sergt. 

Cox   Edward,  (Lawrence  County)",  51.  O.July  12.  1865,  as  corporal. 

Cool-:.  Samuel  .M..  i  l.au  renee  Countv),  mustered  out  Julv  12  1865 

Allison,  John  W!,  (Lawrence  Co.),  51.  O.  July  12. 1865,  as'corpo, 
>rrie,  George  II.,  (Lawrence  County),  mustered  out  Slav  IIP,  It 
•aft,  William.  I  Lawrence  County.)  'mustered  out  Julv  12,  1HI!5 
enuison,  John.  (Lawrence  Countv),  died  at  Brownsville  Tes 


Funk,  (Jabriel  M.,  (Lawren 
Funk,  Thomas  M,  (Lawrei 
Faith,  Thomas  J.,  (Lawreni 


Grant,  Elmer.  (Lawrence  County),  mustered  out  July  12, 
lore,  liussell.  i  Lawrence  Co.),  disch.  Nov. 20,  1*12,  di 
~  untv,)  mustered  out  July 
....,.,.-,  ^.i.cu  .-,.,  v^,.».uuuc  Bounty),  mi- -J  — *  '••'•• 

IL-vill.    UalUee.  ,  Lawrence  Cu.l.  died  wh 

llensloy,  Marion,  (Law 


,  liussell,  (Lawrence  do.),  diseh.  No 
.  Felix,  (Lawrence  County,)  i 
H"™!?'  A!fr.ed  M.,  (Lawrence  County), 


Hensley,  Marion,  (Lawrence  Co.i.  mustered  out  .Inly  12,  18ii5. 
I  licks,  Samuel  F.  51.,  i  Law  rence  Countyi.  Iran.forred  to  Co.  H. 
Irwin,  William   II.,  (Lawrence  County l!  mustered  out  July  12,  '65. 
Iristi,  Stephen  A.,  (La*  rence  Co.),  died  at  Brownsville,  Texas,  Apl. 

Jones,  Lewis,  (Lawrence  County),  mustered  out  July  12, 1863. 
Jett,  Joseph  B.,  ,  Lawrence  County  I.  mustered  out  July  12,  1865. 
Jones,  Aimer,  il.iwrcnco  Countyi.  mustered  out  July'l2.  Ixii.i. 
Keniepp,  Win.  5L,  I  Lawrence  County),  mustered  out'.May  :i  I,  1*65. 
Laeo-t,  Ualph,  .  La  wren .-,-  Conn  VI,  mustered  out  J.ilv  12    IXi;:,. 

Mullins,.lohn  II.,  (Lawrci County.,  51.  o  July  12.  as  corporal. 

Hosier,  William  D.,  (Lawrence  Countv).  died  at  Lawrenceville 

III.,  Nov.  15,  1865. 

Mccarty,  John.  (Lawrence  Countyi,  mustered  out  July  12,  1865. 
MeKiniey   Thomas  C.,  I  Lawrence  County ),  51.  o.  .Inly  12,  1865. 
Miller.  William  1L.  ,  Lawrence  County  i.  51.  o.  .Inly  12,  1865. 
Murphy,  51ichacl  A.,  (Lawrence  Conntyi.  51.  o.  July  12,  1865. 
Mills,  Henry  P..  (Lawrence  County),  mustered  out  July  12, 1865. 
Martin,  Edmund.  (Lawrence  County),  transferred  to  Company  H. 

September  IIP.  ls,;j;  disoli.  5lHrch"7,  18,1-4  ;  disability. 
Norton,  IraC.,  (Lawrence  Co.),  51.  o.  July  12.  I.s,i5.  as'sergeant. 
Peters,  William.  (  Law  rence  County),  mustered  out  June  19,  1865. 
Peters,  John,  (Lawrence  County),  mustered  out  July  12,  18IJ5. 
Peek.  Uexander     ' 
Ramsey,  Tobias, 
liich,  William  R.,'(Lawre 
liawlins,  William  W.,  (' 


Countv),  mustered  t 
Couniyl.  mustered  out  July  12,  1865. 
(Lawrence  County),  died  at  Carroitton,  La., 


Roizers,  Svlve-ter,  (Lawrence  c,,unt\  L  K.  O.  July  12, 1865,  as  Corp. 

Kna-U.  Hiram  C..,l,,»re, c,,.,d.'.,,   New  ( Orleans,  ( Pct!  15.  lx,a 

Shidler,  Thos.,  (Lawrence  Co.),  disch.   March  21,  1st;:!;  disability. 
~        d.  at  New  Orleans.  Sept.  Ill,  Isiii. 
.),  mustered  out  July  1-2,  1865. 
),  M.  O.  Julv  12,  1805,  as  corporal. 
ountv),  diet!   at  Brazos  Santiago, 


Smith,  Oeori'e 
Shrader,  Wm.  51..  (Lawren 
Shrefler,   Daniel,  (Lawrence  Count 
Mlg.  29,  1864. 


Thomas,  Joseph,  (Lawrence  County),  mustered  out  July  12,  1805. 
•Vallev,  IVtcr  I-'.,  i  Lawrence  County),  .M.  o.  Julv  I-'.  IMn,  as  Corp. 
Valley,  Frank,  (Lawrence  County),  died  at  Lawrenceville,  111., 

•w'insiiip,  Jo's'.,  (Lawrence  County),  disch.  Mar.  24,  1863;  disability. 
Wardell,  Furman,  (Lawrence  County),  died  at  New  Orleans,  Aug. 

Ktcniils—  Branson,'  David,  (Lawrence  Co.),  transferred  to  Co.  E,  28th  III., 
mustered  out  Mar.  15,  1866. 

115th  Infantry  .-Col  Jesse  H.  Moore  in  command. 

This  regiment  was  organized  at  Camp  Butler,  Sept. 
19  1862;  ordered  into  the  field  October  4th  following, 
and  soon  after  became  a  part  of  the  command  of  Gen- 
A.  J.  Smith.  On  the  18th  of  September,  1863,  engaged 
the  enemy  upon  the  field  at  Chickamauga.  The  regi- 
ment participated  in  all  the  engagements  around  Chat- 
tanooga and  Mission  Ridge.  Jt  also  formed  a  part  of 
Sherman's  army  in  the  Atlanta  campaign.  Durii'g  the 
latter  campaign  the  regiment  lost  about  one  hundred 
men.  The  1  loth  took  part  in  the  engagements,  which, 
in  November  and  December,  1864,  resulted  in  the  des- 
truction of  Bragg's  army.  This  regiment  made  a  gal- 
lant record  during  the  war.  June  11,  1865,  mustered 
out  of  service  and  received  final  pay  and  discharge 
June  23,  1865,  at  Camp  Butler,  Illinois. 

MUSTER    ROLL,    COMPANY  C. 

Ctytofci-David  Williams  (\Vabash  County),  mustered  out  June  11,  18«5. 
F,r»t  Liatkwiuts—  F.phraiin  II.  Kiimcrj  ,  Wai  a-i,  Co.),  resigned  Sept.  7,  '63. 
John  C.  K.  Youngken  (Wahash  Co  ).  51.  o.  June  II,  IdiiS. 
Firxt  fjciv;«iiit-.Iohn  S.  .Mundv  I  Wahash  Co.),  mustered  out  June  II,  1865. 
-John  M.  Brown  iV.'al.ash  Co.,,  ,lisch.  April  10.  ISO;  disability. 
Hllifli  H.  Fry  (Lawrence  Co.),  disoh.  .May  2:1.  lsi;:i;  disability. 
Lewis  (Jeisl'er   iWabash   County).   ,  lied   near  Knoxville,  Tenn., 


\pril  2,1,  1x114,  by  falling  from  i 

vge'"  - 

liam 

Feb.  x,  is,;:t. 


,         ,  . 

Corporate—  fjeorite  W.  Rlm.l.-s.  mu-ti-red  mil  June  11.  isci.-,,  as  serge. 

William  Lanterman  (Lawrence  County),  died  at  Danville,  Ky., 


Edwin  1 

,. -to  T.  K.-l'sey  i  \\abash  CIP.),  dis 

Hamilton  Hinkle  (Kdwards  County.,  died  at  Richmond,  Ky., 

Dec.  2!>,  1862. 
Fred, -rick  liadde  (Edwards  Countv),  killed  at  Chickamauga 

Sept.  20,1 


Moses  Duty  t  Wabash  Co.),  died  at  Nashville.  Tenn.,  Apr.  2,  1863. 
Richard  I'tter  (Wabash  County),  m tutored  OOl  June  11,  1865. 
«— Henry  liard  (Wabash  County)",  .M.  o.  June  11,  l.sr.i:  pris.  of  war, 


Wagoner— John 

Priratcs—  Browi 

14,: 


ph  Sheare 


(Wabash  County),  mustered  . 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WABASII  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


153 


Brines,  Franklin  (Wabash  County), 

infnniry:  mustered  out  IT,-. 

Baxter,  James  II.  I  vVahn-h  Co  ) 
Harrier,  Abraham  i  Wahash  Coiintv.i, 


nsferred  to  Co.  A  21  III. 

t  Dec.  in,  is.;:,. 
tvVaha-h  Co  ),  disch.  Aiisr,  I,  isiti;  disability. 

(Wahash  C I1VI.  mustered  out  June  11,  1865, 


-...npbcll,  Frante  A.  (Lawn-nee  County  I,  discharged  . 

as  corporal;  disability. 
Ciiim.lv,  James  M.  (W»bssh  County),  mustered  out  June  11,  18 
< 'lines,'  William  (Waha-h  Coiintyj.'mustored  out  June  11,  IsiiTi. 


'KmHtmel   (Kdwards  County),   tr 
le'll" John    "'• '' 


Corps 


Dell,  John  (Wabash  County),  diseh.  Mar.  23,  1803;  disability. 

Freeman,  Thomas  J.  i  Wabash  County,,  died  at  Chattanooga  Oct. 
nf,  isii:]  ;  wounds. 

Freeman,  Wallace  A.  (Wabash  Co.),  M.  I).  June  11,  1865,  as  corpl. 

Koi-man,  Samuel  ,  Lauren,-,-  Coumj  i,  mustered  out  June  11,  '65. 

•  Sard,  Charle-  i  Waba-di  Co.),  discipline  Is,  Isi;:! ;  disability. 

(iillespic,  John  (Lawrence  County  I,  mustered  out  June  11,  1865. 

Glick,  John  t  Wabash  Co.),  died  at  Shell  .Mound.  Tenn.,  Dec.  5, '63. 

Gould,  William   II.  i  Waba-h  County),   ,-n  deta.-h.-d  duty;  mus- 
tered out  June  22,  1865. 

Hill,  Aaron  (Wabash  County),  died  in  Amlersonville  prison  Sept, 
15,  MI14:  No.  of  grave,  883.) 

Hallaek,  John  (Wai.a-.li  County),  mustered  out  June  11,1865. 

Iigu'ins,H 'go  II.  (Wabash  Co.),  M.  O.  June  1 1,  Is,;;,,  as  corporal. 

•ohn  I  Wabiish  Conniyi,  mustered  out  June  11,  1865. 
,  W.  (Wnbash  Co.i,  d'isch.  June  Is,  MII:I;  disabili 


Hine'lmugh,  Jacob  (Wabash  Coiiuly),  nmsiered  out  June  if,  isii,-,. 
Howell,  Jasper  i  Wabash  Co.).  diseh.  May  7,  1863;  disability. 

'  '      "Vahash  Oo.),dtooh.  April  r,  1863;  disability. 
'     mistered  out  June  II.  isiiii. 


lowell,  Jasper  ,  W.-iha-h  I 

lammiker  JohniWaba- 
lill,  John  W.  (Lawrence 


Litherlami,  William  J.  (Wabash  Co.),  mustered  out  June  11, 1865. 

Lithorland,  (i -ge  W.  (Wabash  Co.l.  mustered  out.  June  11,  1866. 

l.indsev,   Benjamin  (Lawrence  County),  died  at  Triune,  Tenn., 

June  i.',  ls,,l. 
Miller,  William  S.  (Wabash  County),  died  at  Danville,  Ky.,  Jan. 

Mull,  Richard  (Wabash  Co.),  died  at  Richmond,  Ky.,  Jan.  4, 1863. 

Miller,  Moses  J.  (Wabash  Co.),  diseh.  .lune  IS,  Mil:;';  disability. 
Myers,  George  iWaha-h  County),  mustered  out  June  11,  1865, 
Miller,  James  W.  (Wabash  County),  mustered  out  June  11, 1865. 
Markman,  Christian  <  Wabash  Couniyi,  mustere  I  out  June  11, '65. 
Markman,  William  (Wal-a-h  County),  must, -red  •  ut  June  11/65. 
Nunly,  Absalom  (W,,bash  County),  mustered  outJune  11,  1865. 

Price,  Ge<  rge  B.  (Wabash  C I'.yi,  M.  <>.  May  li,  lsr.5;  wounds. 

~  '  tard  (Wabash  County),  mustered  out  June  11,  1865. 


. 

ustered  i 


disability. 

(Wabash  County),  mustered  out  June  11,  1865. 
Lewis  (Watiash  Co.l,  M.  c  i,  June  II,  isii.-,,  as  corporal. 
Mvid  S.  (Wabash  C       '  '          '— J  —  ' ""' 

"  porV804' 

__     y),  mustered  out  June  11,  1865.' 
Eiber,  Andrew  (Lawrence  Co.  i,  trans,  to  V.  R.  C.  Sept.  I,  1863. 
Rose,  Reuben  li.  (Wabash  County),  must, -rod  out  June  II,  186*. 
Rigg,  Edwanl  D.  (Wabash  County),  mustered  out  June  11, 1865. 
Shoarer,  G.  C.  (    abash  County),  M.  < ).  June  11,  1865,  as  sergeant. 
Shoaff,  John  (Wabash  County),  mustered  out  June  11,  1865. 
Stone-,  Thomas  (Waba-h  Cou'my),  mustered  out  June  11,  1865. 
Shepard    \lbert  (Wahash  Coun'tv],  mustered  out  June  11, 1865. 
Shearer/Joseph  (WahasJi  Co.),  Mil.  June  11,  1865,  as  corporal, 
er  (Wabash  Countyi,  mustered  out  June  11,  1865. 

),  mustered  out  June  11,  ISiv.. 
h.  April  '.'"I,  lsr,;i;  disability. 
•),  discharged  June  15,1864, 

M°(Wab'ash  Co.),  disch.  April  23, 1863;  disability. 
Wood,  Niles  A.  (Wabash  Co.),  died  at  Lexington.  Kv.,  Nov.  23, '0-1. 
Wabash  County),  mustered  <.llt  June  11,  1865. 

corporal, 
pro. 


Jasper  (\ 

.Gilbert 


I.  I  VI,    1 
I    *  'olltl 


Turner,  Gilbert  H.  (Wabash  County),  mil! 
White,  Franklin  L.  (Wabash  Co.),  disch.  / 
Williams.  John  H.  (Lawrence  County),  d 


,  .  .,  , 

.la  .....  -.  Wai,  ,sh  County),  mustered  out  June  11,  1865. 
er.  H.-nj.  F.  -  Lawrence  Co.;.  M.  O.  June  11,  1868,  as  corp 
Youngken,  John  C.  K.  (Wabash  County),  pro.  Com.-Scrgt.  ; 

1st  Lieut.  Co.  C. 
Jfeenii'to-Armstrong,  Ephraim  (Wabash  County),  died  at  Tunnell  Hill,  On, 

Oct.  24,  18ii4. 
Hare,  Thomas  (\Vabash  Count}-),  transferred  to  21  111.  ;  mustered 


, 

Nu°nU|y,DJohnb'(  Wabash 

mustered  out  Dec.  16,  18  Jo. 


h  Co.),  transferred  to  21  111.  vet.-recruits  ; 


124th 

MUSTER   ROLL,  COMPANY  K. 

JViwifca-Morgan,  Maxwell  W.  (Edwards  County),  disch.  Nov.  15, 1863,  as 
Phillips,  Edward  (.Edwards  Count}-),  missing  near  Canton,  Miss, 


One  Hundred  mill  Thirtieth  Infantry.— Three  Years'  Service. 

The  130th  regiment,  Illinois  volunteers,  was  organized 
at  Camp  Butler,  Illinois,  October,  1862,  by  Colonel 
Nathaniel  Niles,  and  vas  mustered  in  on  the  25th  of  the 
game  month. 

The  regiment  moved  from  Camp  Butler,  Nov.  10th, 
•20 


and  proceeded  to  Memphis,  Tennessee,  where  it  arrived 
on  the  18th  instant. 

It  was  mustered  out  of  service  Aug.  15th,  1865,  at 
New  Orleans,  Louisiana,  and  reached  Camp  Butler, 
October  26,  1865,  where  it  received  final  payment  and 
discharge. 

Qnartennaiten— Silas  J.  Stiles  (Lawrence  County),  died  at  Memphis,  Ten" 
«ee,  Dec.  19,  '62. 
f  H.  Harrington  (Wab, 

NON-COMMISSIONED 


MUSTER  ROLL  COMPANY  H. 
Sergeant.— Absalom  Banks  (Lawrence  Co.),  trans,  to  Co.  B.,  77  III,,  retrnns. 

to  130,  as  revived,  muster,-,!  out  June  17,  'ir,.  pris.  war. 
Corporal.— Anderson.  Kenard  (Wnbash    Coiinlvi,   died   at    Memphis,  Tenn., 

Feb.  14,  1863. 
Private*.— Austin.  Stephen  P.  (Wabash  Countv),  died  at  Milliken's  Bend 

April  12,  1862. 
Banks,  John  A.  (Wnbash  Co.),  transferred  to  77,  retransferred 

Brown,  William  H.  (Wabash' Co.),  transferred  to  77  and  retrans- 
ferred to  130  as  consolidated,  mustered  out  Aug.  16,  1865, 

1   to  77,  retrans^ 

Gfick/George  H.  (Wabasirco.j,  Transferred  't  >"77,Pretrans ferred 
July  20,  '65. 

ransferred  to  77,  retrans* 
...  .'une  17,  '65,  prisoner  war. 

iWaha-h  Co.).  transferred  to  77,  i  .-transferred  to 
idated,  mustered  out  .lune  17,  V,;,,  prisoner  war. 

Knowles,  Cornelius  (Wabash  Co.),  died  at  Memphis,  Mar.  12,  ,(B. 

Kramer,  Lewis  W.  (Wabash  Co.),  transferred  to  77,  retrans- 
ferred to  130  as  consolidated,  mustered  out  June  17,  pris.  war. 

Lucas,  lieorge  W.  i  Wabash  Co.)  discharged  for  disability. 

Moyer,  William  H.  (Wahash  Co.). 

Pierce,  -Joseph  C.  (Laurence  Co.),  transferred  to  77,  retrans- 
ferred to  120  as  consolidated,  mustered  out  Aug.  15,  1865. 

Samoniel,  Frank  (Wabash  Co.),  trans,  to  77,  l,  trails,  to  130. 

Slater,  George  W.  (Lawrence  Co.),  diseh.  Jan.  2s,  '11:1,  disability. 

Stett'ey,  Martin  L.  i  Wabash  Co.),  transferred  to  77,  retransferred 
to  13(1  as  consolidated,  nmsiered  out  June  17,  '(15,  prisoner  war. 

Stein,  John  (WabMh  Co.).  transferred  to  77,  retranslVrred  to  130 
as  consolidated,  mustered  out  Aug.  15, '85. 

Thoma",  William  H.  (Lawrence  Co.l,  transferred  to  77,  retrans- 
ferred  to  130  as  consolidated,  mii-torcd  out  Aug.  15,  '65. 

Wirth,  Thomas  A.  (Wabash  Co.). 


Burton,  William    W.  (Wabash   Co.),   transferred   to  77, 
ferred  to  130  as  consolidated,  M.  <  i.  June  17,  '65,  prison, 

Glick,  George  II.  (Wahash  c,,.),  transferred  t)  77,  retra: 
to  i:i(i  as  consolidated,  mustered  out  July  20, '" 

Harville,  Thomas  C.  i  Wabash  Co.),  transfer 
ferred  to  130  as  consolidated,  M.  O.  June  17, 

J,,iie-.  Thomas  (" 


Warr 


Thomas 


arren, 

ferred  to  13ii  as  consolidated,  mustered  out  \ug.  15,  1865. 
Young,  Charles  (Wahash  Co.i,  diseh.  \P,il  14,  1XU3,  disability. 
RemiUa.—  Banks,  Benjamin  S.  (Lawrence  Co.).  died  at  Memphis  May  22, 

Bryan,  Jones  (Lawrence  Co.). 


MUSTER  ROLL  COMPANY  I. 
W.  Watts  (Lawrence  Co.),  transferred  t 


77  111.,  ret 


Second  Uente 
First  SergtmL 


lidated,  M.  O.  F. 


-John  M.  C.  Cordon  (Lawrence  Co.).  discn.  Mar.  15,  '65,  disabil'y. 
James  W.  Turner  (Lawn- ',,.1,  transfer,,-,!  to  77,  retrans- 
ferred t"  i:;u.  mustered  out  Jim    17,  1865. 
Caleb  Hoops  (Lawrence  Co.).' 

.-Patrick  II.  Gordon  (Lauren,:,-  Co.),  Disch.  Feb.  1,  '63,  disability. 
John  Stivus  (Lawrence  Co.),  wounded  at  Vieksburg  .May  12,  'tis. 
Samuel  L.  Brown  (Lawrence  Co.),  disch.  Feb.  I, '65",  disability. 
John  S.  Abells  , Lawn-nee  Co.),  oischa.god  Feb.  1,  V,;,,  disability. 
SchuylerSumner  (Lawrence  Co.),  transferred  to  Co.  I  77,  re- 
transferred  to  130,  mustered  out  Ailir.  15,  1865. 
Pleasant  I  niphloel  i  Lawrence  Co.l.  transferred   to  Co.  I  77,  re- 
transferred  to  13o,  mastered  ,,m  June  17.  isr,:,.  nrisonor  war. 
.—George  W.  Ramsey  (Lawrence  Co.),  transferred  to  III.  77,  re- 
transferred  to  130,  mustered  out  Aug.  15,  1865. 
Francis  A.  Homier  (Lawrence  Co.),  wounded,  tranferred  to 

R.  R.  6  Jan.  23,  1864. 

r. — Henry  V.  Bass  (Lawrence  Co.),  transferred  to  77  III.,  retrans- 
ferred to  130,  mustered  out  Aug.  1:.,  1865,  as  corporal. 
>.— Arnold,  Jacob   (Lawrence   Co.),  transferred    to   77    III.,  retrans- 

ferred  to  l:to,  mustered  out  Juno  17,  prisoner  war. 
Bishop,  Benjrmiin  F.  '  Lawrence  Co),  transferred   to  77  III.,  re- 

iransferred  to  13",  inn-ier, -d  ,-nt  June  17,  prisoner  war. 
Bowman   Henry  (Lawrence  Co.),  trans,  to  77,  M.  (I.  May  15,  1865. 
Bellis,  Philip  (Lawrence  Co.),   transferred  to   77   III.,   rttrans- 

ferred  to  i::o.  mustered  out  June  17,  Isi,:,,  prisoner  war. 
Barnes,  John  H.  (Lawrence  Co.).  Iran,  to  V.  H.  C.  Feb.  23,  1864. 
Brown,  Robert  A.  (Lawrence  Co.). 

Bourn,  Ransf.rd  (Laurence  Co.),  died  at  Memphis  Dec.  21,  1862. 
Bell,  George  A.  (Lawrence  Co.),  discharged  Sept. 4,  1863. 
Cravens,  Rilev  (Lawrence   Co.),  transferred  to  77    III.,   retrans- 
ferred to  130,  mu~t.-r.-d  out  June  17,  Isi;:,,  prisoner  war. 
Kdwards.  John  L.  (Lawrence  Co  i.  transferred  to  77  III., 


1:10.  must-rod  out  Jan.-  17.  18 
atthe         .  ., 

udy,  Joseph  (Lawrence  Co.),  tran 


154 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  W  ABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


1  to  ISO,  mustered  out  June  17,  186:.,  prisol 
Grimth.ThomM- (Lawrence  C,....  disch.  April  s.  Is.::!,  .Usability. 
Henry,  Edward  .1.  (Law  rcuee  Co.),  transferred  to  77  III.,  retrans- 

fcrrcd  to  l:;o,  mustered  out  J 17.  Is,;:.,  prisoner  war. 

H  err  in,  Alexander  (Lawrence  Co  N  (ransferred  to  77  lll.,retrans- 

feirod  to  l.'lii,  mustered  "lit  Aug.  17,18115. 

Johnson,  Milton  11.  H,awr-nce  Co.l.diseh.  April  H,lR63,disabil'y. 
Judy,  John   F.  (Lawrence  Co.),    transferred  to  77  111.,  retrans- 

foYrcd  t"  l:io,  must. 'red  out  June  17.  l«ii.".,  prisoner  war. 
Lindsey,  William  (Lawret Co.),  transferred  to  77  111.,  retrans- 

ferred  to  l:io.  mustered  out  Aug.  14,186.5. 

Walone,  Benj.  F.  (Lawrence  Co.),  dlKJD,  Fcb  1,  18«3.  disability. 
•Co.).  die.l  at  Memphis.  Dec.  2o.  1 


usirrove.  .James  r.  >].-,:\\  iv 
re-transter,vd  t,.  i:m  111.,  M 
athewR,  Jonathan  W.  ll.awr 


.,     .  .  .  . 

.  ll.awrcm-e  Count.M.  disch.  Oct.  1st,  1863. 
rence   Comity),  transferred  to  77  111.,  re- 
uster-d  out  AiiL'iist  \-,,  isti.-,. 
nce  Countj  I,  transferred  to  T7  111,  re-trans- 

ed out  August  1ft,  1805. 

se,  Isaac  .1.  (Law  l''1"'"1  County),  transferred  to  77  111.,  retrans- 
erred  to  l:i".  nmstci-e.l  out  Juno  17,  lsi;-,;  prisoner  of  war. 
mner,  Smiley  (Lawrence  Co.),  disch.  Kel,.  7,  isii:1;  disability. 
aw,  William  H.  II.  (Lawrence  County),  trans,  to  77  III. 
yuc,  William  \  .  t  I.a«  rence  Oo.),  .li-e'li.  I'd,.  I,  Ixil.'.:  disability. 
s  (Lawren 
(Lawrenc 
.  (Luwren 
s  [Lawren 
(Lawrenc 


•ipcr,  James  \.  (Lawi 
transferred  to  130,  m 

Ramsey,  Aaron  (Lawrence  Countj  I,  transferred  to  77  111,  re-trans- 
ferred to  l.'Vl,  mustered  out  August  1ft,  1865. 

Rose,  Isaac  J.  (Lawrence  County),  transferred  to  77  III.,  retrans- 
ferred  to  l:m.  mustered  out  June-  17,  1x115  ;  prisoner  of  war. 

EC.. 

StiVeVs,' jVo«'s\i.liwrV.iVcV<^uiityVVransf!'rre(i  to°7TilT. 

Smith,  Diseh.  (Lawn. nee  Co.).  dfsch.  .Ian.  18,  1X6:;;  .Usability. 

Sunnier.  Benj.  (Luwrence  County)  disch.  Jan.  I,  1S,;|;  .Usability. 

Seaggs,  James  (Lawrence  Countv),  discharged  Sept.  17,  1863. 

Seaggs,  Thos.  (Lawrence  Co.),  trans,  to  77  III.,  dis.  June  5, 1865. 

Scaggs,  John  (Lawrence  County),  transferred  to  77  III.,  re-trans- 
ferred to  130,  mustered  out  June  17,1X1'..-,:  prisoner  of  war. 

Umphleet,  Jm-vis  . I.  (Lawrence  Coiintvi.iranstencd  to  77  111.,  re- 
transferred  to  130,  mustered  out  June  17, 1865. 

Hermits— Wharton,  Joseph  W.  (Lawrence  County),  tiaiisferred  to  77  III., 
re-transferred  to  130,  mustered  out  June  17, 1865. 

135th  Regtment  Infantry.— One  hundred  days'  service. 

MUSTER  ROLL  COMPANY  H. 

Second  Lieutenant— Peter  Jones,  (Lawrence  Co.),  mustered  out  Sept,  28, 1864. 
Jf««rin»-William  H.  Seed,  (Lawrence  Co.),  mustered  out  Sept.  2x,  lxf,4. 
Wagoner— Joseph  A.  J.  I'.laeK.  (  I  .awrctice  Co.),  mustered  out  Sept.  2X.  1864. 
JVil-ata—Binnier.  William    II.  (Lawrence  Co.i.  mustered  out  Sept.  2x|  1X64. 
Cochran,  James (^awTence  Coun-y),  mustered  out  Sept.  28, 1864. 


fisgrove,  lioyal  C.  (Lawrence  Co.),  mustered  out  Sept.  2s.  lxi'4. 
an,  .lau,o-  (Lawrenoe  County),  mustered  out  Sept.  2s,  isot. 
ompson,  James  W.  i  Law  fence  Co.),  mustered  out  Sept.  28, '64. 
Wilbor,  John  (Lawrence  County),  mustered  out  Sept.  28, 1864. 


MUSTER  ROLL  COMPA 
Captain-Jumee  St.  Clair,  (Edwards  County),  i 


mstered  out  Oct.  22, 1864. 
iT  H. 


Second  Lieuleanul— Alfred  Mayo,  (Edwards  County),  M.  O.Oct. 

-Edward  Stewart.  (Edwards  County),  M.  O.  Oct.  22.  1864. 
"tered  out  Oct.  22, 1864. 
itered  out  Oct.  22, 1864. 

il-y  Woods,  (Kdwards  Coitntvi,  mustered  nut  (let.  22,  1864. 
Abe.  Venfold.  (Edwards  Conmvi,  absent  sick  at  M.  O.  of  regt., 
M.  O.  Dec.  :i,  to  date  Oct.  22, 1864. 

mistered  out  Oct.  22. 1864. 


Scrgeautt—  .Moses  Sn.llh,  (Edwards  County),  mustered  < 
William  Se.,tt.  i  Kdwards  Countv),  mustered 

Henry  W Is  (Edwards  County)  mustered 

Abe.  Penfold,  (Edwards  County),  absent  sicl 
M.  O.  Dec.  :i,  to  date  Oct.  22, 1864. 

IXrporali— Charles  Clark,  (Edwards  County),  mustered  out  Oct.  22,  IXill. 
Thomas  .1.  Ct.lsm,  (Edwards  Couun  !.  nmstered  out  Oct.  22.  1,- 


Joel  Bunting,  (Edwards  Countj  ).  mustered  out  Oct.  22,  1864. 

James  S   B.  II,  (Edwards  County.,  mustered  out  Oet  22,  1864. 

Harry  Dalt,v.  (Edwardfi  (  onni\  ,.  mustered  out  Oet.  22,  1864. 

Lewis  A.  Michaels,  (Edwards  Com, H),  mustered  out  Oct.  22, 1P64. 
Musicians— Jiimes  H.  Shelby,  (Edwards  County.!  M.  Oct.  22,  1x64,  as  private. 

(leorge  Stanley,  I  Edwards  County',  M.  Oct.  22.  1X64,  as  private. 
Wagoner—  William  F.  Koomson,  (Edwards  c'.imtv  .  M  o.  (I  t.  22  as  priiate 


atson,  John,  (Kdwards  County), 'mils 
1'iiBlev,  William.  (Edwards  Cmmiv). 
liming.  Phincse.  [Edwards  County), 


usier.'d  out  Oct.  22,  1X64. 

llstered  out  'let.  22.  1X6-1. 

ustered  out  Oct.  22,  1X64. 


llaker.  Simps,,,,.  (Edwards  Counn  i.  mustered  out  Oct.  22.  1X64. 
Bowers,  Willimn.  (Edwards  County ),  absent  sick  nt  M.  o.  "f  regt. 
Crome,  James,  (Edwards  County ),' mustered  out  Oct.  22.  Ism. 
Crome,  William,  (Edwards  County],  untutored  out  Oct.  21'.  1x114. 
llru-y,  Bamctt,  (Edwards  County),  mustered  out  o.  t.  22.  1x64. 
Ellis,' Charles.  (Edwards  Coiinti)'  mustered  out  Oet.  22,  1864. 
Franklin,  George,  (Edwards  county,,  M.  O.  Oct.  22,  1X64,  as  corpl. 
Ferrieman,  John  C.,  l  Edwards  Coun.yi,  mns  ered  out  Oct.  22, '64. 
Fewks,  William.  I  Ed  wards  comity,  mustered  out  Oet.  22,  l«64. 
Green,  William  M.,  (Edwards  Co.'l.  muster,  d  out  Oct.  22,  1864. 
Gould,  Charl»s,(  Edwards  Co.),  died  :.t  ColumbUB,  Ky.,  Sept.  1, '64. 
Gawthorp,  Kobert.  (Kdwards  Counu  ).  mustered  out  Oct.  22.  1X64. 
l!a,  wick,  Edmund  I!.,  (Edwards  County  i,  M.  o.  I  let   22,  1x64. 
Hoc-king,  Peter.  (Edwards  County),  mustered  out  Oct.  22,  Islil. 


.  Edwards  Conn 


mistered  out  Oet.  22, 
I  at  Columbus,  Ky,.lnly:.(i,  64. 

,  mustered  out  Oct.  •»,  1S61. 


I -'.  Samuel,  lEdwalds  (  ouiitv  ).  mustered  0111  Oct.  22.  1X61. 

McKibl ,  Ii»iL-ht.  (Edwards  c '., uiilyi.  mustered  ..ut  Oct.  2",  '61. 

MeCullom,  Iiani.  l.i  E.I  wards  County  i,  mustered  out  Oct.  22,  lxr.4. 
Meln.se,  I  iilison,  (Edwards  County  i',  must,  red  out  Oct.  22,  1X64. 


MeCullom.  William.  (Edwards  County),  mustered  out  Oct.  22,  '04. 
Over,  William.  iKdwar.  sC,,u,iti  ,.  musiere.i  ..ut  (  let.  22,  1864. 
iirr,  Albert,  i  Edwards  County),  mustered  out  Dot.  22  1x114. 
Powell,  Anson.  (Edwards  Coiinly,.  mustered  out  Oct.  22.  lsi'4. 
Eeed.G.  Charles,  (Edwards  County),  died  at  Columbus,  Ky.,  Aug. 


.Cyr 


ards  County),  mustered 


Shelby,  William,  (Edwards  Countv,,  mustered  out  Oct.  22,  1X64. 
Stanley,  Luther.  (Edwards  County),  died  at  Columbus,  Ky.,  July 

Scott,  Thomas  J.,  (Edwards  County),  died  at  Columbus,  Ky.,  July 

Sum'merfield,  Charles  F.,  (Edwards  Co  ),  M.  O.  Oet  22, 1864. 

Shenpard.  Th s,  [Edwards  Count]  I,  'mustered  out  Oct.  22.  1x64. 

Bocllng,  .!.•, incs  K.,  (Edwards  County  •.muttered  out  OcizZ,  1x64. 

Watson,  Silas  H.,  (Edwards  County),  died  at  Columbus,  Ky,,  July 

Woods,  Franklin,  (Edwards  County),  mustered  out  Oct.  22, 1864. 
Wode,  Thonwa, (Edwards  Countj  i.  mustered  out '  ict.  22,  1*64. 
Williams,  James,  (Edwards  County),  mustered  out  Oct.  22, 1864. 

One  Hundred  and  Fifty-Second  Infantry. 

This  regiment  was  organized  at  Camp  Butler,  Illinois, 
by  Col.  F.  D.  Stephenson.  Mustered,  Feb.  18,  1865," 
for  one  year.  Feb.  20,  ordered  to  Tullahoma,  Tenn., 
and  became  part  of  Geu.  Millroy's  command.  The 
regiment  was  mustered  out,  Sept.  11,  18u5,  at  Memphis. 
Ordered  to  Camp  Butler,  there  received  pay  and  dis- 
charge. 

MUSTEK  BOLL  COMPAKT  P. 

(—Wright,  Bunting  (Edwards  Co.\  M.  O.  Sept.  1 1,'65,  as  serg- 

lob  T.  Johnson.  (Edwards  County,,  absent  sj.-k  since  July 

6, 18-.6:  reduced  to  sergeant. 

ithan  MeKihbeii,  ,  Edwards  Co.),  mustered  out  Sept.  11, 1865. 
uel  A.  Rothraek,  (Edwards  Co.),  mustered  out  Sept.  11,  1865. 
Samuel  1'.  Walk,  (Edwards  Co.).  .M.  O.  Sept.  11,  ixi;:.,  as  private. 
Curporalt— Henry  J.  Mc-Kil.bcn,  (Edwards  Co.i,  muster,-.!  "lit  Sept.  11,1X65. 
George.    l'i\ley.  (Edwards  County,,  musiere.i  out  Sept.  11,  1865. 
'  Roat,  (Edwards  County),  mustered  out  Sept.  11, 1  — 

.d'ied'al 


wiiiiiim's'choVic-i.'i.' i'i., 'iw  ar.is "','!.  i.'a'i,-'.. iu' si,'-u'!lt'  .tfo 

Wesley  Bond,  (Edwards  Co.  i.  died  at  Nashville,  Tenn.,  Ju,y  11,'65. 

Peter  Kershaw,  (Edwards  Coiinly ,,  iiiu-tcred  out  Sept.  11,1x66. 

William  Curtis,  (Edwards  c Kyi,  mn-toivd  out  Sept.  11,  1866. 

Harrison  Kiw,  (Edwards  County),  nmstered  out  July  22, 1865. 
JlfMsfciaiw—  Andrew  L.  Hedriok,  (Edwards  Co.),  mustered  out  Sept.  11,  1X65. 

Peter  Hammaker,  (Kdwards  Co.),  M.  o.  Sept.  II,  1865,  as  privt. 
Wagoner—  Peter  P.  Piejve.  (Edwards  County),  mustered  out  Sept.  11.  186.}. 
Priiutca — Byers.  Fmneis  W.  (Edwards  Coinityi.  mustered  out  Sept.  11, '65. 


Borrell  or  llarne 

mast 
Cory,  Thomas 


nster  out  of  Regiment. 

TY.  ThonUfl  \\  .    <  ^..l^^;,^ds   Coin 

March  17, 1865. 


ty),  died  at  Tullahoma,  Te 


Clodfe 
Fields,  Jo 


i,",Ulen  (Edward*  Count]  '.n'u 

eph  (Edwards  County),  miiste 
Edwin  (Edwards  Count]  i,  mu 


Sept,  II, 
tercdout  Sept.  11,  1 

wit  Sept  H,  1MB. 


r.  l':iijali  i  I' 
,  Henry  (E 


I_D.  (Edwards  I  ,',.,, 

,  mustered  out  Se 
'**  -       tSep, 


(in  (Ec 

-,.     (Edward- Comity  i,  mustered  ( 

Glade,  Henry  (Edwards  County),  nuistered  out  Sept.  II,  1x6. 


t  Sept.' II 

•pt.    11,   1X1 


S  lover,  Alfred  (Edwards 

Harms,  Henry  (Kdwards  County),  mustered  out  Sept.  II,  1865. 

Jlollc.mam.  H'irain  (E.lwards  County),  mustered  out  Sept.  II,  '65. 
]lill.  William  i  Edwards  County),  nm-teivd  out  Sept.  11,1866. 
Huey,  Jacob  (E.lwards  County),  died  at  Tullahoma. 
Knailee.  otto  ,Eduards  County),  mustered  out  Sept.  11,  1S65. 
Mv-Clure,  Alex.  H.  (E.lwards  Co.!.  M.  c  >.  Sept.  11,  isn;,,  as  1st 
McKay,  Jan 


vi,  musi,.re<l  out  Sept.  11,1865. 
.),  mustered  out  Sept.  11,1X60. 
County),  mustered  out  Sept.  11,  18( 
mtyl,  mustered  out  Sept.  11,  1865. 
Edwards  Co.),  M.  o.  Sept.  11,  ls(i.i. 
lt\'i,  mustered  out  Sept.  11,  18<lo. 
niy).  mustered  out  Sept.  II,  isilo. 


_  ..ding,  John  (Edwards  Coun 

Nadimr,  Samuel  i  Edward-  County),  mustered  out  t 

NadiiiL-.  Jacob  !  I'.dwards  Comity,,  sterc-d  out  Sept".  11,  Isilo. 

<  i\  er.  .lames  H.  (  Edwards  County),  mustered  out  Sept.  11,  1865. 

<  )rr.  Nol,le  (Edwards  County),  nuistered  out  Sept,  11,  1865. 
Pollard.  John  A.  iF.dwa  ds  County  i.  ab-.-nt  sick  at  M.  O.  of  Regt. 
Powell.  Alison  lEdw-irds  County),  must. -red  out  Sept.  11,  Ixi',:,. 
Hi.-,-,  William  s.  (Edwards  County),  mustered  out  July  :u,  is,;:,. 

r  Joseph  (Edward!  (  ountvi.died  at  Tullahoma, 
-.,  is,,:,. 
Edward-  ( 

liice,  Claylioru  (Kdwa-ds  Coun'tyi,  musician,  absents 
t,er  out  of  Reiriment. 

•  "          "  •"-•        J-  "r,.),  mustered  out  Sept.  II,  1865. 

nster.-. I  out  Sept.  11,  1X65. 
n,    ...........    ...   VIJv....,...s    County'),   died  at  Nashville, 

ll.v,  ion-:  Jolm'w.TKdwards  County),  m  ustered  out  Sept   11,1866. 
.....       e 


Qu^issg'^ 

Seever  Elias  (F.dw 

Uce,  ( 'lav  lorn  i  \'A- 
I.  r  oiit'of  liegitm 
Roiram.  1,  Henry  F.  (Edwards  Co.), 
Rich,  Elias  (Edwards  County,  mils 
Rothraek,  uiilian,  11.  (Edwards 


y), 

.,.  Henry  (Edwards  CoOnty),  niuste,',-.!  out  Sept.  11,  IMio 
llolhroek.  II.  m'y  !•'.  '  Edwards  Co.i,  mustered  out  Sept.  11,  IWio. 
Moan.  .Morris  11.'  ilOlwar.ls  County),  mustered  out  Sept.  II,  1KK5. 
Shelbv.  .lame-  I!.  1 1-:. Iwards  ( •..nun' .,  mastered  out  Sept.  11,  1865. 

Sl,ell'V,W,n.   11.  (Edward-   C My  i,  al  ,-en,  slek  al   M.S.  of    l(ej!t. 

Steele,  Arthur  i  Edwards  C..unl>),  mustered  out  Sept.  11,  Isil',. 
Shaw,  William  .  Edwards  C.imiU  ),  inuster.'d  out  Sept.  II,  18U5. 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WAS  ASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


155 


Tomlinson,  .lames  (Edwards  County},  mustered  out  .Inly  1",  lso.1. 
Taylor,  Win.  or  James  (Edwards Co.),  mastered  out  July  i\  IS.B. 
Valette,  \Vtn.  I'.  lK.luar.ls  County),  mustered  ,,ut  Miiy  •.'•!.  Isiwi. 
We-t,  Charles  ci.  ,  Kduards  County  >.  nri-trr.-.l  .,nt  Sept.  1 1,  1S«. 
\V-st.  John  s.  il-Mttiir.N  County),  iiiustcn-d  out  Sept.  n.  isn:,. 

Jas.  M.  i  Edwards  Comny),  mustered  out  s..,,t.  II,  ixo:,. 

,  .las.  C.  (  Kdward»  County),  mustered  out  Sept.  1 ',  1865. 

ciiry  (Kd  wards  Coiiutyi,  'mu.-ten-d  out  Sept.  11.  1865. 


\V 

Willis,  II 

Wood.   Charli-s   |  I'M 


ts,.,,t,  n.i 

it  May  .M,  I 


s  County), 
154th  Infantry. 

This  regiment  was  organized  at  Camp  Butler,  Illinois, 
February  21, 1865,  under  the  call  of  December  19, 1864 
Ordered  to  the  front  and  reached  Louisville,  Ky.,  Feb. 
21th,  thence  to  Nashville  on  the  27th,  and  on  March 
2d,  moved  on  to  Murfreesboro,  where  they  remained 
until  May  15.  The  regiment  participated  in  no  battles, 
but,  occasionally,  had  slight  skirmishes,  Sept.  18,  1865. 
The  regiment  was  mustered  out  at  Nashville,  Teun  ,  and 
ordered  to  Springfield,  Illinois,  for  final  payment  and 
discharge,  which  took  place,  Sept.  29th,  1865. 

MUSTER  ROLL,  COMPANY  E. 

First  Lieutenant— James  H.  Wright  (Lawrence  County),  M.  O.  Sept.  18, 1865. 
.svcmi'/  Li'iitniatit— Geo.  B.  Danforth  (Lawrence  County),  M.  O.  Sept.  18,1805- 
Fir,t  Sergeant-Harvey  W.  Wright  (Lawrence  County),  M.  O.  Sept.  18,  1865. 
SeriieiiU— John  B.  Rich  (Lawrence  County),  mustered  out  Sept.  18, 1865. 
OirporaU—  James  c.  s  -v.-rns  (Lawrence  Co.i,  M.  O.  Sept.  18,  1865 ;  as  sergt. 
William  N.  Colton  iLawriMlce  County),  M.  (I.  May  •»,  1865. 
William  II.  Filk.-\   (Waba-h  County],  M.  O.  Sept.  18,  1865. 
John  Highsmith  (Lawrence  County),  M.  o.  Sept.  18, 1805. 
John  L.Bidgley,    Lawrence  County  i  M.  o.  Sept.  ix,  1805. 
Benjamin  S.'  M.'.orc  (Lawrence  County),  M.  O.  Sept,  18,  1805. 
Musician-John  Jackman  (Lawrence  County),  M.  O.  Aug.  23, 1866,  as  priv't 
Wagmter— John  R.  Hazelton  (Edwards  County),  M.  O.  Sept.  18, 1805,  as  pv\ 
Privates— Allen,  William  F.  (Lawrence  County),  M.  O.  Sept.  18, 1805. 

Allen,  otho  W.  !L-iwreii-e  County), 'mustered  out  Sept.  18,  1X65. 

•"    n,  Oscar  (Wabash  Co.),  M.  O.  Aug. 

•s.  James  J.  (Lawrence  County),  r 
.Ihcrs,  Benjamin  (  Lawrence  Count. ). 
itliers.  William  (Lawrence  County). 

iwn,  Leand-r,  (Lawrence  Countyi   mustered  out  Sept.  18,1865. 
Bl.mkcu^hip,  Craven  (Lawrence  Countv). 

Bicklc,.lohn  (Lawrence  Co.),  died  at  Nashville,  Tenn.,  May  29, '05. 
Conover,  Isaac  (Lawrence  Co.),  d.  at  Murfreesboro,  T.,  May  4,  '65. 
im  B.  (Lawn-nee  County),  M.  O.  May  22,  1805. 

,,     mstercd  out 
unty). 

Heath,'  Robert  (Lawrence  Co.),  M  6.  Sept.  II  18>-,.->,  as  corporal. 
Highsmith,  James  M.  (Lawrence  County).  M.  O.  Am;.  25,  1865. 
Higgins,  Harvey  (Lawrence  Co.),  died  at  Murfreesboro,  T.,  April 

Hawking  James  K.  P.  (Lawrence  County),  M.  O.  Sept.  18, 1805. 
Huffman,  John  (Lawrence  County),  mustered  out  Sept.  IX,  lxi;5. 
Jones,  Samuel  (L.wrenoe  County,,  mustered  out  Sept.  18,    865. 
Jackmau,  Aaron  II.  I  Lawn-uec  County),  M.  (1.  Sept.  18,  1805. 
Lailghlin,  John  (Lawrence  County,,  must. -red  out  June  W,  1805. 
Latl-'lilin,  William  (Lawrence  County),  M.  o.  Sept.  18,  1805. 
Laird,  George  W.  i  Lawrence  County),  M.  O.  Sept.  18,  1805. 
Lewis,  Jaui'-s  i  Lawrence  County). 

ibald  1'.  (Lauren, -c'Coiintyl,  M.  1 1,  Sept.  18,  1865. 
Moore,  Til  ford  (1. awn-nee  Countv,,  mustered  out  Sept.  IX,  1X65. 
Moore,  Archibald  (Lawrence County), mustered  out  Sept.  18,1805. 
Mo., re,  Jonathan  (Lawrence  County), .died  at  Murfreesboro,  T., 

April  lit,  18135. 

Myers,  Preston  (Lawrence  Countv),  must. -red  out  Sept.  18,  1805. 
Mi-Petridge^John  (Lawrence  County),  died  at  Murfreesboro,  T., 

McFetridge,  ^William  H.  (Lawrence  County),  died  at  Mnrfrees- 


135th  Infantry  Volunteer*. 

Was  organized  and  mustered  in  at  Camp  Butler,  Illinois, 
Feb.  28th,  1865,  for  one  year,  by  Colonel  Gustavus  A. 
Smith.  On  March  2d,  the  regiment — 964  strong- 
moved,  via  Louisville  and  Nashville,  to  Tullahoma, 
Tenn.,  reported  to  Gen  Milroy,  and  was  assigned  to  the 
i  command  of  General  Dudley.  June  17tb,  the  regiment 
was  divided  into  detachments  of  twenty  or  thirty  men 
each,  and  did  guard  duty  on  the  Nashville  and  Chat- 
tanooga railroad,  occupying  the  block-houses  from  Nash- 
ville to  Duck  river,  a  distance  of  fifty  miles.  Sept.  4th, 
the  regiment  was  mustered  out  of  service,  and  moved  to 
Camp  Butler,  Illinois,  w!:ere  it  received  final  pay  and 
discharge. 

MUSTER  BOLL  COMPANY   B. 
r,  John  (Lawrence  Co). 


, 

li.,ro,  T,,  May  7,  l»i 

I  lani.-l  K.  (  I.  iwn 
McGi 


McGixin,  -loliu  (Lawn-nee  County),  muste 
1'olt-s  .I..-,-pli  (Lawrem-e  Countyi.  absent 
I'ittmaii,  lieruardc.  (Lawrence  County), 


County),  M.  O.  Sept,  18,  1865. 
),  mustered  out  Sept.  18,  18(35. 

sick  at  M.  II.  of  regt. 

absent  with  leave  sinc 


, 

Pa'tt'on',  John't).  (Lawrence  County),  mustered  out  July  31,  1865. 
Putnam,  Lafayette  [Lawrence  County),  mustered  out  Sept.  2ll,  '115. 
Kid-ley,  Harrison  i}.  (Lawrence  County),  M.  o.  Sept.  18  1865. 

n  i,  mustered  out  Scut,  18,  1865. 

Shiek,  Koi.ert  F.  (Lawrence  County  ),  absenl  sick  at  M.  O.  ofregt 
Sliulls,  Samil.-l  i  Lawn-nee  County)',  mustered  out  Sept.  18,  1X65. 
W.-stm,,rlaiiil,  .l.ilin  l  Lawn-nee  County).  M.  (  ).  Sept.  18.  1805. 
-Witters,  John  i  Lawn-nee  Countyi  mustered  out   May  ^2,  1865. 


3LL   COMPANY   O. 


nustered  out  (as 


Lieutenant — Jacob  Tucker  (Lawrence 

sergeant)  Sept.  18,  1865. 
d— Charles  Kow  (Lawn-nee  County),  m 
-Hlattner,  Henry  i  Lawrence  Countyi,  mu-t  -red  out  Sept.  IX,  Iwr,. 

llen-miah.  11,-ilrv  I  Lawrence  Co  i.'.M.  o.  Sept.  Is,  lsr.5,  as  corpl. 

Kicnitr,  Wil  n  ,,  mii-ton-d  out  Sept.  Ix,  IM;:,. 

(ist.-n,i.,rf.  Henry  il.awn-nee  County),  mustered  out  Sept.  Ix,  iso5. 

OlH-rmilcller,  Join,  I  Lawn-lie,-  County ),  mu-tero. 1  out  Sept.  |8,'05. 

Row.  Francis   M.  il.awn- County,,  mii-ten-d  out  Sept.  Ix.  Ixc,:,. 

Tucker,  (ieorne  .Laurence  County),  mustered  ..ut  Sept.  Is,  is..-,. 

T«kke,Chrisfcpher<Lawrence  County),  mustered  out  Sept.  is, '65. 


.Mi -ol  i,  A  a  roll,  l.awtouee  Co.),  must.  ( 

'avis,  William  (Lawrence  Co.).  must,  out  Sept.  4,  IxivV,  as  8e 

Jo.),  died  at  Tullahoma,  Tenn.,  May 


t  Sept,  4, 1805,  as  Sergt. 
,'  must,  out  Sept.  4,  18(>.i,  as  Sergt. 
Johnson,  Ja,.  K  (Law.  "    '     ' 

2,  18H.-I. 

Lee,  Francis  M.  (Law 

Aug.  16,  1865. 
Lee,  Charles  K.  i  l.awre Co.),  mustered  out  Sept.  I,  ixiir, 


Co),  died  at  Murfreesboro,  Tenn., 


Is,;:,. 


MUSTER   ROLL  COMPANY   C. 
Privates.— Cook,  Thomas  ( Lawrence  Co.),  mustered  out  Sept.  4,  lxo.1. 


MUSTER   ROLL   COMPAXY   E. 
Privates.— Baughman,  Oliver  (Edwards  Co.),  mustered  out  Sept.  4, 1865. 

MUSTER   ROLL   COMPANY   A. 

/Virato.— Bueklin,  Sylvester  (Lawrence  (Co.),  mustered  out  Sept.  20,1865. 
Godrich,  Charles  H.  (Lawrence  Co.i, mustered  out  Sept.  -.11,  1x05. 
Hayworth,  William  (Lawrence  Co.i,  mustered  out  Sept.  -'u,  Ixof,. 
Noble,  Lewis  G.  (Lawrence  Co.),  died  at  Memphis  Aug.  8, 1865. 

MUSTKR   ROLL   COMPANY   F. 

Mtaiciam.— George  C.  Grimes  (Lawrence  Co.),  M.  O.  Aug.  25, 1805,  as  Sergt. 
Layhourll,  Benj.  (Lawrence  Co.),  absent  sick  at  M.  O.  of  Regt. 
Lawnoss,  Isaac  C.  (Lawrence  Co.)  mustered  out  Sept.  20,  1805. 
Loomis,  Defariet  (Lawrence  Co.).  mustered  out  Sept.  20, 1865. 

136th  Regiment  Indiana  Volunteer*. 

The  following  named  parties  enlisted  in  this  regiment 
from  Wabash  county,  Illinois : 

J.  T.  Burkett,  Company  H,  136th  Indiana  Vols. 
James  Parkinson,  Co.  H,  llloth  Indiana  Vols. 
James  H.  llcall,  Co.  II,  noth  Indiana  Vols. 
Wm.  P.  Habberton.  Co.  II,  lamli  Indiana  Vols. 
James  II.  Bell, Co.  II,  138th  Indiana  Vols. 
8.  1).  Greer,  Co.  II,  Moth  Indiana  Vols. 


.  ,       .      , 

L  M.  Turner  Co.  II 
M.  L.  Tilton,  Co.  C, 


.  Tilton, 

hen  Willi 


,       .      , 

Co.  II    l:!''.th  Indiana  Vols. 
Co.  C,  i:ii;ih  Indi 


.     .  ,      .    ,  . 

Stc-phen  Williamson,  Co.  C,  i:ic,th  Indiana  Vols. 
Jno.  Voll,  Co.  C,  llllitli  Indiana  Vols. 
Christian  Walter,  Co.  A.  l:i«th  Indiana  Vols. 
Mack  H.  Moyer,  Co.  F,  136th  Indiana  Vols. 

Cavalry  s,  .  »  i.  ,      I  <  li  Cavalry  Regiment. 

MUSTER   ROLL   COMPANY   A. 


Stlt  Cavalry  Regiment. 

This  regiment  was  organized  at-Camp  Butler,  Nov.  8, 
1861.  Ordered  to  Jefferson  barracks,  Mo.,  February 
20,  1862.  March  3d,  reached  Pilot  Knob.  On  the 
29th  of  June  following  became  a  part  of  General  Curtis' 
command.  Also,  took  part  in  the  fight  at  Cotton  Plant, 
and  the  expedition  to  Duvall's  Bluff,  and  engaged  in 
the  pursuit  of  Marmaduke.  In  July  was  with  Sher- 
man's army  at  Jackson,  Miss.  Was  in  the  expeditions 
to  Meridian,  Canton,  Grenada  and  the  Yellow  Bush. 


156' 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


Participated  in  the  battles  and  skirmishes  at  Browns- 
ville, Port  Gibson,  Natchez  and  Tonica  Bend.  In  '64 
was  in  an  expedition  to  Arkansas  and  Louisiana.  Sta- 
tioned for  a  time  at  Hempstead,  Texas.  Ordered  to 
Springfield,  Ills.  Was  mustered  out,  receiving  final  pay- 
ment, Oct.  30,  1865. 

MUSTER  ROLL  COMPANY  F. 

Veterans.— Karns,  John  R.  (Lawrence  Co.)  must,  out  Oct.  21,  '65, as  Sergt. 
£e«rui(B.-Hendri,-k,  Geuriro  Edwards  Co.,  must,  out  May  11,8865. 
Snider,  Jolm  (Lawrence  Co.)  mustered  out  Oct.  21, 1865. 

MUSTER    ROLL    COMPANY    G. 
BecruiU— Edmundson,  William  (Lawrence  Ci ). 

MUSTER  ROLL  COMPANY  H. 

£«m.ite.-Ewing,  Johnson  (Edwards  Co.),  died.  Camp  Butler,  111.,  Feb.  28, 
Smith,  William  (Lawrence  Co.) 

MUSTER  ROLL  COMPANY  I. 

JJecruu'i-Audrews.  Jno,  (Lawrence  Co.),  Corpl.  transf.to  V.R.C.  May.,15,'65 
Buchannan.  Joseph  It.  (  Lawn-nee   Co.),   must,  out  Oct.  27,   1865. 


(•Impel,  1'hilo  X.  (Lawrence  Co.i,  mustered  out  Oct.  27,  1865. 
Deirermes,  Louis  (Lawrence  Co.,,  mustered  out  Oct.  27.  is,;;,. 
Drennan.  Betij.  .  Law-renew  C,,.),  died  at  Vicksburg  Aug.  31 
Eaton,  Al,,li/,o  ,  Laurence  Co.i,  1  Uscharged  July  2.',,  1864. 
Ed.unudson.Jas.  E.  (Lawrence  i ',..,.  died  at  Vi  disburg  Aug. 


31,  1864. 

Aug.  8,  '64. 

' 


England,'  Jefferson" (Lawrence  Co.)','died  at  VicksburgOcClo;  'i 
'   r,  )Lawreii,-e  c,,i,  must,  out  Oct.  27,  ISto. 


chester, 


arrison 

;elley,  Thomas  J.  (L'awrence_Co.),  mustered 

lieure,  C 
Orr,  Jesse  F.  (Lawrence  Co.), 'mi 

[>:,tt,-rs,,n,  George  (Wabash  Co.),  mustered 


Stherfand,  George '(Wabash  Co.V'mu 
'John  ( 
as.  (La 
r,  Jesse  F.  (Law 


Litherland,  j'oh'n^Walsh  Co.).  (Hod  at  Vicksbu 
Micure,  ('has.  (Lawrenc 


It  Oct.  27,  1865. 
red  out  May  31,  1865. 

died  Lawrenceville,  fll.?Ma?.'  I™'. 


ay  111.  Itii.f 
t  Oct.  27,  1 


I'elkey,  Joseph  Lawrence  Co.),  mustered  out  del  -7.  Is,,;,. 
Potviiie,  Clias.  (Lawrence  Co.),  mustered  out  Oct  27,1865. 
Patterson,  Win.  i  \\al.ash  Co.),  died  at  Vicksburg  March  28,1864. 


k.  John, I 


t  Oct.  27,  1865. 


mse'y,  James  E.  (Wabash  Co.),  must,  out  Oct.  27/1865,  as  Corpl. 

i-iuc,  Henry  (Lawrence  Co.),  died  at  Memphis   March  Is,  Ixii4. 
ither  Janu-s  (Wai  ash  Co  ),  died  at  Vicksburg  Nov.  5,  1864. 
gans,  Felix  (Lawrence  Co.),  mustered  out  May  24.  1865. 
ter,  Henry  (Lawrence  Co.).  mustered  out  (  let.  H7,  T,.'i,  a)  Corpl. 
invn,  U  iiliam  I  Wai  a,h  Co.),  must,  out  Oct.  27,  1865,  as  Sergt. 


Warren,  William  (Wabash 


...  .music 
Co.),  mu, 

IGNED  RECRUITS. 

ander  (Lawrence 

ohn  (La\vren,.-c  Co). 


Coffman,  Leander  (Lawrence  Co). 

I'o  ail    Join,  i  La 
-  n,  Willi 


..liarn  (Lawrence  Co). 

Southerland,  Asa  i  Lawrence  Co). 

Smitbers.  Louis  M.  ,  Lawrence  Co). 
^<f/,.fcm<.-Sylvanus  Gard  (Edwards  Co.),  resigned  Aug.  29, 1865. 

MUSTER  ROLL  COMPANY  E. 
Pint  Lieutenant— Jos.  Frazier  (Edwards Co.),  mustered  ont  Nov.  5, 1805. 
,SVr,,>i,(  /.i  ,,ii',i,int.—  Kliiah  O.  Tar], ley  (Lawrence  Co).  , 
f\rtl  Sergeant.— Arthur  St.  C' 
&>?•  ennl. — Jerfersor.JBpray  ( 
Corporals.— James 

David  Great  house  (Edwards  Co). 

'arrier.— Chas.  E.  Marks  (Edwards  Co  ),  mustered  out  Jan.  4, 1865. 
,  James  (Edwards  Co.),  mustered  out  Jan.  4, 1865. 


rds  Co  ),        .,  ,  . 

!     ,u;,r,s  (',,.)    veteran. 
(Edwards  Co'),  vet.,  died  at  Mound  City,  111.. 


Farrie 
Wl,( 


Brock   William  (Edwards  Co). 

Blakely,  Thomas  (Edwards  Co.),  died  at  Memphis  Oct.  7. 1864. 

Blakely  James  A.  (Wabash  Co.),  died  at  Memphis  May  4,  1864. 

Bvford,  John  H.  (Edwards  Co). 

Bradshaw,  John  (Edwards Co). 

Bratton,  James  (Edwards  Co). 

Bond,  Leonard  C.  (Edwards  Co.),  vet.,  must,  out  Nov.  5, 1865. 

Homi;  Martin  (Edwards  Co). 

liiehl    Daatel  [Edward* Co.),  mustered  out  Jan.  4,  1865. 

Cropper,  Lovel  I-:.  (Edwards  Co.),  vet.,  must,  out  Nov.  5,  1865. 

Curtis,  Henry  (Edwards  Co). 

,  Daniel  (Edwards  Co.),  mustered  out  Nov.  6, 1865. 
-,  Siou  (Lawrence  Co.),  vet.,- mustered  out  May  5,  1805. 
e,  Thomas  (Lawrence  Co.),  mustered  out  Jan.  10,  1865. 
-1  (Lawrence  Co.,,  mustered  out  Jan.  4,1805. 
.  (Lawrence  Co.),  vet.,  must,  out  May  5,  1865. 
ac  (Edwards  Co.),  died  in  Gahaba  prison,  Ala. 

Guyot',  Ad'am'(Edward8  Co.),  disch.  Dec.  18. 1804.    Term  exp. 
Hill,  stcrlinu-  M.  i  Edwards  Co.),  mustered  out  Jan.  4,  1805. 
Lewis.  Stephens.  (Mdwards  Co.  ,  mustered  out  Jan.  4   1865. 

Mounts,  Thomas  (Edwards  Co.)  disch.  1 IX,  ls.14.  Term  Exp. 

Mounts,  Ilinuu  l  Edwards  Co.),  vet.,  mustered  out  Nov.  5,  1865. 
Mullmcy,  Win.  (Lawrence  Co.),  disoli    Dec.  18,  1866.     Term  exp. 


mey,  Wm.  (  Lawrence  Co.),  discli.  Hoc.  18,  1805. 
1'ark,  Eisberry  I  Edwards  Co.),  vet.,  mustered  out  NOT 
Shelby,  Georg'e  C.  (Edwards  Co). 


,  . 

Thread,  Joliu'F.  (Kilwards  Co). 
Terry,  John  A.  (Edwards  Co.),  vet., 
Thorne,  James  T.  t  Edwanl*  Co). 
Turner,  Jesse  (Wabasli  Co). 


6,  18C5. 
mustered  out  NOT.  5, ) 


,..  \qu.lla  i  ., 

RecruUi.—  Clodlelter,  George  (Edwards  Co.),  vet. 

MUSTEK  ROLL  COMPANY  F. 
Corporal-Samuel  F.  Drake  (Wabash  Co). 

MUSTER  ROLL  COMPANY  M. 


SeventH  Cavalry. 

This  regiment  was  organized  September,  1861,  with 
Col.  \Vm.  Pitt  Kellogg  in  command. 

Captains— Jolm  Etheridge,  (Edwards  Co.),  pro. to  1st  sergt.  then  2d  and  1st 

lieut.  pro.  capt.  May  -::,  ]x.i:i,  mu.-ter.-d  out  Nov.  5,  18-6. 
Corporals— Hull,  r  Enlow  i  I •:.!«  I'u-ds  Co.), 'disch.  March  1-1,  18li:i;  disability. 
Joseph  Noble,  tWabasb  County  I,  died  Jan.  8,  1862. 


Jilt/.,  (Edwards  Co.), 'vet.,  M.  1 1.  Nov.  4,  18Ur.,as  corpl. 
ITS,  (Edwards  Coiinn  I.  di-eli.  Nov.  r.  lx(12:  disability. 
11,  John  (Edwaids  County),  transferred  to  Regimental 


Hell, lor.    I 

Etheridg 


Etheridge,  Michael  •  Edwards  Co.),  M.  u.  i  let.  ir,.'i;4,  as  corporal. 
Enlnjv,  .lames  \V.  (Edwards  Co.-.  dis.  (let.  27,  '02,  as  corpl.;  dis'ty. 
Helke.  John  G.  (Edwards  Co.i,  vet.,  M.  d.  Nov.  4',  1  SIM,  as  corpl. 
Hta-sum,  George  (Edwards  Co.),  vet.,  M.  O.  Nov.  4,'ii5,  as  sergt. 
L'scher,  Samuel  n.  (Wabash  County),  vet.,  promoted  Assistar, 


.  (Wa 
.  C.  I. 


urireon.  K        .         . 
cC  ary,  John  (Edwards  County),  died  J 

axwefl, 


.         . 
n  (Edwards  County),  died  Jan.  22,  1862. 

rire  l;    (Edwards  Co.i,  M.  (  ).  Oct.  l.\  1  SI14,  as  sergt. 
K.  (Edwards  Co.),  vet..  M.  <  I.  -Nov.  4,'<i5,  as  1st  sergt. 


Maxwell,  Geor 

(irin.  diaries  J 

Hull,  Augustus  (Edwards  Co.i,  killed  at  Memphis.  Aug.  21,  1864r 

Smith.  Stephen  (.Edwards  County),  mustered  out  (let.  15,1864. 

Spencer,  Henry  E.  (Edwards  Co.),  vet.,  M.  O.  Nov.  4  ,'H5,  as  sergt. 

Taylor.  Jolm  (Edwards,  oiiniy).  vet.,  mu-tercd  ,,iit  N(       '   

Vo'ijjt.  F   A.  (Edwards  Co.i,  vet.,  M.  O.  Nov.  4,  1865,  as 


Rtcrmfo— Goforth, 


4  ,'H5,  as  s, 
t  NOT.  4, 18 

Webber,  Mat'hias  (Edw»rds  Co.)',  M.  O.  Oct.  10,  ISfiS^as^rgeant. 

\\  icd,  John  ,  ICdwards  Co.),  vet  .  M.  o.  Nov.  4, '(15,  as  blacksmith. 
( ;,,t"i -th,  Wm.  A.  (Waba-h  County),  mustered  out  Nov.  4,  1865. 


.(Wai 
(Edwa 


4USTER  ROLL  COMPANY  G. 


Recruit— Leathers,  John  M.  (Wabaah  County),  mustered  out  Nov.  4, 1865. 
UncuMt/neit  Ittcruits—  Phillips,  George  (Lawrence  County.) 
Itobinson,  George  (Lawrence  County.) 


MUSTER  ROLL 
Private— Hutchinson,  Claiborn  D.  (Law: 

MUSTER  ROLL  COMPANY  H. 

Ebenezer  C.  Litherland,  (Wabash  County),  mustered 
,bash  ( 

ll  Coll 


County),  died  May  29, 1863. 


Corpora;— Alfred  II.  Clark,  (Wabash  County.) 
Akin,  Joseph  (WaWh  County  ) 
Fowler,  Frederick  (Wabash  County.)  . 


t  at  Consolidation. 


JW»l«-Akin,  Jo 


Phillip-,  Absalom  (Wahash  County.) 

liamsav  James  E  (Wabaeh  Co.),  disch.  Oct.  7, 1861;  disability. 

Thompson,  William  (Wabash  County),  died  at  Benton  Barracks, 

Ticejjoseph  J.  (Wabash  County.) 

Hill.  Elkanah  M.  i  Wabash  County),  sergeant,  transferred  to  Co.  I 
10th  Cavalry  as  Consolidated. 

Battery  M,  First  Artillery. 

liel  (La 

Ralph,  Joseph  (L 
Unassigmd  Itea-uUs — Clay,  Henry.    Caton,  Thomas. 

First  Army  Corpa. 

ENLISTED  MEN  OF   COMPANV   NO.  6. 
Metzdorf,  Anton  (Lawrence  County.) 
Mitchel,  Adam  (Lawrence  County.) 
Kambeau,  Lewis  (Lawrence  County.) 
and  V.  S.  Artillery. 


RECRUIT  FOR  THE 
Smith,  John  (Law 


County.) 


,  CHAPTER  XII. 

COMMON  SCHOOLS. 

THE  PUBLIC  AND   PRIVATE  SCHOOLS. —  THE  SCHOOL  SYS- 
TEM OF  THE  STATE — ITS   GROWTH,  RESOURCES 
AND  MANAGEMENT. 

E  educational  history  of  few  even  of  the  older 
States  is  more  instructive  or  full  of  interest 
than  the  educational  history  of  Illinois,  and 
especially  that  part  relating  to  the  development  and 
growth  of  her  system  of  common  schools.  It  haa  en- 
couraged and  nurtured  education  since  its  admission 
into  the  Union. 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  W ABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


157 


The  present  school  system  really  dates  from  January 
15,  1825.  Illinois  was  admitted  as  a  State  in  1818,  and 
the  act  of  admission  contains  the  following  stipulations 
imposed  by  Congress:  "Whereas  the  Congress  of  the 
United  States,  in  the  act  entitled  "  An  act  to  enable  the 
people  of  Illinois  Territory  to  form  a  constitution  and 
State  government,  and  for  the  admission  of  such  State 
in  the  Union  on  equal  footing  with  the  original  States, 
passed  the  ±3ih  of  April,  1818,  have  offered  to  this  con- 
vention, for  the  free  acceptance  or  rejection,  the  follow- 
ing proposition,  which,  if  accepted  by  the  convention, 
are  to  be  obligatory  upon  the  United  States,  viz :  1. 
The  section  numbered  sixteen  in  every  township,  and 
when  such  section  has  been  sold,  or  otherwise  disposed 
of,  other  land  equivalent  thereto,  and  as  contiguous  as 
may  be,  shall  be  granted  to  the  State  for  the  use  of  the 
inhabitants  of  such  township  for  the  use  of  schools.  2. 
That  all  salt  springs  within  such  State  shall  be  granted 
to  the  said  State  for  the  use  of  said  State,  and  the  same 
to  be  used  under  such  terms,  and  conditions  and  regula- 
tions as  the  Legislature  of  said  State  shall  direct:  Pro- 
vided, the  Legislature  shall  never  sell  or  lease  the  same 
for  a  longer  period  than  ten  years  at  any  one  time.  3. 
That  five  per  cent,  of  the  net  proceeds  of  the  lands  lying 
within  such  State,  and  which  shall  be  sold  by  Congress 
from  and  after  the  first  day  of  January,  1819,  after  de- 
ducting all  expenses  incident  to  the  same,  shall  be  re- 
served for  the  purposes  following,  viz. :  Two-fifths  to 
be  disbursed  under  the  direction  of  Congress,  in  making 
roads  leading  to  the  State ;  the  residue  to  be  appropri- 
ated by  the  Legislature  of  the  State  for  the  encourage- 
ment of  learning,  of  which  one- sixth  part  shall  be  ex- 
clusively bestowed  on  a  college  or  university.  4.  That 
thirty-six  sections,  or  one  entire  township,  which  will  be 
designated  by  the  President  of  the  United  States,  to- 
gether with  the  one  heretofore  reserved  for  that  purpose, 
shall  be  reserved  for  the  use  of  a  seminary,  and  vested 
in  the  Legislature  of  the  said  State,  to  be  appropriated 
solely  to  the  use  of  said  seminary  by  the  said  Legisla- 
ture. 

From  the  foregoing  it  will  be  seen  with  what  care  and  ! 
jealou-y  the   general    government  guarded   the  school  1 
interests  of  the  new  formed  States.     These  grants  and 
conditions  were  accepted  by  the  convention  which  assem- 
bled at  Kaskaskia  in  July,  1818,  for  the  purpose  of  i 
framing  a  constitution  for  the  new  State.     Hon.  Shad-  ' 
rach  Bond,  a  man  of  marked   ability  was  elected  firat 
Governor  of  Illinois.     In  his  inaugrfral  address  to  the 
general  assembly,  he  called  their  special  attention  to  the  I 
educational  interests  of  the  State  in  the  following  forci- 
ble language  :  "The  subject  of  education,  the  means  for 
which  have  been  so  amply  provided  by  the  bounty  of 
the  general  government,  cannot  fail  to  engross  your  se- 
rious attention.     It  would  be  well  to  provide  for  the  ap- 
pointment or  election  of  trustees  in  each  township,  suffi- 
ciently populated,  and  empower  them  to   lease,  for  a 
limited  period,  the  section  of  land  reserved  and  granted 
for  the  use  of  schools  within  the  same,  requiring  them 


to  appropriate  the  rents  arising  therefrom  to  such  use 
and  in  the  manner  to  be  prescribed  by  law.     The  town- 

|  ships  of  land  which  have  been  granted  to  the  State  for 
the  use  of  a  seminary  of  learning,  cannot,  it  is  believed, 
be  so  disposed  of  at  present  as  to  authorize  the  passage 
of  a  law  to  commence  the  undertaking  ;  but  at  least  a 
part  of  them  may  be  leased,  and  the  rents  arising  there- 
from may  be  laid  up  or  vested  in  some  productive  fund 
as  a  secure  deposit  to  be  hereafter  appropriated  to  the 
object  to  which  the  grants  were  made ;  such  a  course 
will  render  those  lands  productive,  and  when  the  period 
shall  arrive  at  which  it  may  be  advisable  to  sell  them, 
they  will  be  extensively  improved  and  of  great  value. 
These  donations,  together  with  the  three  per  cent,  upon 
the  net  proceeds  arising  from  the  sale  of  the  public  lands 
within  the  State,  which  have  been  appropriated  for 
similar  purposes,  with  proper  arrangements,  will  create 
a  fund  sufficiently  large  to  educate  the  children  of  the 
State  to  the  remotest  period  of  time.  It  is  our  imperious 

j  duty,  for  the  faithful  performance  of  which  we  are  an- 
swerable to  God  and  our  country,  to  watch  over  this 
interesting  subject.  No  employment  can  be  more  en- 
gaging than  those  of  husbanding  those  resources  which 
will  spread  through  all  classes  of  our  fellow-citizens  the 
means  of  wisdom  and  of  knowledge,  which  in  the  free- 
dom of  our  institutions  will  make  the  child  of  the  poor- 
est parent  a  useful  member  of  society  and  an  ornament 
to  his  country." 

The  first  general  assembly  was  too  much  engrossed 
with  other  matters  of  state  to  give  this  portion  of  the 
governor's  message  the  attention  it  deserved ;  but  at 
its  second  session  it  took  cognizance  of  the  recommenda- 

!  tions  contained  in  his  first  message,  and  a  bill  was 
passed  by  both  houses,  and  approved  by  the  governor, 
March  2, 1819.  It  provided  for  the  appointment  by  the 
county  commissioners  in  each  and  every  county,  of  three 
trustees  in  each  township,  who  were  in  six  months  after 
appointment  authorized  to  employ  a  surveyor,  who  should 
lay  off  section  sixteen  in  each  township  into  lots  not  con- 
taining less  than  forty  nor  more  than  one  one  hundred 
and  sixty  acres,  and  to  lease  the  same  for  a  term  of  ten 
years,  for  the  purpose  of  creating  a  revenue  for  school 
purposes.  As  this  law  was  general  in  its  tenor,  it  was 
sufficient  to  protect  and  throw  around  these  school  lauds 
a  proper  safeguard ;  and  had  the  recommendations  of 
the  governor  and  the  provisions  of  the  law  been  ad- 
hered to  until  the  lands  became  valuable,  the  public 
fund  in  nearly  every  township  in  the  state  would  be 
to-day  sufficient  to  maintain  our  public  schools,  without 
special  taxation.  Unwise  counsel  prevailed  somewhere, 
and  the  most  of  this  munificent  gift  of  the  general  gov- 
ernment has  been  largely  sacrificed. 

From  1819  to  1825  but  few  changes  wereraade  in  the 
school  law.  Although  the  changes  were  &w  and  un- 
important, there  was  a  decided  growing  sentiment  fa- 
vorable to  the  free-school  system ;  and  in  1825  the 
general  assembly  passed  an  act  providing  for  the  estab- 
lishment and  maintenance  of  public  schools.  In  the 


158 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WAD  ASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


preamble  to  the  act,  the  following  patriotic  sentiment 
was  expressed :  "  To  enjoy  our  rights  and  liberties,  we 
must  understand  them ;  their  security  and  protection 
ought  to  be  the  first  object  of  a  free  people,  and  it  is  a 
well-established  fact  that  no  nation  has  ever  continued 
long  in  the  enjoyment  of  civil  and  political  freedom 
which  was  not  both  virtuous  and  enlightened ;  and  be- 
lieving the  advancement  of  literature  always  has  been, 
and  ever  will  be  the  means  of  developing  more  fully 
the  rights  of  man,  that  the  mind  of  every  citizen  in  a 
republic  i*  the  common  property  of  society  and  consti- 
tutes the  basis  of  its  strength  and  happiness.  It  is, 
therefore,  considered  the  peculiar  duty  of  a  free  gov- 
ernment like  ours  to  encourage  and  extend  the  improve- 
ment and  cultivation  of  the  intellectual  energies  of  the 
whole." 

This  act  is  unquestionably  the  foundation-stone  of  the 
grand  structure  of  the  present  free-school  system  of  the 
state  of  Illinois.  The  act  was  mandatory,  as  will  be 
seen  from  the  language  of  the  statute  in  the  following 
passage:  "There  shall  be  established  a  common  school 
or  schools  in  each  of  the  counties  of  this  state,  which 
shall  be  open  to  every  class  of  white  citizens  between  the 
ages  of  five  and  twenty-one  years."  It  also  provided 
for  the  election  in  each  district  of  the  following  officers: 
Three  trustees,  one  treasurer,  one  clerk,  one  assessor 
and  one  collector.  The  trustees  were  empowered  to 
perform  many  of  the  functions  now  allotted  to  the  duty 
of  county  school  superintendents,  such  as  the  examina- 
tion of  teachers,  visiting  and  superintending  schools, 
reporting  to  the  commissioners,  et  •.  Some  of  the  pro- 
visions of  the  law  of  1825  were  repealed  by  the  act  of 
1827,  creating  a  general  law  of  the  state  relating  to  the 
common  schools ;  but  no  material  changes  were  made 
until  1841,  when  the  legislature  made  a  complete  revi- 
sion of  the  school  law,  approved  February  26th,  1841. 

Among  the  changes  by  this  act  were  the  following 
provisions :  Each  township  was  entitled  to  have  as  many 
schools  as  the  inhabitants  of  such  township  desired  ;  the 
people  of  every  organized  district  were  required  to  meet 
and  elect  from  their  number  three  trustees,  and  to  agree 
upon  the  plan  and  manner  of  conducting  the  school. 
These  trustees  or  directors  were  vested  with  power  to 
execute  the  plan  adopted,  and  were  required  to  visit 
and  superintend  the  schools.  This  law  was  the  first  that 
required  schedules  to  be  kept  by  the  teachers  and  re- 
turned to  the  township  treasurers.  It  also  required  a 
teacher  to  pass  an  examination  for  a  certificate  to  teach. 
The  law  did  not  mention  the  branches  to  be  taught,  nor 
did  it  specify  the  branches  in  which  the  teacher  should 
be  examined,  but  required  that  the  certificate,  when 
issued,  should  enumerate  the  branches  in  which  the  ap- 
plicant was  qualified  to  teach. 

In  1845  another  revision  of  the  school  law  was  made, 
and  many  new  features  were  incorporated  in  it.  The 
secretary  of  state  became  ex-officio  state  superintendent 
of  schools.  Among  his  various  duties  the  statute  pro- 
vided that  he  should  counsel  with  experienced  teachers 


relating  to  the  latest  and  most  approved  methods  of 
conducting  the  common  schools  ;  he  was  required  to 
advise  the  school  commissioners  as  to  the  best  manner 
of  managing  the  schools— of  constructing  school-houses, 
and  procuring  competent  teachers ;  to  recommend  the 
best  text-books,  charts,  maps  etc.,  and  to  bring  about  a 
uniformity  of  the  same.  Under  thh  law — whose  duties 
were  those  of  secretary  of  state — the  first  state  super- 
intendent was  the  Hon.  Thomas  Campbell,  who  made  a 
very  efficient  and  useful  officer.  Many  of  the  sugges- 
tions made  by  him  in  his  report  to  the  governor  could  be 
used  with  profit  to  our  school  system  of  to  day. 

The  duties  of  Secretary  of  State  confined  his  atten- 
tion almost  wholly  to  his  office  as  the  State  developed, 
and  the  demands  for  a  special  officer  to  discharge  the 
duties  of  this  department  became  a  necessity.  Hence,  in 
1854,  the  Legislature  passed  a  law  making  "the  office  of 
State  Superintendent  of  Public  Instruction  aseparate  one. 
The  duties  to  be  performed  were  similar  to  those  under 
the  act  of  1845.  The  office  was  to  be  filled  by  appoint- 
ment by  the  Governor  until  after  the  election  in  1855. 
The  Hon.  NJnian  Edwards,  received  the  appointment, 
and  was  the  first  to  have  the  honor  of  framing  a  bill  for 
the  unification  of  the  school  system  of  the  State. 

Again  in  1872,  there  was  another  general  revision  of 
the  school  law,  since  which  time  there  have  been  but 
few  important  changes  made.  Of  this  last  revision,  we 
should  do  this  history  great  injustice  without  the  men- 
tion of  the  name  of  Hon.  Newton  Bateman,  who  has  no 
superior  in  this  country,  ad  a  an  educator,  or  friend  to 
the  free-school  system.  Oar  Legislators,  in  the  above 
mentioned  revision,  which  caused  our  common  schools 
to  rank  with  the  best  in  the  land,  gave  the  greatest  heed 
to  his  judgment  and  counsel. 

From  the  foregoing  it  will  be  seen  there  have  been 
five  marked  epochs  in  the  school  history  of  Illinois — 
1825,  1841,  1845,  1854  and  1872.  In  the  main  we  have 
a  most  excellent  free-school  system  in  our  State ;  but 
there  are  changes  that  should  be  made  iu  the  law,  which 
would  prove  wholesome  to  all  concerned.  We  have 
special  reference  to  the  want  of  clearness  in  the  lan- 
guage of  the  statute.  The  school  law,  above  all  others, 
should  be  the  plainest  in  all  its  details,  and  so  well 
arranged  as  to  be  intelligible  to  all  who  are  able  to 
read. 

The  permanent  school  fund  of  the  State  comprises : 
1st,  the  school  fund  proper,  being  three  per  cent,  upon 
the  net  proceeds  of  the  sales  of  public  lands  in  the 
State,  one  sixth  part  excepted ;  2nd,  the  college  funds, 
consisting  of  the  above  one-sixth  part ;  3rd,  the  surplus 
revenue  derived  from  the  distribution  in  1836,  of  the 
surplus  revenue  of  the  United  States;  4th,  the  seminary 
fund,  derived  from  sales  of  lands  granted  to  the 
State  by  the  General  Government;  5th,  county  funds 
created  by  the  Legislature  in  1835  ;  6th,  township  funds, 
arising  from  the  sale  of  public  lands  granted  by  Con- 
gress for  common  school  purposes. 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WAS ASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


159 


EDWARDS      COUNTY. 
THE  EARLY  SCHOOLS. 

To  establish  and  maintain  a  school  in  a-  new  country, 
is  and  has  been,  one  of  the  difficult  problems  of  the  first 
settlers.  These  inhabitants  were  backwoods  hunters, 
whose  cabins  are  several  miles  apart.  Their  mode  of 
life  requires  no  education  in  the  scholastic  meaning  of 
the  term.  Their  habits  are  independent  of  literary  ac- 
quirements, and  their  children  grow  up  without  knowing 
how  to  execute  the  most  simple  sum  by  the  rules  of 
arithmetic,  or  write  a  word,  or  read  a  sentence  Yet 
some  of  these  untutored  men  of  the  woods,  by  some 
complex  reasoning  of  their  own,  are  capable  of  reach- 
ing correct  results  with  greater  dispatch  than  those  who 
have  mastered  the  books.  In  a  town  or  village,  even 
in  its  infancy,  a  school  may  be  established  and  main- 
tained. If  there  be  but  a  half-score  of  families,  a 
school  is  easily  assembled,  and  a  suitable  teacher  pro- 
cured. This  was  the  case  in  Albion,  in  its  earliest  days, 
as  it  was  here  that  the  first  school  was  taught,  in  what 
is  now  Edwards  county.  The  teacher  was  Oswald  War- 
rington,  who  had  come  to  the  county  from  England, 
among  the  first  emigrants.  This  school  was  established 
in  1819,  and  was  what  is  termed  a  private  or  subscrip- 
tion school.  Mr.  Warrington  excelled  in  penmanship, 
and  there  were  many  of  the  young  men  of  that  early 
day,  who  owed  their  skill  in  writing  to  their  first  master, 
Mr.  Warringtou.  He  subsequently  removed  to  Cincin- 
nati and  went  into  the  mercantile  business.  The  first 
regular  or  public  school  in  Albion,  was  conducted  by 
John  Love,  in  an  old  building  then  situated,  on  the  lot 
of  Robert  Curdling.  Ex-Governor  French,  was  also 
among  the  early  teachers  of  the  town.  The  first  school 
building  erected  here,  was  situated  on  the  ground  now 
occupied  by  the  Presbyterian  church. 

The  first  school  taught  outside  of  the  town  of  Albion, 
was  about  three  miles  west  of  the  village.  The  school- 
house  was  the  old  style  log  building  with  puncheon 
floor,  seats  and  desks,  and  a  hole  cut  out  in  one  of  the 
sides  to  admit  the  light,  which  was  failed  a  window. 
The  manner  and  means  of  building_it  were  as  unique  as 
the  structure.  Four  or  five  English  farmers  and  two  or 
three  New  Englanders,  living  in  what  was  then  consid- 
ered a  close  neighborhood,  none  being  more  than  a  mile 
from  the  common  center,  met  at  an  appointed  time, 
some  with  oxen  and  others  with  axes.  They  went  to  a 
neighboring  wood,  (Congress  !and)  where  they  prepared 
the  logs  and  hauled1  them  to  the  spot  chosen  for  the  site. 
The  raising  was  performed  by  the  united  efforts  of  those 
interested  in  the  school.  It  is  said  that  it  was  at  this 
school-house,  that  Ex- Governor  Augustus  C.  French 
taught  his  first  school.  The  first  teacher  in  this  school- 
house  was  Isaac  Coper,  in  1820. 

The  first  school-house  built  and  the  first  school  taught 
in  French  Creek  precinct,  was  in  1821.  The  school- 
house  was  a  rude  log  building  of  the  primitive  style, 
and  was  situated  in  section  17,  township  3  south,  range 


14  west,  and  within  the  northern  limits  of  the  city 
of  Graysville.  The  first  teacher  was  Daniel  R.  Jacobs, 
"  and  in  his  time  was  considered  good." 


In  Salem  precinct,  although  having  territory  among  the 
first  settled  in  the  county,  the  pioneers  were  so  few  and 
scattered,  that  it  was  not  until  1824,  that  a  school  could 
be  established  and  maintained.  The  first  school-build- 
ing was  erected  in  the  above  year,  and  was  situated  on 
the  northwest  quarter  of  the  southeast  quarter  of  section 
21.  The  building  was  of  round  logs  and  other  appur- 
tenances to  match.  It  is  claimed,  however,  that  this 
building  had  a  window  of  real  glats,  instead  of  the 
usual  greased  paper  posted  over  the  aperture  to  admit 
light.  Prior  to  the  building  of  this  house,  a  school  had 
been  taught  a  year  or  so  before,  in  a  deserted  cabin 
The  first  teacher's  name  that  we  are  able  to  record  in  this 
part  of  the  county,  was  a  colored  ruan,  by  the  name  of 
Sweat.  Other  early  teachers  w.ere,  Lothrop  Rude  and 
Daniel  Abbey. 

In  Dixon  precinct,  the  first  school  was  taught  in  a  log 
cabin,  situated  on  the  Churchill  land,  in  1824.  The 
teacher  was  Daniel  Bain,  a  transient  person  from  some 
part  of  the  east.  He  taught  but  a  term  or  two,  and 
afterwards  migrated  to  some  other  portion  of  the  State. 
The  first  school  in  Shelby  precinct  was  taught  by  a 
Mr.  McCowen,  in  1827.  The  place  for  holding  the 
school  was  in  a  log  cabin,  located  in  the  northwest  quar- 
ter of  the  southeast  quarter  of  section  33,  township  1 

|  north.  The  next  teacher  was  a  man  by  the  name  of 
Moore.  The  first  building  erected  for  school  purposes 
was  in  1856.  It  was  a  frame  building,  and  was  situated 
in  section  33,  township  1  north. 

The  text-books  of  those  times  were  such  books  as  the 
family  might  have  at  hand,  some  read  in  the  Testament, 
others  in  histories  or  biographies  such  as  the  family 
library  could  produce.  There  was  no  uniformity  of 
books  in  the  schools,  and  classification  was  not  thought 
of.  Each  pupil  was  trotted  up  to  the  master's  side  and 

I  read  or  recited  according  to  the  book  he  might  po.-sc.-.*. 

j  In  a  few  years,  a  partial  system  of  text-books  came  into 


160 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  W ABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


use,  and  the  cause  of  teaching  received  quite  an  impe- 
tus. The  first  real  system  of  text-books  was  not  intro- 
du.ced  until  about  1835.  Among  those  used  in  the 
count}'  were  Pike's,  Smiley's  and  Smith's  arithmetics  ; 
Murray's,  Smith's  and  Kirkham's  grammars;  the  old 
English  reader,  and  later,  Goodrich's  series ;  Morse's, 
and  Mitchell's  geographies ;  and  above  and  beyond  all 
as  the  text-book,  was  the  old  "  blue  back,"  Webster's 
spelling  book.  Sometimes  we  hear  those  of  this  more 
progressive  age,  condemning  the  "  fogies,"  as  they  term 
the  old  people,  because  of  their  advocacy  and  desires  of 
again  placing  the  "  blue  back"  speller  in  our  schools. 
If  "  Young  America  "  could  comprehend  the  value,  in 
its  time,  of  this  much  reverenced,  now  abused  book,  they 
would  surely  be  prepared  to  exercise  the  charity  for  the 
merits  of  an  auxiliary,  which,  for  the  good  it  has  served, 
cannot  be  supplanted  by  any  other  text-book  which  is 
now  or  shall  in  the  future  be  placed  in  print. 

The  progress  of  the  schools  of  the  county  has  been  of 
a  slow  but  healthy  growth.  The  sixteenth  section  of 
each  township,  granted  under  the  stipulations  of  the  ad- 
mission of  the  State  into  the  Union,  have  been  disposed 
of,  and  the  proceeds  distributed  to  the  various  town- 
ships. The  swamp  land  fund  of  five  townships  is  yet  in 
the  hands  of  the  county  superintendent,  and  subject  to 
his  distribution  of  interest.  The  school,  college  and 
seminary  fund  in  1841,  was  $1,637.05,  and  the  amount 
paid  out  for  school  purposes  to  that  time  was,  $1,188.49, 
leaving  a  balance  in  favor  of  the  county,  $499  46.  The 
following  is  a  showing  of  the  school  affairs  of  the  county 
for  1858,  acording  to  the  biennial  report  of  the  State 
Superintendent  for  that  date: 


Whole  number  of  schocls  in  the  county 

Average  number  of  months  taught 

Number  of  male  teachers 

Number  of  female  teachers 

Average  salary  of  male  teachers 

Average  salary  of  female  teachers 

Number  of  male  scholars 

Number  of"  female  scholars • 

Number  of  school-houses  built  in  the  yoar 

Number  of  school-houses 

Number  of  white  persons  under  twenty-one 

Number  of  while  persons  between  five  and  twenty-one 

Amount  paid  to  leachers 

For  building,  repairing  and  renting  school-houses 

Whole  amount  received  for  school  purposes 

Whole  amount  expended  for  school  purposes 

Number  of  colored  persons  in  county  under  twenty-one  years  . 
Number  of  colored  persons  in  county  between  ages  of  five  and 


815 

1,1  r.n 


1,7(12 
$1,447 
81,454 
•$4,529 
$5,116 


In  1867,  we  glean  the  following  from  the  report  of 
the  County  Superintendent  to  the  State  Superintendent : 


Whit»  persons  between  the  ages  of  six  und  twenty-ono 2,614 

Colored  persons  between  the  ages  of  six  and  twenty-one  ....  82 

Number  of  school-houses 47 

Number  of  school  districts 39 

Number  of  schools  in  the  county 44 

Whole  number  of  pupils  in  attendance 2,046 

Number  of  teachers  in  the  county 64 

Amount  of  state  and  county  funds $2,878,21 

Amount  paid  to  teachers $7,145.04 

Total  expenditures  for  the  year $14,*85.87 

Highest  wages  paid 875.00 

I.ow.'st  wages  paid J9..M 


Again,  in  1882,  we  glean  fr.  m  the  annual  report  as 
follows : 


Number  of  pupils  between  the  ages  of  six  and  twenty-one  ....         3,083 

Number  of  school  districts 43 

Nunbor  of  schools  conducted  in  the  county « 

Number  of  pupils  in  attendance 2,568 

Number  of  teachers  in  the  county 63 

Number  of  school-houses 48 

Highest  wages  paid $84.00 

Lowest  wages  paid $ie.oo 

Total  amount  paid  teachers $11,748.77 

Total  expenditures  of  schools $15,794.66 

Amount  on  hand  due  the  county $3,;toii.68 

Henry  Bowman  was  appointed  the  first  school  com- 
missioner in  1838.  Mr.  Bowman  died  soon  after  ap- 
pointment, when  Henry  I.  Mills  was  appointed  to  fill  the 
vacancy,  which  position  he  held  until  1842.  His 
successor  was  James  Hean,  who  served  until  18ol.  The 
following  is  a  roster  of  school  commissioners  and  super- 
intendents to  the  present  time :  Cyrus  Rice  in  office 
from  1851-61 ;  Edgar  W.  Brandon  from  1861-65. 
Subsequent  to  this  date  the  name  of  the  office  is  changed 
to  "County  Superintendent  of  schools."  In  1865, 
Lothrop  T.  Eude  was  elected,  and  served  until  1869, 
when  Levinus  Harris  was  elected,  and  has  filled  the 
office  to  the  present  time. 

The  following  are  the  names  of  the  present  school 
treasurers  of  the  county : 

Township  2  south,  range  10  east,  E.  H.  Harwick. 

Township  1  south,  range  10  east,  B.  P.  Reid. 

Township  3  south,  ranges  10  and  11  east,  Thomas  W. 
Gibson. 

Township  3  south,  range  14  west,  C  H.  Spring. 

Township  2  south,  range  14  west,  John  Marriott. 

Township  1  south,  range  14  west,  Orion  Rice. 

Township  1  north,  range  10  east,  Robert  Marshall. 

Township  2  north,  range  10  east,  M.  L.  Howe. 

Township  1  north,  range  11  east,  H.  A.  Tietze. 

Township  1  north,  range  14  west,  H.  A.  Tietze. 

Township  2  north,  range  14  west,  J.  A.  Berry. 

Township  2  north,  range  11  east,  E.  R.  Harrison. 

Township  1  south,  range  11  east,  James  Stone. 

Township  2  south,  range  11  east,  E.  D.  Jacobs. 

The  first  teachers'  institute  in  the  county  was  held  at 
Albion,  in  the  fall  of  1866,  and  was  conducted  but  three 
days.  This  was  under  the  instruction  and  management 
of  L.  T.  Rude,  County  Superintendent,  and  Levinus 
Harris,  present  Superintendent.  The  number  of  teach- 
ers in  attendance  was  about  fifteen.  With  the  exception 
of  two  years  these  associations  have  been  kept  up,  and 
have  been  productive  of  much  good  lo  the  teachers  and 
school  interests  of  this  county.  These  associations  have 
been  mainly  under  the  supervision  of  the  present  effi- 
cient County  Superintendent,  Levinus  Harris.  In  1880 
a  Normal  Institute,  of  eleven  weeks'  duration  was  con- 
ducted by  the  County  Superintendent  and  Charles  Har- 
ris, there  being  about  seventy  persons  in  attendance. 
The  year  following,  another  Normal  session  was  held  for 
a  term  of  eight  weeks,  the  same  parties  conducting  it. 
In  the  institute,  all  the  common  branches  were  taught. 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  W ABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


161 


also  the  "  sciences,"  book-keeping,  theory,  and  practice 
in  teaching,  and  Latin.  Among  the  assistants  in  these 
institutes  was  the  popular  educator,  Professor  James  H. 
Brownlee,  of  Carbondale,  who  takes  a  prominent  rank 
among  the  able  educators  of  Illinois. 

Monthly  teachers'  associations  are  held  in  different 
portions  of  the  county,  and  much  good  is  growing  out 
of  them.  The  grade  for  obtaining  license  to  teach  is 
well  up  with  the  times,  and  it  may  be  truthfully  be  said 
that  the  present  Superintendent  of  Schools,  is  discharg- 
ing his  duties  in  an  efficient  and  conscientious  manner. 


LAWHENCE  COUNTY. 
THE   EARLY   SCHOOLS. 

From  the  best  information,  the  first  regular  school 
taught  in  Lawrence  county  was  in  1817,  by  George 
Godfrey.  The  school  was  conducted  in  one  of  the  log 
houses  situated  within  a  fort  built  in  Dennison  township, 
during  the  time  of  the  Indian  troubles.  Prior  to  this  he 
had  taught  in  Compton  fort,  at  Allendale,  Wabash 
county.  A  school-house  was  built  in  1826,  and  situated 
in  section  seventeen,  township  three,  range  eleven.  Chas. 
Martin  taught  the  first  school  in  it.  Another  early 
teacher  in  this  precinct  was  Jeremiah  Flemming.  A 
school  was  taught  in  Lawrence  precinct  as  early  as  1818, 
Lakin  Ryle  being  the  first  teacher.  The  school  was 
kept  in  a  deserted  log  cabin  situated  in  section  34, 
township  4,  range  12,  Mr.  Ryle  taught  in  this  vicinity 
for  several  years,  when  his  health  failed,  and  he  was 
obliged  to  cease  his  labors.  The  fint  house  built  for 
school  purposes,  was  in  1822,  and  was  located  in  section 
3,  township  3,  range  12.  It  was  constructed  of  sound 
hickory  logs,  and  was  of  the  most  primitive  style. 

A  double  log  building,  for  both  school  and  church 
purposes,  was  erected  by  the  New  Light  or  Christian 
denomination  in  Allison  township,  as  early  as  1818. 
Eli  Harris  was  one  of  the  first  teachers.  The  house  was 
named  "Center  "  school-house,  and  is  known  as  such  to 
the  present  time.  It  has  been  remodeled  and  repaired 
from  time  to  time,  and  is  yet  in  a  fair  state  of  preserva- 
tion, and  used  for  school  purposes.  A  school  was 
taught  in  1819  by  John  Martin,  in  a  small  pole  cabin 
situated  in  section  18,  township  3,  range  12,  Bridgeport 
precinct.  About  two  years  later,  a  log  house  was  built 
for  school  use,  not  far  from  the  above  cabin,  and  was 
known  as  "Spring  Hill ''  school-house.  This  being  the 
first  locality  settled  in  the  west  part  of  the  county,  the 
children  for  several  miles  around,  attended  school  in  this 
house  for  quite  a  number  of  years.  Another  early 
teacher,  of  this  portion  of  the  county,  was  James 
Swainey. 

The  first  teaching  done  in  Luken  township  was  in 
1819,  by  Mrs.  Clark.  The  school  was  conducted  at  her 
own  house,  situated  in  section  24,  township  2,  range  13. 
A  log  house  was  built  in  1820,  and  located  in  section 
24,  township  2,  range  12.  In  the  spring  of  .1819,  Ag- 
21 


nes  Carrie  taught  a  select  school  of  about  fifteen  pupils. 
The  school  was  conducted  in  an  abandoned  log  house  in 
the  door  yard  of  her  father,  in  section  30.  The  first 
school  taught  in  Bond  township  was  about  1820.  A 
school  house  was  built  in  1822,  and  was  situated  near 
what  is  now  Pinkstaff  station.  About  the  same  time, 
another  house  was  built  about  two  miles  east  of  the 
station.  These  houses  accommodated  this  entire  settle- 
ment. In  1828  they  united  and  built  a  house  in  the 
Dolahan  neighborhood.  The  first  teachers  were,  Law- 
son  Childers  John  Dolahan,  and  a  man  by  the  name  of 
White. 

Samuel  Borden.  a  native  of  New  Jersey,  taught  the 
first -school  in  Russell  township,  as  early  as  1817.  The 
school  was  conducted  in  a  vacated  cabin,  situated  in  sec- 
tion 4,  township  4,  range  10.  The  first  house  built  for 
school  purposes  was  in  1822,  and  located  in  section  5, 
township  4,  range  10.  Petty  precinct  did  not  afford  a 
school  building  until  1833.  It  was  constructed  of  round 
logs,  and  was  situated  on  the  southeast  quarter  of  the 
northwest  quarter  of  section  30,  township  4,  range  12. 
Washington  Douglas  was  one  of  the  first  teachers. 

To  show  the  progress  the  schools  have  made  within 
the  last  two  decades,  we  here  append  a  synopsis  of  a  re- 
port of  the  condition  of  the  common  schools  made  in 
1862,  and  also  the  statistics  of  similar  items  made  in 
1882. 

For  the  year  ending  October  1,  1862,  the  following 
report  is  given. 

Whole  number  of  schools  in  the  county '    % 

Whole  number  of  pupils  in  attendance 2,922 

Whole  number  of  male  teachers 62 

Whole  number  of  female  touchers -  -   H 

Whole  number  of  districts 67 

Whole  number  of  districts  having  six  months  school  or  more  .  45 

Whole  numberof  school-houses 60 

Amount  outstanding  district  debts J  725 

Surplus  in  treasury  belonging  to  districts 620 

Highest  monthly  wages  paid  teachers 40 

Lowest  monthly  wages  paid  teachers 7 

Principal  of  county  fund 1,*83 

Total  amount  received  for  school  purposes 8,198 

Total  amount  of  expenditures 7,'180 


Report  for  the  year  ending  June  30,  1882 : 

Whole  numberof  districts  in  the  county 67 

Whole  number  of  school-houses •  • 70 

Total  number  of  graded  schools 8 

Total  number  of  pupils  enrolled 4,070 

Total  number  of  teachers  in  the  county 113 

Highest  monthly  wages  paid $      75.00 

Lowest  monthly  wages  paid 12,00 

Estimated  value  of  school  property • 38,700 

Bonded  school  debt 3,891 

Principal  of  county  fund 2,339.47 

Total  receipts  for  the  year 32,837.54 

Total  expenditures $20,909.54 

The  only  Normal  Institute  held  in  the  county  was  in 
the  summer  of  1880.  The  session  was  conducted  six 
weeks  under  the  efficient  management  of  Prof.  P.  J. 
Anderson,  aided  by  Prof  J.  H.  Brownlee  of  Carbondale, 
and  Prof.  L.  Prugh  of  Vincennes.  Fifty-two  teachers 
were  enrolled,  and  much  good  grew  out  of  this  brief  ses- 
sion. An  annual  Teachers'  Institute  of  five  or  six  days 
duration,  is  conducted  by  the  county  superintendent. 


162 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


These  meetings  are  held  in  various  parts  of  the  county, 
and,  usually,  are  very  well  attended. 

The  following  is  a  roster  of  the  School  Commissioners 
and  County  Superintendents  since  the  office  was  estab- 
lished:  Abner  Greer  was  appointed  Sept.  7th,  1836, 
and  was  removed  at  the  June  term  of  the  commissioners' 
court,  1842,  for  failing  to  file  his  bond.  William  R. 
Jackson  served  from  1842  to  1844 ;  A.  S.  Badollet,  from 
1844  to  1857 ;  Luenberg  Abernathy,  from  1857  to  1861 ; 
Johii  B.  Saye,  from  1861  to  1865 ;  T.  P.  Lowery,  from 
1865  to  1869 ;  O.  V.  Smith,  from  1869  to  1873 ;  F.  W. 
Cox,  from  1873  to  1881.  C.  H.  Martin  was  appointed 
by  the  county  board  for  the  year  1882,  when  Mr.  Mar- 
tin was  elected  by  the  people  for  four  years,  and  is  thus 
the  present  incumbent. 

We  give  below  a  list  of  the  names  and  location  of  the 
present  school  treasurers : 


N.  H.  Norton,           township  3,  range  10 

T.  J.  Ford, 

4,      " 

ID 

William  H.  Higgins,       ". 

5,      " 

10 

Wesley  Potts. 

2,      " 

H 

E.  Schmalhaasen, 

3,      " 

11 

Lee  Warner, 

4,      " 

11 

John  B.  Rich, 

5,      " 

11 

A.  B.  Buchanan,             " 

2,      " 

ll> 

Walter  L.  Gray, 

3,      " 

12 

Samuel  Stoltz, 

4,      " 

12 

E.  Rundle 

5,      " 

12 

Stephen  E.  Morgan,        " 

2,      « 

13 

C.  B.  Jones, 

3,     " 

13 

C.  H.  Martin, 

4,      " 

13 

David  A.  Watts,              " 

5,      " 

13 

WABASH   COUNTY, 
THE    EARLY   SCHOOLS 

The  privileges  for  an  education  among  the  pioneer 
children  were  of  the  most  meagre  kind ;  yet  the  first  set- 
lers  did  what  was  within  their  power  and  means  to  give 
them  the  advantages  of  an  education  sufficient  to  meet 
the" requirements  of  the  times.  This  will  be  made  man- 
ifest, when  it  is  known  that  they,  even  in  the  perilous 
times  of  frontier  life,  surrounded  by  wild  savages,  did 
not  neglect  this  important  duty  to  their  children.  The 
first  lessons  were  given  in  the  forts  by  persons  selected 
who  were  capable  of  giving  the  needed  instruction. 

The  first  regular  school  taught  in  the  county  of  which 
we  have  any  record,  was  in  1816.  It  was  con- 
ducted in  a  deserted  log  cabin  near  Barney's  Fort,  in 
Friendsville  precinct.  The  first  teachers  in  this  house 
were  John  Griffith  and  Betsey  Osgood.  A  house  was 
erected  for  school  purposes  in  1820,  a  quarter  of  a 
mile  east  of  Friendsville.  Its  structure  and  appurte- 
nances were  of  the  usual  style  of  those  days,  being  con- 
structed of  round  logs,  puncheon  floor,  puncheon 
seats  and  desks,  greased  paper  pasted  over  a  crevice  for 
lighting  purposes,  etc.,  etc.  The  village  of  Friendsville 
has  performed  a  creditable  part  in  the  matter  of  higher 


|  education.  For  some  years  prior  to  1866,  Rev  Samuel 
Baldridge  had  instructed  pupils  in  the  classics  and  other 

j  higher  branches  of   learning  in  the  church.      In  that 

'  year,  through  the  efforts  of  Mr.  Baldridge  seconded  by 
the  friends  of  education,  a  building  was  erected  for  high 

j  school  purposes,  and  till  recently  was  occupied  in  that 
behalf  by  Mr.  Baldridge  himself.  The  school  has  turned 
out  some  apt  and  proficient  scholars  who  have  taken 
their  places  in  business,  or  found  their  way  into  our  col- 
leges or  seminaries.  The  building  is  a  frame,  40x60 
feet,  and  is  surmounted  by  a  bell  tower,  supplied  with  a 
bell.  The  public  school  of  the  village  is  in  a  prosperous 
coudition.  The  school-house  is  a  frame  building  30x40 
feet  in  foundation,  and  was  erected  about  1866.  The 
schools  of  the  precinct  are  generally  in  a  prosperous  con- 
dition, under  the  management  of  efficient  teachers  and 
are  supplied  with  comfortable  buildings  and  proper 
equipments. 

The  first  school  taught  in  Coffee  precinct  was  as  early 
as  1818,  by  William  Townsend.  He  was  a  single  man, 
and  not  only  taught  school,  but  conducted  religious  ser- 
vices in  the  settlement.  The  school-house  was  of  the 
primitive  style,  and  was  situated  on  the  southeast  quar- 
ter of  the  southeast  quarter  of  section  10.  Townseud 
taught  in  this  house,  and  was  succeeded  by  Reuben 
Fox.  The  latter  became  quite  a  fixture,  and  taught  in 
the  county  for  several  years.  The  pupils  who  attended 
this  first  school  were  of  the  name  of  Arnold,  Landsdown, 
Baird,  Lovellette,  and  Degan,  and  were  about  twenty  in 
number. 

Reuben  Fox  taught  school  in  Compton  Fort,  in  Wa- 
bash  precinct,  probably  in  1814  or  '15.  In  this  school 
James  Stillwell  received  all  the  education  he  ever  got. 
Robert  Gibson,  of  Warren  county  Kentucky,  a  nephew 
of  Levi  Comptou,  visited  his  relations  in  the  Timber  Set- 
tlement, and  taught  school  between  the  years  1815  and 

j  1818.  A  log  dwelling  was  converted  into  a  school-house 
about  the  year  1820.  It  stood  in  Section  13,  Township 
1  North,  Range  12  West.  The  first  school  was  taught 

j  by  Morris  Phelps,  who  afterward  became  a  Mormon 
preacher  and  emigrated  to  Utah.  A  log  school-house 
was  built  about  1824,  at  the  center  of  section  14,  same 
town  and  range.  Stephen  Midget,  now  one  of  the  judges 
of  the  county  court,  who  lived  in  the  neighborhood,  at 
one  time  taught  school  in  this  building. 

The  first  school  house  in  Allendale  was  built  original- 
ly in  old  Timberville,  and  was  moved  to  the  former  vil- 
lage. The  present  school-house  is  a  handsome  brick, 
two-story,  three-room  building,  and  was  erected  in  1879 
at  a  cost,  including  furniture,  of  about  $4,000. 

Schools  were  conducted  in  Mt.  Carrael  as  early  as 
1819.  The  first  teachers  were  :  Mr.  Curry,  Mr.  Schu- 
field, — and,  a  little  later,  Mrs.  Joy  became  one  of  the 
prominent  teachers.  A  school-house  was  not  built  until 
about  1823.  It  was  a  log  building  of  small  pretensions, 
and  was  situated  on  the  lot  now  occupied  by  Charles 
Russell. 

From  this  rude  beginning  the  schools  of  this  city  have 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  W ABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


163 


grown  to  magnificent  proportions.  Her  school-houses 
are  large  and  commodious,  well  furnished  and  well  sup- 
plied with  the  means  of  making  study  pleasant  as  well 
as  profitable.  They  are  now  under  the  efficient  manage- 
ment of  Prof.  J.  W.  Henuinger,  supported  by  an  able 
corps  of  assistants,  and  are  in  a  flourishing  condition. 

The  first  school  taught  in  Lancaster  precinct  was  in 
1820,  by  a  man  of  the  name  of  Abbott.     The  cabin  in 
which  he  taught  stood  on  the  west  half  of  the  northeast 
quarter  of  section  3.     In  1822  a  school  building  was 
erected  on  the  present  site  of  Lancaster.     The  first  to  : 
teach  here  was  Reuben  Fox.     A  few  years  later  the  ! 
house  was  moved  a  half  mile  west  to  accommodate  the 
settlers  on  Long  Prairie. 

A  frame  school  building  was  built  in  the  village  in 
1846.  It  served  its  purpose  for  a  period  of  twenty  years, 
but  was  outgrown  by  the  numerical  increase  of  pupils, 
and  was  superseded,  in  1866,  by  the  present  frame  two- 
story  building  ertcted  at  a  cost  of  $1800. 

Oliver  Thrall  was  probably  the  first  teacher  in  Bell- 
mont  precinct.  A  little  later— 1828— Alvin  Kenner 
taught  a  school  in  section  32,  township  1  south,  range  13 
west.  The  first  house  built  for  school  purposes  was  in 
1837,  and  was  located  in  the  southwest  quarter  of  section 
18,  township  1  south. 

The  first  school-house  in  the  village  of  Bellmont  was 
erected  in  1874,  and  David  Dean  taught  the  first  school 
in  that  year.  The  present  house  was  built  in  1881.  It 
is  a  frame  two-story  building  and  cost,  exclusive  of  fur- 
niture, $1921.  The  school  is  well  equipped,  and  is  under 
the  efficient  instruction  of  H.  W.  Van  Senden. 

Schools  were  not  in  vogue  in  Lick  Prairie  precinct 
until  1830.  There  were  but  few  settlers,  and,  up  to  this 
time,  they  sent  their  children  to  the  adjoiuing  schools. 
William  Townsend,  before  mentioned,  was  their  first 
teacher.  He  was  a  Methodist  preacher,  and  opened  his 
school  with  prayer,  and  was  considered  an  excellent 
teacher  in  his  day. 

School    Commissioners  and   Superintendents  — Gilbert 
C  Turner,  elected  1833  to  1849.    James  Mahon,  elected 
1849  to  1853.     W.  M.  Harmon,  elected  1853  to  1882.  | 
Alfred  P.  Manly,  elected  1882.    The  latter  is  filling  the  ! 
position  of  county  superintendent  with  ability  and  satis- 
faction, and,  through  his  attentive  and  careful  manage- 
ment, the  schools  of  the  county  have   been  gradually 
raised  to  a  higher  grade  of  scholarship. 

The  crude,  old-fashioned  school-houses  and  their  be- 
longings have  passed  into  oblivion  ;  %nd  the  neat,  airy 
and  cheerful  ones  of  the  present  age  are  occupying  their 
sites.  The  pupil  of  to-day  listens  with  interest  to  the 
description  given  by  his  grandsire  of  the  puncheon  seats, 
greased  paper  for  a  window,  and  other  peculiarities  of 
the  old-time  school-houses  when  he  was  a  boy.  The 
manner  of  teaching  has  also  kept  pace  with  the  age. 
Improved  text-books  have  been  auxiliary  in  aiding  the 
teacher  to  classify  his  pupils  and  otherwise  aid  in  the 
school-room  economy. 

The  Mt.  Carmel  public  schools,  under  the  efficient 


management  of  Prof.  Henniger,  is  a  model  of  modern 
schools.  It  now  has  enrolled  over  four  hundred  pupils 
and  graduates  more  or  less  every  year.  This  year — 
1883— six  students  will  be  sent  forth  with  the  honors  of 
having  passed  the  examination  necessary  to  graduate. 

The  following  statistics  will  give  a  fair  showing  of  the 
progress  of  school  affairs  ia  the  last  two  decades.  From 
the  report  made  to  the  State  Superintendent  in  1861,  we 
glean  as  follows  :  Pupils  between  the  ages  of  five  and 
twenty -one,  2760.  Number  of  school  districts,  52.  Aver- 
age number  months  school  taught,  5-9.  Number  of 
persons  under  twenty-one  years  of  age,  4048.  Number 
of  male  teachers  employed,  29.  Number  of  female 
teachers  employed,  44.  Lowest  monthly  wages  paid 
male  teachers,  $16.33J.  Lowest  monthly  wages  paid 
female  teachers,  $5.  Highest  monthly  wag(s  paid  male 
teachers,  $50.  Highest  monthly  wages  paid  female 
teachers,  $26.  Total  amount  paid  for  school  purposes 
$6,529.69. 

The  following  are  the  same  items  for  the  year  1882  : 
Pupils  between  the  ages  of  six  and  twenty-one,  3326. 
Number  of  school  districts,  52.  Average  number  of 
months  school  taught,  6-9.  Number  of  persons  under 
twenty-one  years  of  age,  4885.  Number  of  male  teach- 
ers employed,  51.  Number  of  female  teachers  employed, 
31.  Lowest  monthly  wages  paid  male  teachers,  $22.50. 
Lowest  monthly  wages  paid  female  teachers,  $600. 
Highest  monthly  wages  paid  male  teachers,  $100.00. 
Highest  monthly  wages  paid  female  teachers,  $60.00. 
Total  amount  paid  for  school  purposes,  $19  926  86. 

Unfortunately,  but  litile  has  been  done  in  the  county 
in  the  way  of  institutes,  which  is  so  necessary  for  a  well- 
organiz  d  corps  of  teachers  and  for  the  welfare  of  the 
public  schools.  In  1881  the  teachers  of  the  county  or- 
ganized an  institute  which  met  monthly  and  was  con- 
tinued for  over  a  year,  but,  lacking  a  head,  it  collapsed 
and  has  not  since  been  revived.  A  session  of  three  days 
was  held  at  Mt.  Carmel  in  September,  1882,  with  very 
satisfactory  results.  Quite  a  large  number  of  teachers 
were  in  attendance,  and  much  good  grew  out  of  this 
short  session.  The  schools  of  the  county  sadly  need 
proper  and  judicious  superintending ;  and,  with  the 
present  Superintendent  of  Schools,  Prof.  A.  P.  Manley, 
it  may  reasonably  be  expected  that  a  new  era  will  open 
for  the  advancement  of  the  schools  of  Wabash  county. 

— j—a--e=«4— 
CHAPTER  XIII. 

ECCLESIASTICAL  HISTORY. 
EDWARDS  COUNTY. 

SKETCHES  OF  THE  M.  E   CHURCHES. 

BY  REV.  L.  C.  ENGLISH. 

N  1812  the  Little  Wabash  Circuit  was  constitu- 
ted, and  John  Smith  was  appointed  preacher- 
in-charge,  and  Peter  Cartwright  was  the  Pre- 
siding Elder.     The  region  now  embraced  in  Edwards 


164 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  W ABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


county  formed  a  part  of  this  circuit,  which  was  then  in- 
cluded in  the  Tennessee  Conference.  Changes  in  names 
and  bounds  have  been  made,  but  the  Minutes  show  a 
regularly  appointed  preacher  to  this  region  from  that 
date  to  the  present.  The  first  societies  were  organized 
in  private  houses,  and  but  little  record  of  them  is  to  be 
obtained.  About  1825  a  class  was  organized  at  the 
house  of  George  Michels,  sr.,  one  and  a  half  miles  south- 
east of  Albion,  of  which  he  was  the  leader;  services 
were  continued  here  till  about  1854,  when  the  members 
were  put  into  other  classes.  The  first  quaiterly  meeting 
held  in  Albion  was  in  1831,  in  the  old  court-house. 
James  McKean  and  John  Fox  were  the  circuit  preach- 
ers, and  George  Locke  was  the  Presiding  Elder.  The 
first  class-meeting  is  thought  to  have  been  held  at  the 
house  of  C.  Schofield,  about  that  time.  From  about 
1840,  public  services  were  held  in  a  Union  church  until 
the  M.  E.  church  now  occupied  was  built.  Before  1836, 
a  class  was  organized  in  the  neighborhood  of  Old  Union, 
'  near  where  Simpson  chapel  now  stands.  Among  the 
first  members  were  the  families  of  James  Dewherst  and 
Cavy  Lambert.  In  1837  a  class  was  formed  at  the 
house  of  Joseph  Robinson,  half  a  mile  N.  E.  of  Pinhook. 
Luther  D.  Morgan,  from  Terre  Haute,  Indiana,  was  the 
leader.  John  Fox  was  the  preacher  in  1837,  and 
S.  P.  Burr  in  1838.  In  1840  Jacob  E.  Reed  organized 
a  class  at  the  house  of  John  Brown,  near  Bone  Gap, 
consisting  of  the  following  members:  John  Brown  and 
wife,  James  Hocking  and  wife,  John  Hocking  and  wife, 
Richard  Hocking,  Ann  Gould,  David  S.  Rude  and  wife. 
John  Brown  was  the  first  leader. 

The  following  are  the  M.  E.  churches  in  the  county 
at  this  time : 

Salem.— This  church  is  in  the  N.  E.  part  of  the  county 
at  Bone  Gap  Station,  on  the  P.  De  E.  R.  R.  A  good 
frame  house  was  built  in  1848,  and  occupied  till  about 
1870,  when  a  larger  and  more  commodious  house  was 
built,  in  which  a  large  and  prosperous  church  and  Sab- 
bath-school meet  every  Sabbath.  Here  are  the  largest 
M.  E.  Church  and  S.  S.  in  the  county.  This  society  em- 
braces some  of  the  most  wealthy  men  in  the  county,  who 
contribute  liberally  to  the  support  of  the  church. , 

Mt.  Pleasant. — This  church  was  built  about  1856.  It 
is  three  miles  west  of  north  from  Albion,  mar  James  Mi- 
cbels.  His  family  and  a  few  others  constitute  the  small 
society  here.  A  small  Sabbath-school  is  superintended 
by  James  Michels ;  the  church  and  school  are  almost 
wholly  supported  by  this  family.  Being  near  other  lar- 
ger churehe.3,  it  is  not  likely  that  either  will  ever  be  nu- 
merically strong,  but  they  are  doing  a  good  work  for 
some  who  perhaps  otherwise  would  not  be  provided  for 
these  important  things. 

Albion. — This  church  was  also  built  about  1856.  It 
is  a  small  frame,  and  is  still  in  good  condition,  and  is 
occupied  by  a  small  but  prosperous  society  and  Sabbath 
school.  Among  the  first  members  were  the  families  of 

George  Michels,  sr.,  Charles  Schofield,  John  West, 

Boothe,  Robert  Jacques  and  Joseph  Wheeler ;  several  of 


these  families  were  from  England,  and  the  others  from  the 
Eastern  States.  The  present  mtmbership  is  about  sev- 
enty. They  are  devoted  to  Methodist  doctrine  and 
usages,  and  liberally  support  the  church. 

Anbury  —  This  is  a  small  brick  church  ;  was  built 
about  1866.  The  society  was  organized  by  Henry  Mani- 
fold, about  1859,  at  the  house  of  John  Marriott,  who  was 
the  first  leader.  Three  other  persons,  viz:  Nancy 
Marriott,  Thomas  Marriott  and  Mary  Marriott  made 
up  the  class.  Soon  after,  John  Goodbourn,  a  brother- 
in-law  of  the  Marriotts,  joined  their  number.  This 
church  is  in  Frazier  prairie,  seven  miles  north  of 
Graysville.  Being  near  other  churches,  (he  society  and 
Sabbath  school  are  both  small. 

Fortney  — This  church  is  four  miles  north  of  Graysville, 
built  about  1870.  Before  1840,  a  class  was  organized  at 
the  house  of  Frederick  Botrammel,  from  'which  time 
regular  circuit  preaching  has  been  continued  sometimes 
meeting  at  the  house  of  John  Fortney,  who  was  the  first 
leader,  and  sometimes  at  the  school  house  until  the 
building  of  the  church,  which  is  a  good  frame  building. 
The  people  are  largely  indebted  to  Susanna  Marriott, 
an  English  lady  who  walked  through  the  country  and 
solicited  most  of  the  money  with  which  it  was  built. 
From  this  humble  beginning  there  is  now  a  prosperous 
church  and  Sunday-school. 

Simpson  Chapel. — Was  built  in  1871.  It  is  about 
four  miles  S.  W.,  of  Bone  Gap.  It  is  the  result  of  the 
increased  wealth  and  numbers  of  older  societies.  Here 
is  a  faithful  and  promising  membership  and  a  very 
good  Sunday-school.  It  is  surrounded  by  a  church- 
loving  and  church-going  people.  Tho  congregation  is 
made  up  largely  of  young  people,  the  children  of 
Christian  parents,  some  of  whom  have  passed  away. 
But  their  mantel  has  fallen  upon  their  children,  and 
from  them  the 'church  has  much  to  expect  in  the 
future. 

Browns  Chapel  is  five  miles  N.W.  of  Gray&ville.  The 
original  name  was  Mt.  Pleasant.  The  first  society  was 

organized  by  Rev. Walker,  in  1836,  at  the  house 

of  William  Brown,  who  was  a  native  of  Maine.  It  con- 
sisted of  the  following  persons:  William  Brown  and 
wife,  Archibald  Melrose  and  wife,  John  Scot  and  wife, 
Ishmael  Blackford  and  wife,  Anthony  Wilkinson  and 
wife  and  Esther  Harper.  William  Brown  was  the 
leader  and  steward.  From  this  time  services  were  held 
at  his  house  until  1849,  when  the  society  built  a  log 
church,  which  wdfc  occupied  until  about  1878.  Since  that 
time  they  have  met  with  Mt.  Zion  Society  until  Brown's 
chapel  shall  be  completed,  which  is  being  built.  It 
will  be  a  good  frame  church.  Pastors  from  1837  to 
1844,  were  Tayl  ,r  R.  Allen,  J.  E.  Reed,  J.  H.  Hill, 
William  Cummiugs,  A.  Bradshaw,  J.  H.  Dickens  and 
John  Shepherd. 

Mt.  Zion,  is  five  miles  S.  W.  of  Albion,  and  in 
Boltiughouse  Prairie.  The  society  was  organized  June 
17,  1867,  by  William  Bruner.  The  class  consisted  of 
seventeen  members:  Charles  Baxter  was  appointed 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LA  WHENCE  AND  WABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


165 


leader  and  James  Roosevelt  was  steward.  Since  that 
time  regular  services  have  been  kept  up  at  an  old  log 
Union  Church.  There  is  a  membership  of  about  sixty- 
five.  A  beautiful  site  for  a  church  is  deeded,  and  a 
good  frame  church  is  to  be  built  this  year.  A  Sunday- 
school  is  kept  up  through  the  summer.  Situated  in  a 
rich  farming  country  with  a  new  church,  a  prosperous 
future  may  be  expected  for  this  society. 

A  small  class  was  organized  at  Curtisville  in  the  N. 
W.,  corner  of  the  county  in  1879,  which  meets  in  a 
school-house. 

Most  of  this  county  is  embraced  in  the  Albion  circuit 
which  was  organized  in  1851. 

The  pastors  from  that  date  have  been  as  follows : 

1851,  A.  Campbell;  1852,  J.  Shepherd  ;  1853,  J.  N. 
Haley;  1854,  J.  Glaze;  1855,  J.  Glaze  ;  1856-7,  A.  B. 
Morrison  ;  1858-9,  H.  Manifold  ;  1860-1,  L.  C.  English  ; 
1862,  J.  Glaze ;  1863,  D.  Chipraan  ;  1864,  W.  J.  Grant ; 
1865-6,  V.  D.  Lingenfelter ;  1867-8,  J.  C.  Green  ;  1869- 
70-71,  J.  B.  Ravenscroft;  1872,  T.  A.  Eaton;  1873, 
J.  W.  Lowe;  1874,8.  Brooks;  1875-6-7,  W.  Til  roe ; 
1878-9,  C.  W.  Sabiue;  1880-1,  J.  B.  Raveuscroft; 
1882,  L.  C.  English. 

The  following  is  a  list  of  the  official  members : 

C.  Baxter,  H.  Breckner,  J.  Brown,  E.  Clark,  ,1.  Cope- 
land,  J.  Curtis,  J.  B.  Curtis,  S.  N.  Dalby,  J.  Ellis,  T. 
Gawthorp,  J.  Goodbourn,  A.  A.  Gould,  D.  Gould. 
I.  Gould,  J.  Harms,  J.  Hallam,  T.  Hodgson,  J.  S.  Jack, 
D.  Lambert,  D.  B.  Leach,  Geo  Leach,  Geo.  Machin, 
J.  Marriott,  T.  Marriott,  Geo.  Michels,  E.  Michels,  J. 
Michels,  M.  Michels,  H.  C.  Porter,  A.  Rude,  R.  Rude, 
Z.  Shurtleff,  A.  Shurtleff,  W.  Stanley,  C.  Woodham. 

The  number  of  members  is  about  six  hundred. 

The  value  of  church  property  is  about  ten  thousand 
dollars. 


PROTESTANT  EPISCOPAL  CHURCH. 

BY    REV.    B.    HUTCHINS. 

Services  connected  with  the  Protestant  Episcopal 
Church  were  held  very  early  in  the  history  of  this  set- 
tlement in  Edwards  county  at  Albion  and  at  Wan- 
borough.  George  Flower,  in  his  history  of  "  The 
English  Seitlement,"  says  "a  native  of  the  Island  of 
Guernsey,  Mr  Benjamin  Grutt,  read  the  Episcopal  ser- 
vice in  a,  room  in  Albion  set  apart  for  a  public  library. 
This  religious  worship  commenced  iu  Wanborough  and 
Albion  in  the  early  part  of  the  year  1819,"  He  also 
says,  "  If  I  remember  correctly,  it  was  in  the  following 
year,  1820,  that  the  Rev.  Mr.  Baldwin,  an  Episcopal 
missionary,  preached  several  sermons  in  Albion  and 
gathered  the  Episcopal  members  together  and  organized 
a  church  designated  St.  John's  Church.  Mr.  Pickering 
was  an  active  promoter,  and  gave  efficient  aid  to  this 
early  Episcopal  organization. 

The  Rev.  Amos  G.  Baldwin,  in  his  organization 
of  St.  John's  church,  sixty  years  ago,  was  encour- 
aged, it  is  believed,  by  William  Pickering,  Judge 


Wattles,  John  Woods,  Benjamin  Grutt,  Daniel  Orange, 
James  Carter,  William  Funks,  David  Hearsum  and 
others. 

Taken  from  "Two  Years'  Residence  in  English  Prai- 
rie, Illinois,  by  John  Woods,  1822. 

"  In  1820  it  was  agreed  to  have  public  worship  at 
Wanborough,  and  Sunday,  25th  of  April,  divine  service 
was  first  held  in  a  log  cabin  that  was  built  for  a  school, 
room.  Prayers  from  the  services  of  the  Church  of 
England,  with  a  few  omissions,  were  read  by  one  of  the 
inhabitants,  and  a  sermon  by  another.  This  meeting 
was  well  attended,  and  has  been  continued  every  Sun- 
day in  the  forenoon  at  1 1  o'clock  ;  and  those  of  the 
Church  of  England  and  Quakers  both  attend  it. 

At  Albion  there  is  a  place  of  worship  in  part  of  the 
market-house,  in  which  divine  service  is  performed 
every  Sunday  in  the  forenoon.  Prayers  and  a  sermon 
are  read  by  one  of  the  inhabitants.  I  twice  attended. 
The  service  was  from  the  Church  of  England  with  some 
variations.  I  think  they  style  themselves  Unitarians."  ' 

It  may  have  been  within  two  years  later  that  Mr. 
Baldwin  came,  say  in  18'Jl  or  1822,  when  he  tarried  six 
weeks  in  the  house  of  Mr.  John  Woods,  Sr.,  who  had  pre- 
viously read  the  service  of  the  Protestant  Episcopal 
Church  himself. 

The  Rev.  Dr.  James  Craik,  late  Rector  of  Christ 
Church,  Loui&ville,  Kentucky,  in  his  little  book  enti- 
tled '•  Historical  Sketches  of  Christ  Church,  Louisville," 
says :  "  One  devoted  minister  had  visited  Louisville 
two  years  before  the  commencement  of  this  enterprise 
(namely  the  beginning  of  the  church  in  1823.)  The 
Rev.  A.  G.  Baldwin  traveled  as 'far  as  this  point  and 
possibly  beyond.  He  preached  in  18.0  or  thereabouts." 

It  may  be  proper  just  here  for  the  writer  to  mention 
his  own  connection  with  the  church  services  in  Albion, 
and  what  induced  him  to  come  out  here  in  the  spring  of 
1838.  He  had  read  in  some  printed  document  or  mis- 
sionary report,  that  the  R=v.  Amos  G.  Baldwin,  in  his 
missionary  tour  had  visited  Albion  and  had  organized 
St.  John's  church,  that  the  church  people  of  St.  John's 
church  had  looked  in  vain  for  a  missionary  to  come 
to  them  on  account  of  the  inability  of  the  Board 
of  Missions  to  provide  either  man  or  money  ;  that  they 
had  tried  to  get  a  minister  or  rector  themselves  but  for 
the  like  scarcity  could  not  effect  it,  Mr.  Pickering  call- 
ing upon  the  Rev.  Dr.  Milner,  Rector  of  St.  George's 
church,  New  York,  with  a  view  to  accomplish  this  de- 
sired result.  The  writer  also  read  that  in  the  lapse  of 
time  the  Missionary  Board  became  strengthened  enough 
I  to  do  something  for  Albion,  but  the  answer  came  that  it 
was  "  too  late,  they  had  all  gone  over  to  infidelity." 

It  was  in  this  situation  of  things  that  the  writer  re- 
solved to  come  out  himself,  and  so  in  March,  1838,  the 
Rev.  B.  Hutchins  and  his  wife  came  from  Philadelphia 
by  Louisville,  Ky.,  and  New  Albany,  Ind.,  to  Albion, 
Illinois.  This  visit  is  substantiated  by  Mr.  George 
Flower,  for  he  says  :  "  In  1838  the  Rev.  B.  Hutchins 
visited  Albion  as  a  missionary  prospecting  in  the  inter- 


166 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


ests  of  the  Episcopal  cause.  During  his  short  visit  Mr. 
H.  held  two  or  three  services  in  the  court-house,  but  not 
being  able  at  that  time  to  secure  a  dwelling  house  left, 
and  went  to  Viucennes."  It  was  at  Vincennes,  Ind., 
that  the  Rev.  B.  H.  remained  more  than  five  months, 
where  his  first  daughter  was  born,  yet  during  that  per- 
iod he  visited  both  Albion  and  Centreville  once  or 
oftener  in  each  month  for  Sunday  services.  There  were 
two  brothers  from  Ireland,  George  and  Joseph  Williams, 
who  with  their  families  constituted  the  Episcopal 
church  at  Centreville,  Wabash  county.  The  Rt.  Rev. 
Philander  Chase,  D.  D.,  Bishop  of  Illinois,  was  written 
to  by  these  brothers  to  provide  church  ministrations  for 
them.  On  my  coming  out  in  March,  1838,  a  letter  from 
Bishop  Chase  came  into  my  hands  directing  me  to  visit 
and  officiate  in  Wabash  county.  Accordingly  I  did. 

Three  j'ears  after  this  I  removed  from  Philadelphia  to 
Albion,  bringing  with  me  my  wife  and  two  children  and 
my  father  also.  A. revival  and  reorganization  of  St. 
John's  church  soon  followed,  and  some  who  were  present 
when  Mr.  Amos  G.  Baldwin  made  his  visit  about 
twenty  years  previously  rallied  round  the  church  ban- 
ner, and  remained  true  to  it  till  they  died.  Removals 
and  death  had  lessened  the  number,  yet  William  Pick- 
ering, James  Carter,  John  Tribe,  Samuel  N.  Dalby  and 
others  were  found  still  living.  Benjamin  Grutt,  in 
Church  de  St.  Esprit,  New  York,  was  one  with  us  in 
spirit  and  by  letter.  Children  and  grandchildren  of 
the  early  members  of  the  church  were  baptized  in  fami- 
lies. Divine  services  were  held  in  the  old  court  house 
and  a  Sunday-school  instituted. 

At  a  public  meeting  of  the  friends  and  members  of 
the  church  held  28th  March,  1842,  present,  Rev.  B. 
Hutchins  H.  J.  Hutchins,  David  Hearsum,  F.  B. 
Thompson,  M.  D.,  Joel  Churchill,  John  Brissenden( 
James  Carter,  Sr.,  John  Richford,  Joseph  and  Robert 
Williams,  Bryan  Walker,  W.  C.  Mayo,  H.  Ronalds, 
George  Ferriman,  H.  J.  Hutchins,  Chairman,  George 
Ferriman,  Secretary,  the  following  resolutions  were 
offered  and  carried. 

Resolved,  That  we  organize  a  Protestant  Episcopal 
Church  in  this  village  and  proceed  to  the  election  of 
nine  vestrymen. 

Resolved,  That  the  title  of  this  church  be  St.  John's 
Church. 

Resolved,  That  the  charter  of  incorporation  proposed 
be  adopted. 

Resolved,  that  the  following  persons  be  elected  ves- 
trymen— viz. :  Henry  J.  Hutchins,  Joseph  Williams, 
George  Ferriman,  John  Pichford,  James  Carter,  Sr , 
David  Hearsura,  Joel  Churchill,  Robert  Navlor  and 
Samuel  N.  Dalby. 

Before  proceeding  further  with  this  history  it  may  be 
right  and  proper  to  state,  as  was  probably  the  case 
that  William  Pickering,  Benjamin  GruHt,  John  Woods, 
sr.,  Daniel  Orange,  Judge  Wattles,  with  James  Carter, 
sr.,  John  Tribe  and  Bryan  Mather  it  may  be  also, 


were  the  early  friends  of  the  church,  at  the  time  of  Mr. 
Baldwin's  visit. 

i      In     September,    1842,  the    corner-stone  of    a  brick 

;  church   was   laid  on   a    lot  given  by    George    Flower 

'  and  his  wife  Eliza  Julia,  on  the  10th  of  May,  1842.  The 

Rev.  B.  B.  Kettehetty,    Rector  of  St.  James'    church, 

Vincennes,    Ind.,   Rev.    1*.    Halstead,    Rector    of   St. 

Stephen's  church,  New  Harmony,  Ind.,  and  Rev.  B. 

Hutchins,  Rector  of  St.  John's  church)  Albion,  were  the 

three  officiating  ministers.     Within  the  stone  a  tin  box 

was  placed  containing  records  and  papers.     Rev.   B.  B. 

;  Kettehetty  laid  the  stone  with  the  usual  words  and  cere- 

1  mony  in  the  name  of  the  Holy  Trinity.     Two  of  these 

ministers  yet  live.     B.  Halstead  in  Mississippi  and  B. 

I  Hutchins  here,  while  a   son  survives  his  father  B.  B. 

:  K.  bearing  the  same  name  and  ministry. 

We  next   come  to  the  building  of  the  church.     This 
was  accomplished  before  June,  1843  ;   and  on  the  24;h 
!  and    25th   day   of  June    was  consecrated    by   Bishop 
!  Philander  Chase,  and  on  the  same  occasion  fifteen  child- 
ren and  adults  were  baptized  and  twenty-four  persons 
were    confirmed.     The    building    had    a  vestry   room, 
attached  to  it,  and  was  furnished  within  with  the  chancel 
fixtures  of  Reading  Desk,  Baptismal  font,  Pulpit  and 
communion  table  or  altar.     The  structure  was  free  from 
debt. 

Very  soon  after  an  addition  was  made  in  front 
of  brick  also,  being  a  tower  with  vestibules,  gallery  and 
belfry,  having  likewise  a  bell  and  organ.  It,  like  the 
main  building,  was  left  free  from  debt.  A  Bishop's 
chair  was  placed  in  the  chancel.  And  now  began  with 
the  House  of  God  a  succession  of  seven  ministers  all  in 
Priest's  orders  continuing  to  this  day,  the  first  and  the 
last  together,  the  one  as  Rector  in  charge,  the  other 
|  kindly  considered  as  Rector  Emeritus.  The  names  of 
the  seven  are,  Hutchins,  Brittan,  Comings,  Clatworthy, 
Ryatt,  Morratt,  and  Humphries  and  only  one  of  these, 
j  Brittau,  taken  away  from  earth. 

|      During  Rev.  William  Morratt's  2J  years  service   the 
j  church  was  remodelled  at  the  chancel  end  and  enlarged 
and  beautified,  and  the  chair  brought  forward  and  a  supe- 
rior organ  provided  and  a  new  lecture  and  reading  desk, 
and  inner  railing  substituted  to  correspond  with  the  new 
I  and  ornamented  fraiie  work.    Likewise  a  new  chaude- 
|  lier  for  the  main  building  or  nave  of  the  church,  and  a 
j  large  coal   stove  were  bought  and  put  up.     Rev.  Mr. 
j  Morratt's  ministry  was  attended  by  these  improvements. 
It  is  too  soon  to  make  mention  of  the  beneficial  change 
of  the  present  Rector,  the  Rev.  Henry  Humphries. 

The  baptisms  have  been  four  hundred  infants  and 
adults.  •  Confirmed  one  hundred  and  fifty  person^ 
young  and  old.  The  Holy  Communion  has  been 
administered  monthly  and  on  the  principal  festivals, 
while  within  the  last  three  months  it  has  been  adminis- 
tered weekly  and  on  all  the  festivals,  major  and 
minor. 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS.          167 


BAPTIST    CHURCH. 

BY   CHARLES    WARMOTII. 

Long  Prairie  Church.  —  This  church  of  regular 
Baptists,  now  situated  in  Shelby  Precinct,  was  constituted 
with  eight  members,  in  the  month  of  July,  1825.  The 
members  then  were  Isaac  Greithouse,  George  McCown, 
Margaret  McCown,  Jonathan  Shelby,  Thomas  Carney, 
Sarah  Clark,  and  Margaret  Sams.  At  the  December 
meeting,  1825,  the  church  elected  E'der  Elias  Roberts 
as  her  pastor,  who  served  them  until  July,  1823. 

At  the  September  meeting  of  1826,  we  find  an  act, 
setting  apart  Friday  before  their  communion,  as  a  day  of 
fasting,  and  that  they  engage  in  feet  washing,  on  Saturday 
before  their  communion.  The  latter,  they  still  practice. 

On  the  first  Wednesday  in  October,  1827,  John 
Miller  was  ordained  to  the  full  functions  of  a  Gospel 
minister.  The  first  ordination  of  a  minister  in  this 
church.  The  said  Elder  Miller  was  chosen  pastor  of 
the  church,  in  July,  1828. 

In  April,  1830,  Jacob  T.  Dunavan  was  excluded  from 
the  church,  at  his  own  request,  on  the  plea  that  he  did 
not  believe  he  was  worthy  to  be  in  the  church.  In 
September,  1830,  Lot  Sams  was  elected  treasurer  of  the 
church. 

In  April,  1831,  Elder  Richard  Gardner  was  elected 
pastor  of  the  church,  as  successor  to  Elder  Miller.  The 
Doty  family,  whose  names  have  been  very  prominent  in 
this  church,  came  to  this  country  in  the  year,  1831. 

Up  to  this  time,  the  church  was  very  prosperous,  and 
held  their  regular  meetings,  and  at  almost  every  meeting 
accessions  were  made  to  the  church.  Almost  all  their 
actions  seem  to  have  been  in  the  spirit  of  Christian  love 
and  brotherly  affjction,  and  they  drew  the  line  of  dis- 
cipline very  rigidly.  They  did  not  allow  their  members 
to  say  anything  to  wound  the  feeling  of  a  brother,  with- 
out calling  on  such  offender  to  account  for  it.  The  evil 
of  tattling  and  talebearing,  which  is  so  common,  and  yet 
so  annoying  to  churches  and  communities  generally,  met 
with  very  little  encouragement  by  this  church  in  its 
early  history.  They  seem  to  have  been  very  familiar 
with  the  admonition  of  our  Lord:  "Let  your  light  so 
shine  before  men,  that  they  may  see  your  good  works, 
and  glorify  your  Father  which  is  in  heaven."  Jonathan 
Shelby  was  the  first  clerk  of  this  church,  and  he  served 
until  his  successor,  Thomas  Carney,  was  elected,  in 
October,  1833.  Elder  Jeremiah  Doty  was  elected  pastor 
in  1834. 

At  the  January  meeting,  in  1835,  we  find  an  item  of 
business  on  record  that  reminds  us  of  a  custom,  that 
perhaps  but  few  will  remember.  That  was  the  heinous 
practice  of  teachers  treating  their  schools  to  whisky,  or 
other  ardent  spiri:s. 

The  third  item  of  their  business  at  the  meeting  above- 
named  reads  thus ;  "  That  the  church  forbids  the  trustees 
of  schools,  that  may  be  taught  in  the  meeting-house, 
allowing  the  teacher,  or  any  other  person  to  bring  treats, 
or  any  kind  of  spirits  to  be  drank  in  the  meeting  house." 


Felix  Potter  was  ordained  to  the  work  of  the  ministry 
in  June,  1835. 

Fetherston  Doty  was  elected  clerk  of  the  church  in 
April,  1842,  as  successor  to  Thomas  Carney,  who,  about 
that  time,  or  shortly  afterwards,  left  this  country,  and 

I  emigrated  to  Missouri. 

|      C.  S.    Madding   was   ordained  to  the   work   of  the 

i  ministry,  in  October,  1843. 

|  In  January,  1854,  W.  H.  Pullen  was  elected  clerk  of 
the  church. 

I      Thomas  A.  Rogers  was  elected  clerk,  in  1859,  and  in 

|  March,  1861,  Samuel  T.  Doty,  his  successor,  was  elected. 

I  For  a  time,  during  the  war,  there  was  not  much  business 
of  importance  in  the  church.  They  had  no  house  to 

!  meet  in,  and  had  no  regular  pastor,  and  the  result  was, 
when  they  met,  it  was  at  some  school-house  or  some 
brother's  residence,  and  often  without  a  preacher, so  their 
congregations  diminished  to  a  great  extent.  In  1867, 
Lemuel  Potter  was  ordained  to  the  work  of  the  ministry, 
and  arrangements  were  made  with  the  Missionary 
Baptists,  for  the  use  of  their  house  to  hold  their  meetings 
in,  and  in  a  few  years  the  church  revived  again,  and  had 
quite  a  number  of  accessions,  under  the  ministry  of 

j  Elders  Felix  Potter,  J.  D.  Jones,  and  Lemuel  Potter. 
Yet  the  church  had  no  duly  elected  pastor,  from  the 
time  of  Elder  Jere.  Doty's  death,  which  was  in  1861, 

I  until  about  the  beginning  of  the  year  1868,  when 'Elder 

j  David  S.  Ford  was  elected  pastor  of  the  church. 

In   March,  1870,  Elder   Lemuel  Potter  was    elected 

'  pastor  of  the  church,  and  in  March,  1872,  Harrison  C. 

|  Bell  was   elected  clerk,  and   in    May  following,  Elder 

j  Felix  Potter  was  elected  p>  stor  of  the  church. 

In  August,  1873,  H.  C.  Bell  was  ordained  tcTthe  work 

1  of  the  ministry,  and  in  November  following,  he  was 
elected  pastor,  and  S.  T.  Doty  clerk  of  the  church. 

At  the  March  meeting,  1878,  Ciney  Greathouse  and 
Lot  Potter  were  both  ordained  to  the  full  functions  of 

|  Gospel  ministers. 

la  July,  1882,  Charles  Warmoth  was  elected  clerk 
of  the  church,  and  is  the  present  clerk,  and  Elder  H.  C. 
Bell  is  the  present  pastor. 

In  the  year,  1876,  the  church  built  the  house  they 
now  meet  in. 

Thus,  we  have  given  the  most  important  events  in  the 
history  of  this  church,  forabout  57  years,  and  find  thatin 
that  time  she  has  had  eight  pastors,  and  has  ordained 
seven  ministers.  Elder  Jeremiah  Doty  served  as  pastor 

!  the  longest  of  any  other  one  man,  and  S.  T.  Doty  served 

[  them  as  clerk,  first  and  last  more  than  any  other  one 

:  man.  In  looking  over  the  names  of  the  most  prominent 
members  of  this  church,  many  years  ago,  we  find  the 
familial  names  of  Lot  Sams,  Thomas  Carney,  David 
Greathouse,  John  Bell,  Henry  Warmoth,  Jonathan 
Shelby,  and  many  others,  among  whom  is  J.  R.  Mison- 
heimer,  who,  it  is  said,  never  failed  to  fill  his  seat  without 
assigning  the  cause  for  such  failure.  In  the  year  1866, 
the  writer  of  this  article  joined  this  church,  and  it  has 
only  been  a  little  over  16  years  ;  but  in  that  short  time 


168         HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


the  grim  monster,  death  bas  taken  all  the  male  members 
that  were  in  the  church  when  we  joined  but  one.  Jesse 
Potter  is  the  only  male  member  of  this  church  now 
that  greeted  us  with  the  hand  of  fellowship  at  that  time. 
But,  where  are  all  those  dear  ones,  whose  names  are  so 
familiar,  and  yet  whose  faces  we  never  see? 


CHURCH  OF  CHRIST. 

BY    M.    T.    HOyGH. 

The  Church  of  Christ,sometiraes  known  in  history  as  the 
Disciples,  or  Christian  Church,  has,  under  the  blessing  of 
God,  grown  to  a  position  of  considerable  influence  in  the 
United  Slat<s  and  other  countries.  For  nearly  65  years 
these  disciples  have  been  pushing  the  claims  of  the  Bible 
and  the  Bible  alone,  and  many  readers  of  this  history  of 
Edwards  county  may  desire  to  know  something  of  the 
results  of  their  labor,  and  their  present  condition  and 
prospects.  Their  "numerical  strength  in  the  United 
States  is  estimated  at  nearly  700,000,  and  they  have  a 
considerable  membership  in  Canada,  England  and  Aus- 
tralia. They  are  a  missionary  people,  and  as  God  gives 
them  ability  they  begin  to  reach  out  toward  foreign 
lands  more  fully.  They  now  have  missions  in  France> 
Sweden,  Denmark,  New  Zealand,  India  and  the  Sand- 
wich Islands. 

Some  of  the  Disciples  of  Christ  have  become  quite 
prominent  as  authors  of  religious  books,  and  they  pub- 
lish weeklies  and  other'papers  which  rank  among  some 
of  the  ablest  religious  journals  of  the  country.  Their 
publications  are,  besides  many  books,  about  a  dozen 
weeklies,  eight  monthlies,  one  quarterly,  and  a  large 
circulation  of  Sunday-school  literature  for  the  children. 

Their  colleges  and  universities  are  nearly  thirty  in 
number. 

The  principles  of  the  church  began  to  be  advocated 
in  Edwards  county  as  early  as  the  year  1827,  by  Elder 
Amos  Willis,  who  was  the  first  preacher  of  the  Church 
of  Christ  in  the  county.  In  advance  of  his  neighbors,  he 
embraced  the  principles  of  the  Religious  Reformation  of 
the  nineteenth  century,  headed  by  Alexander  Campbell, 
Walter  Scott,  B.  W.  Stone,  et  al.  After  a  life  of  much 
usefulness,  Brother  Willis  was  called  to  the  enjoyment 
of  that  rest  which  remains  to  the  people  of  God,  on  the 
5th  day  of  January,  1840. 

List  of  preachers  now  living  in  the  county,  and  who 
spend  all  or  a  part  of  their  time  in  the  ministry  :  J.  C 
T.  Hall,  Alfred  Flower  (at  present  pastor  of  the  church 
at  Paris,  Illinois),  Caleb  Edwards,  Wm.  Flower,  E.  C. 
Stark,  J.  J.  Ballard  and  the  writer. 

ELDER   J.  C.  T.  HALL. 

This  exemplary  preacher  of  the  gospel,  now  in  his 
65th  year,  was  born  in  England,  but  came  to  this  coun- 
try in  1821.  He  and  his  co-laborer,  Elder  A.  Flower, 
have  done  more  miois'erial  work  in  the  county  than  any 
others.  The  subject  of  this  brief  sketch,  though  he  has 
lived  more  than  three  score  years,  is  still  quite  vigorous, 


preaching  every  Sunday,  often  riding  horseback  from 
three  to  ten  miles  to  his  regular  appointments.  The 
writer  called  on  him  a  few  weeks  ago  at  his  residence  in 
Albion,  and  found  him  preparing  to  mount  his  horse  for 
a  three  miles'  ride  west  of  the  town,  where  he  and  Eld. 
Edwards  were  holding  a  series  of  evening  meetings. 
The  influence,  and  value  of  a  mother's  prayers  and 
Christian  training  are  exemplified  in  the  life  of  Elder 
Hall.  From  his  earliest  recollection  his  mother  taught 
him  to  pray,  and  it  was  the  influence  of  his  mother's 
prayers  that  lurried  his  mind  and  heart  to  the  gospel  of 
the  grace  of  God.  In  company  with  others,  he  went  to 
New  Orleans  on  a  flat  boat  in  1837,  and  during  this  trip 
his  inclination  to  Uuiversalism  was  severely  shaken  by 
the  extreme  wickedness  and  wretched  demeanor  of  some 
of  the  company.  He  said  to  himself:  If  such  vile  per- 
sons are  to  form  a  part  of  the  companionship  of  heaven, 
I  don't  want  to  go  there.  Then  this  thought  flashed  up 
in  his  mind  :  May-be  you  are  not  fit  to  go  to  Heaven 
yourself!  On  his  return  home  he  resolved  to  give  him- 
self to  the  Lord  and  His  service,  and  accordingly  in  the 
spring  of  1838  he  made  a  profession  of  his  faith  in  Jesus 
the  Christ,  and  was  baptized  by  Elder  Amos  Willis  in 
the  running  waters  near  Little  Piairie  church.  Some 
two  years  after  this  he  began  to  preach,  and  has  preached 
continuously,  on  Sundays,  ever  t-ince.  His  labors,  in  the 
main,  have  been  confined  to  Edwards  county,  and  the 
influence  of  his  work  will  be  felt  long  af.er  the  Master 
calls  him  to  that  home  above  for  which  a  life  of  piety 
and  good  works  has  so  eminently  fitted  him,  through  the 
grace  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  But  may  it  please  the 
divine  Father  to  spire  him  for  many  more  years  of  use- 
fulness in  this  county,  the  field  of  forty-two  years'  labor 
already. 

ALFRED   FLOWER. 

This  tall,  straight,  dignified  Christian  gentleman  is  of 
English  parents,  though  born  in  this  county.  He  is  the 
father  of  the  noble  Geo.  E.  Flower,  who  has  been  pastor 
of  the  church  at  Paducah,  Kentucky,  for  eleven  years. 
It  is  an  invaluable  gift  to  leave  the  world  such  a 
preacher.  But  space  forbids  further  mention  of  his 
name  here. 

Eld.  Alfred  Flower  removed  from  his  home  near  Al- 
bion to  Paris,  Ills.,  a  few  months  ago;  and,  therefore, 
the  writer  can  not  obtain  the  facts  of  his  ministry,  suit- 
ably condensed,  for  a  place  in  this  sketch.  The  main 
field  of  his  labor  during  a  ministry  of  almost  forty  years, 
has  been  Southern  Illinois,  and  no  other  man  has  sacri- 
ficed so  much  to  establish  and  build  up  the  cause  of 
Christ  in  this  part  of  the  State.  His  name  is  familiar  in 
almost  every  household.  Whether  laboring  in  town, 
city  or  country,  Bro.  Flower  maintains  the  same  digni- 
fied bearing.  He  has  an  analytical  mind,  is  logical  in 
all  his  sermons,  and  capable  of  stating  his  positions  with 
great  clearness.  Hence,  he  is  an  excellent  teacher.  He 
preached  his  first  sermon  in  Albion  many  years  ago  ; 
and,  before  moving  to  Paris,  a  short  time  ago,  he  de- 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  W ABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


169 


livered  an  able  and  appropriate  sermon  to  the  brethren 
here. 

CALEB    EDWARDS. 

Bro.  Edwards  was  born  in  Brighton,  England,  in  the 
year  1832,  and  came  to  the  United  States  when  he  was 
about  twelve  years  of  age.     He  came  from  Cincinnati,  : 
Ohio,  to  Edwards  county,  Illinois,  in  1848,  and  is  now  i 
living  on  a  farm  21   miles  south  of  Albion.     He  con-  j 
fessed  faith  in   the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and  was  baptized 
by  Eld.  Alfred  Flower  in  1850.     Fourteen  years  after- 
wards (1864),  he  made  his  first  effort  to  preach,  since 
which  time  he  has  been  preaching  every  Sunday,  confin- 
ing his  labor  mostly  to  Edwards  county.    His  popularity 
in  the  county  was  such   that  his  friends  urged  him  to 
announce  himself  as  a  prohibition  candidate  for  this 
legislative  district,  in  the  fall  election  of  1882,— having 
received  the  nomination  at  the  Olney  Prohibition  Con- 
vention.    He  was,  however,  defeated. 

Little  Prairie  Church. — This   church,  situated  three 
miles   west  of  Albion,  was  the   first  church  of  Christ 
organized  in  the  county.  About  the  year  1823,  a  church  j 
of  the  Christian  connection  was  organized  at  the  house  of  j 
Alan   Emmerson,  near  where  Little  Prairie  church  now 
stands.     Alan  Emmerson  and  Amos  Willis  of  the  Chris- 
tian Connection,  William  Hall  an  Episcopalian,  Joseph 
Applegath  a  Baptist,  William  Clark  a  Quaker,  James 
Cooper  an  English  Baptist,  and   perhaps  others,  united 
their  efforts  and  built  the  first  meeting  house  in   this 
community.     It   was    a    frame,   covered,    ceiled    and 
weather-boarded  with   clapboards,  and    plastered  with 
"  Post  oak  clay."    It  had  a  brick  chimney  and  fireplace. 
These  men  and  their  families  worshiped  together  in  this 
mud  plastered  house  until  about  1837,  when  they  merged 
into  the  present  Little  Prairie  church  of  Christ,  mainly 
through  the  influence  of  brother  Amos  Willis,  who  was 
a  preacher  first  in  the  old  Christian  Connection,  but  em- 
braced the  principles  of  the  church  of  Christ  in  advance  i 
of  others  in   his  neighborhood.     From   the  time  they 
organized  the  church  of  Christ  in  the  year  1838  till  the 
present  they  have  met  regularly  on  the  Lord's  day  to  | 
"  break    bread  "  in  memory   of  their  dying  Lord  and  j 
engage  in  other  acts  of  worship  befitting  that  memorial  > 
day,  the  day  of  Christ's  resurrection.     The  first   Elder  i 
of  the  church  was  Alan  Emmerson,  and  the  first  Deacons  j 
were  Joseph   Applegath,   Thomas    Gill,  and    William  j 
Hall.     Amos  Willis     was   their  first   preacher.     Alan 
Emmerson,  an  Elder,  often  encouraged  them  by  words  • 
of  instruction  and  exhortation.     Though  most  all    the  j 
original  members  of  this  church  "  rest  from  their  labors  I 
their  works  do  follow  them."     The  church  has  enjoyed 
the  occasional   labors  of  J.  M.  Mathes,  John  O'Kane,    ; 
William  Jarrott,  B.  K.  Smith,   Joseph  Warren,  Moses  I 
Goodwin  and  others.     The  following  brethren  have  held  j 
successful    protracted  meetings  for  this  church  :  Alfred  j 
Flower,     Elijah     Gocdwin,    William     Jarrott,    John  j 
O'Kane,  B.  K.  Smith, Willie  Flower,  and  perhaps  others. 
The  regular  preachers  have   been,  Elijah   Goodwin,  M. 
Goodwin,  A.   Flower,  C.  Edwards  and    Elder  J.  C.  T.  j 
22 


Hall,  who  has  preached  for  them  almost  continuously  a 
part  of  the  time  for  the  last  twenty-six  years.  He  and 
brother  Caleb  Edwards  are  their  present  preachers. 
Three  or  four  other  churches  in  the  county  have  been 
organized  by  members  from  this  church,  still  it  is  one  of 
the  strongest  in  the  county. 

Present  membership  one  hundred  and  fifty.  Elders: 
James  Pearcy,  Charles  Clark,  and  George  Colyer. 
Deacons :  George  Green,  Wright  Wills  and  John  C. 
Bunting.  The  chapel  they  now  occupy  is  a  frame,  val  • 
ued  at  $600-  Seating  capacity  250 .  Sunday-school  six 
months  in  the  year,  with  Charles  Clark  as  superintend- 
ent. The  Sunday-school  closes  its  six  months'  work  each 
year  with  "  the  annual  pic-nic,"  which  is  always  a  very 
enjoyable  occasion. 

Albion  Church. — The  first  meeting-house  built  in 
Albion  was  the  old  brick  Christian  Chapel,  now  refitted 
and  occupied  by  Mr.  Waggoner  as  a  residence.  After 
the  completion  of  this  house  of  worship,  the  Albion 
church  of  Christ  was  organized,  August4th,  1841,  under 
the  ministerial  labor  of  Elder  Elijah  Goodwin,  who  was 
iuvited  to  .preach  here  by  Daniel  Orange,  a  wealthy 
Englishman  who  lived  on  a  farm  three  miles  south  of 
Albion.  Mr.  Orange  was  in  Cincinnati  at  the  famous 
Campbell  and  Purcell  Debate, and  being  convinced  that 
the  position  held  by  brother  Campbell  is  the  doctrine  of 
Christ,  he  gave  himself  to  the  Lord  Jesus  the  Christ  and 
was  baptized,  upaii  a  profession  of  his  faith  in  Christ, 
by  brother  D.  S.  Burnett.  On  his  return  from  Cincin- 
nati brother  Orange  interested  himself  in  establishing 
the  church  of  Christ  in  this  section,  and  especially  in 
Albion.  He  was  the  first  Elder  of  the  church. 

Charter  members:  Daniel  Orange,  Elizabeth  J. 
Orange,  Elizabeth  S.  Orange  (Mrs.  Alfred  Flower,)  and 
John  B.  Orange. 

Four  weeks  after  the  church  was  organized,  Alfred 
Flower,  Charles  Burns,  and  Sarah  Burns  were  added 
to  their  number.  The  church  increased  in  number  and 
financial  and  moral  strength  till  it  ranked  among  our 
best  churches  in  southern  Illinois. 

This  church,  in  common  with  many  others,  has  passed 
through  some  serious  troubles,  all  of  which  were  healed 
during  a  very  successful  meeting  held  by  brother 
George  E.  Flower,  of  Paducah,  Ky.,  some  four  years  ago. 
There  were  more  than  fifty  additions  at  this  meeting,  and 
the  church  was  again  united,  causing  rejoicing  in  the 
camp  of  spiritual  Israel.  The  church  to-day  numbers 
one  hundred  and  ten  members,  and  exerts  a  good  influ- 
ence in  the  town  and  vicinity.  But  it  is  capable  of  doing 
a  grander  work  still  for  the  Master  than  it  is  now 
doing. 

The  first  preacher  employed  by  the  church  was  Elijah 
Goodwin,  at  a  salary  of  $50  for  one  fourth  of  his  time, 
and  the  last  one  employed  is  the  writer  at  a  salary  of 
$675  for  all  the  time.  The  following  is  a  list  of 
preachers  in  the  regular  order  of  employment  with  the 
church  :  Elijah  Goodwin,  Alfred  Flower,  George  Morral, 


170 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  W ABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


Caleb    Edwards  and  Alfred   Flower,  (both  same  year, 
half  the  lime  each,)  A.  R  Gilchrist  and  M.  T.  Hough. 

Since  writing  the  above  I  have  been  told  that  Daniel 
Bulkley  and  Fred.  Applegath  also  were  regularly  em- 
ployed at  one  time  by  the  church. 

Some  of  the  most  successful  protracted  meetings  of  the 
church  were  held  under  the  preaching  of  P.  K.  Dible, 
William  Jarrott,  Benjamin  F.  Franklin,  John  O'Kane, 
W.  B.  F.  Treat,  and  George  E.  Flower. 

Their  present  house,  a  frame  32  by  70  feet,  situated 
on  the  northeast-corner  of  the  public  square,  was  built 
in  1867  and  remodeled  in  the  year  1878.  Present  value 
of  church  property  $2,500.  Seating  capacity  500. 
Number  of  memUrs,  December  29th.  1882, 110.  Elders : 
W.  L  Orange,  J.  C.  T.  Hall,  Caleb  Edwards,  Eli 
Bunting  and  J.  Q.  A.  Wi  lur^on,  Dtaccns:  Jas.  T 
Craig  and  Alfred  Davis. 

Sunday-school  is  held  at  2J  P-  M.,  each  Sunday  in 
the  year.  Joseph  White,  superintendent.  Number  of 
scholars  in  the  Sunday-school  about.  80. 

The  writer  will  here  add  that  he-has  resigned  the  pas- 
torate of  the  Albion  church  of  Christ,  and  he  prays  that 
the  great  Head  of  the  church  may  bless  them  in  all 
present  and  future  work  and  labor  of  love. 

West  Salem  Church. — This  church  now  worshipping 
in  the  town  of  West  Sahm,  situated  in  the  northeast 
part  of  Edwards  County,  was  organized  Aug.  15th,  1858, 
by  the  union  of  the  Long  Prairie  congregation  and  the 
congregation  worshipping  at  Bro.  Barney's.  '  The 
preaching  brethren  present  were  J.  C  T.  Hall,  Anderson 
Walkeii,  a  speaking  Elder  of  the  Marion  congregation 
and  D.  F.  Mounts.  After  some  discussion  the  following 
preamble  was  adopted : 

"  We  whose  names  are  hereunto  annexed,  being  im- 
mersed believers  in  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  do  mutually 
and  voluntarily  associate  ourselves  together  in  a  congre- 
gational capacity  to  be  known  as  the  congregation  of  the 
Lord  at  West  Salem,  taking  the  Christian  Scriptures  as 
our  only  rule  of  faith  and  practice,  and  taking  no  name 
as  a  church  name,  but  such  as  they  authorize."  This 
was  signed  by  the  following  29  names  as  charter  mem- 
bers :  Mathew  Rice,  Jas.  F.  Barney,  Asa  Pixley,  Sr.; 
Franklin  Mills,  Blashell  Foster,  Wm.  Foster,  Lucy  Fos- 
ter, David  Reich,  Henry  Holoman,  D.  S.  Reed,  Nancy 
Reed,  H.  G.  Auldridge,  W.  F.  Foster,  Charles  S.  Foster, 
Annie  M.  Foster,  Jane  Mills,  Susan  Barney,  Sarah  Clod- 
felter,  Sarah  Marks,  Mary  A.  Foster,  Amanda  Smith, 
Catharine  Easter,  Coles  Barney,  Jacob  Easter,  Michael 
Clodfelter,  J.  A.  Ferry,  Chas.  Reich,  B.  F.  Bristow,  and 
Sallie  Bristow.  The  first  elders  were  Wm  Foster,  Sr., 
Wm.  Crawford  and  Robert  Roby.  The  appointed  dea- 
cons were  Blaihel  Foster,  Elias  Reich,  Mathew  Rice, 
and  Franklin  Mills. 

The  building  in  which  these  brethren  and  sisters  or- 
ganized themselves  into  a  church  is  still  stauding,  and 
is  being  used  as  a  store  and  post-office.  James  Kinner 
did  much  to  start  the  work  in  West  Salem,  and  Blashel 


Foster  rented  a  house  to  hold  services  in,  put  a  stove  in 
t  and  paid  the  preacher's  salary  mainly  for  one  year.  It 
takes  such  sacrificing  spirits  to  inaugurate  the  work 
of  the  Lord  iu  many  places.  May  they  be  rewardtd. 

First  Elders.— Wm.  Foster,  Sr.,  Wm.  Crawford, 
Robert  Roby. 

First  Deacons  —Blashel  Foster,  Elias  Reich,  Mathew 
Rice,  Franklin  Mills. 

R.  S.  Crawford  was  the  first  clerk  of  the  church.  Jas. 
C.  T.  Hall,  M.  Shick,  G.  W.  Morrall,  E.  Lathrope,  J. 
W.  Stone,  A.  Flower,  J.  W.  Sumner,  J.  Mullins,  and  E. 
C.  Stark,  have  successively  been  employed  as  regular 
preachers  of  the  church?  Brethren  E.  C.  Stark  and  D. 
J.  Ballard  are  members  of  West  Salem  congregation, 
and  have  preached  there  often.  Jane  Clodfelter,  im- 
mersed by  Bro.  Ballard,  was  the  last  person  to  unite 
with  this  church.  The  elders  of  the  church  now  are  E. 
C.  Stark,  B.  F.  Mills,  and  Blashel  Foster.  Deacons :  Wm. 
Hibbert,  W.  E  Foster,  J.  D.  Ballard,  and  Isa  Pixley. 
The  church  numbers  125  members  at  present.  Value 
of  church  property  $800.  Seating  capacity  300. 
Their  Sunday-school  is  evergreen. 

Curti«ville  Church. — About  thirty-two  years  ago  the 
gospel  was  preached  in  the  Curtis  neighborhood  by  such 
Christian  ministers  as  Moses  Goodwin,  Stephen  Phelps, 
J.  C  T.  Hall,  et  al.  The  first  meetings  were  held  at  the 
residence  of  John  Curtis  on  the  same  farm  where  he  now 
lives.  The  church  was  organized  at  his  farm  residence 
about  1854.  Among  the  charter  members  were  the  fol- 
lowing :  John  Curtis,  Mahala  Curtis,  Montgomery 
Mountz,  Sarah  Mountz,  Hannah  Curtis,  B.  F.  Mountz, 
a  young  preacher  living  in  the  neighborhood,  Frances 
Mountz,  Mary  Mountz,  and  Elizabeth  Stafford.  This 
congregation  continued  to  meet  at  John  Curtis' residence, 
till  their  number  grew  to  50  or  60.  They  often  met  in 
the  grove,  in  pleasant  weather,  enjoying  the  preaching  of 
Stephen  Phelfis,  J.  C.  T.  Hall,  Wm.  Curtis  and  Moses 
Goodwin.  Many  were  the  seasons  of  rejoicing  in  this 
temple  of  nature,  in  these  earlier  times. 

A  few  years  after  this  first  organization  at  Curl's', 
the  congregation  at  West  Village  built  a  house  of  wor- 
ship, and  the  Curtis  congregation,  having  no  house,  con- 
cluded it  would  be  better  for  them  to  unite  with  West 
Village.  Hence  they  became  a  part  of  that  church,  re- 
maining with  them  till  the  year  1878,  when  they  again 
reorganized  iu  the  school-house  near  where  the  church 
now  stands,  with  25  or  30  members,  under  the  evangeli- 
cal labor  of  J.  W.  Stone.  The  elders  are  Jno.  Ryon, 
Geo.  Gumbrell  and  David  Allen.  Deacons :  Frank 
i  Curtis  and  George  Ely.  Their  present  house,  a  frame, 
30  x  36  feet,  was  built  in  1878,  at  a  cost  of  $900.  Its 
sittings  are  250.  The  new  organization  has  employed 
successively  the  following  named  brethren  to  preach  for 
them :  J.  W.  Stone,  and  W.  T.  Gillespie,  Eld.  Luther, 
J.  F.  James,  and  they  have  just  employed  Eld.  Logan, 
of  Wayne  county,  as  their  preacher  for  1883.  J.  W. 
Stoue  and  J.  F.  James  have  held  successful  protracted 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


171 


meetings  in  this  new  church.    The  numerical  strength  of  !  Ham  and  Benny  Flower  held  a  series  of  meetings  iu  the 
the  church  at  present  is  70. 

Wed  Village  Church.— In  a  note  to  the  writer  brother 
Morris  Colyer,  Clerk  of  West  Village  church,  says : 
"This  church  was  first  organized  at  Mr.  Alan  Emmer- 
son's  farm  residence  and  afterwards  met  in  the  school- 
house,  near  the  farm  of  James  Bunting,  Sr.  The  history, 
so  far  as  this  congregation  is  concerned,  is  not  known  to 
me,  but  can  bz  gathered  if  a  little  time  is  allowed." 

In  reference  to  the  present  organization,  brother  Col- 
yer further  says  :  "  On  May  29th,  1858,  an  organization 
was  effected  at  what  is  known  now  as  the  West  "  Village 
Church."  It  was  first  called  the  Village  Church,  being 
near  the  village  creek.  When  the  new  organization  was 
formed  on  the  east  side  of  the  prairie  it  was  named  the 
"East  Village  Church;"  consequently  the  other  (the 
one  being  sketched)  gradually  came  to  be  known  as 
West  Village  Church." 

It  will  be  seen  from  the  history  of  Curtisville  church 
given  above,  that  it  united  with  this  church,  and  was  a 
part  of  it  for  many  years,  the  West  Village  people  having 
built  a  house,  previous  to  their  organizing,  in  which  all 
could  meet.  This  house  was  opened  for  worship  about 
May  29th,  1858.  The  names  of  the  charter  members, 
as  far  as  we  can  ascertain,  are  as  follows :  Jas.  Bunting, 
Sr  ,  Sophia  Bunting,  George  Bunting,  Uriah  Baily, 
Eliza  M.  Baily,  John  Curtis,  ThomasGill, Eliza  Gill,  Eli 
Bunting, Caroline  Bunting,  B.  P.  Reid,C.  S.  Reid,  Mary 
Humphreys,  Daniel  Bond,  Martha  Bond,  Hannah  Cur- 
tis, Mahala  Curtis,  Nancy  Curtis,  S.  Shelby,  Sarah  A. 
Shelby,  Louisa  Ground,  Mary  Edwards,  Esther  Mitchell, 
Frances  Campbell,  Cordelia  Edwards,  Elizabeth  Kenner, 
W.  H.  Keuuer,  W.  H.  Reid,  Wm.  Campbell  and  Jas. 
Kenner.  The  board  of  officers  was,  Elders— George 
Bunting.Uriah  Baily,  and  Jas.  Kenner;  Deacoua— Em- 
manuel Bunting,  John  Curtis  and  Thomas  Gill. 

"  As  to  the  preachers  employed,"  fays  Brother  Morris 
Colyer,  "  there  is  no  record  until  1873.  Up  to  this 
time  however,  there  had  been  preaching  by  James 
Kenner,  D  F.  Mountz,  J  W.  Sumner,  Daniel  Bulkley> 
J.  C.  T.  Hall,  et  al.,  of  whom  I  am  not  informed  at  pre- 
sent. Since  1873  the  following  preachers  have  served 
the  church  more  or  less  as  regular  preachers,  occupying 
one  and  sometimes  two  Sundays  per  month :  Fred 
Applegath,  E.  Lathrop,  J.  C.  T.  Hall,  J.  W.  Stone  and 
Caleb  Edwards.  Brethren  Hall  and  Edwards  have 
preached  each  once  per  month  for  the  past  two  years, 
and  are  both  engaged  for  1883. 

Principal  protracted  meetings.  April,  1864,  G. 
Morrall  preacher;  additions  26.  During  1865-'6,  meet- 
ings were  held  by  J.  W.  Sumner  and  D.  F  Mountz,  re-  I  five  coasecutivo  years,  and  is  reengaged  for  the  year 
suiting  in  thirty  or  thirty-five  accessions.  Records  in-  j  1883.  The  present  elders  of  the  church  are  Robert 
complete  for  1865-'6.  September  1,  1871,  E.  Lathrop,  Roby  and  B.  T.  Bristow.  Under  their  efficient  man- 
preacher  ;  additions  20.  Brother  Lathrop  held  another  !  ageraent  and  the  preaching  of  Brother  Hall,  the  church 
meet'ng  iu  December,  1873,  resulting  in  seven  additions  is  harmonious,  and  wields  a  good  influence  in  the  corn- 
to  the  church.  March,  1878,  J.  W.  Stone,  held  a  meet-  munity.  Their  meetings  are  feasts  of  brotherly  love, 
ing  in  which  there  were  twenty-three  conversions  and  May  it  ever  bi  S3.  The  church  maintains  a  Sunday- 
three  other  Christians  added— twenty-six  in  all.  Wil-  school  six  mouths  in  the  year.  Scholars,  forty. 


month  of  November,  1879,  which  resulted  in  eleven  ad- 
ditions to  the  church,  and  J.  F.  Jamss  held  a  meeting 
October,  1831,  resulting  iu  six  additions.  The  clerk  of 
this  church  says,  "  I  cannot  speak  with  certainty  of  the 
first  two  years  of  the  church  at  present,  but  in  August 
and  September,  1859,  there  was  a  meeting  with  twelve 
or  thirteen  additions  It  appears  from  the  list  that 
Fred  Applegath  and  Ja*r>u  Bunting  were  am  >ng  the 
converts."  The  church  numbers  at  present  about  ninety 
members  and  twenty  •'  dry  bones."  Will  these  last  ever 
be  made  to  live?  The  present  elders  are  George  Bunt- 
ing, B.  P.  Reid,  and  Jason  Bunting.  The  deacons  are 
Thomas  Gill,  George  May,  George  Gumbrel,  and  Syl- 
vester Bunting. 

West  Village  Chapel  is  a  frame  house,  erected  in  1858 . 
but  not  plastered  until  about  1865,  and  is  valued  at 
$700.  Seating  capacity  2',0.  In  this  audience  room 
the  church  holds  Sunday-school  from  six  to  eight  months 
in  the  year.  Average  attendance  about  thirty.  Inter- 
est good.  Superintendent,  Morris  Colyer.  This  sketch 
is  incomplete,  but  if  it  inspires  the  brethren  to  put  their 
records  in  a  more  complete  and  permanent  shape  for 
the  future  it  has  not  been  written  in  vain. 

Shiloh  Church  -Is  eight  miles  north  of  Albion,  in  the 
southwest  corner  of  Salem  Township.  The  first  meet- 
ings in  this  neighborhood  were  held  in  James  McKin- 
st-y's  barn,  but  the  church  of  Shiloh  was  organized  at 
the  residence  of  William  Crawford,  about  1862,  with 
twenty  charter  members  as  follows :  William  Crawford, 
Priscilla  Crawford,  Robert  Roby,  Mary  F.  Roby, 
B.  T  Bristow,  Sallie  Bristow,  Samuel  Crawford, 
Satire  Crawford,  Nancy  Crawford,  Elizabeth  Crawford, 
John  Bridwell,  Harriet  A-  Bridwell,  James  R.  Roby, 
Priscilla  Roby,  Joseph  Vandever,  Jane  Vaudever,  Sal- 
lie  Rogers,  A.  J.  Byford,  Julia  A.  Byford,  and  possibly 
others.  At  the  time  of  organization  they  appointed  as 
elders  William  Crawford  and  Robert  Roby.  The  dea- 
cons of  the  church  appointed  at  the  same  time  were  B. 
F.  Bristow,  J.  R.  Roby  and  W.  F.  Crawford.  This 
organization  has  gradually  increased  till  it  now  numbers 
125  members. 

A  large  per  cent,  of  the  people  in  Shiloh  community 
are  from  the  State  of  Kentucky,  and  they  know  how  to 
entertain  their  preacher  and  all  others  who  visit  them 
in  genuine  Kentucky  style.  The  neighborhood  is  some- 
times called  "Little  Kentuck."  This  community  and 
church  has  enjoyed  the  ministerial  labors  of  J.  W.  Sum- 
ner, Franklin  Mountz,  J.  W.  Stone,  aud  J.  C.  T.  Hall. 
Elder  J.  C.  T.  Hall  has  preached  for  them  for  the  last 


172 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LA  WRENCE  AND  W ABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


Their  house  of  worship  is  a  frame  structure  built  on 
the  old  style— pulpit  iu  front  between  the  two  doors— 
and  is  valued  at  $500.  Seating  capacity  300. 

East  Village  Church.—  This  church,  three  miles  north 
of  Albion,  the  county  seat  of  Edwards  county,  was  or- 
ganized of  members  mostly  from  West  Village  Church. 
William  Woods  held  meetings  iu  the  Montgomery 
school-house  in  this  neighborhood  about  the  year  1864. 
They  built  a  meeting-house  in  18 — ,  and  after  its  com- 
pletion a  meeting  lasting  four  weeks  was  held  in  it  by 
Joshua  Sumner,  and  the  church  organized  with  fifteen 
charter  members. 

Official  Board.— Elders—  Isaac  Smith,  J.  F.  Tread. 
Deacons. — C.  W.  Smith,  Jacob  Mason. 

The  regular  preachers  for  this  congregation  since  the 
time  of  its  organization  have  been  J.  Sumner,  Daniel 
Burkley,  Dr.  F.  Mountz,  J.  C.  T.  Hall,  Elder  Lathrop, 
J.  W.  Stone  and  Caleb  Edwards,  who  is  just  at  the 
close  of  his  seventh  year's  work. 

The  East  Village  chapel,  a  frame,  is  36x40.  Value 
of  church  property  8600.  It  will  seat  comfortably  250 
or  300  persons.  The  church  numbers  thirty  members 
No  Sunday  school. 

There  are  some  excellent  members  in  East  Village 
church,  but  the  number  is  so  few,  and  the  distance  from 
Albion  and  West  Village  churches  is  so  small,  that  it 
seems  to  the  writer  that  it  would  be  better  for  the  cause 
if  these  brethren  would  all  agree  to  unite  with  either  the 
West  Village  or  Albion  congregation. 

Marion  Church.— The  Marion  Church  is  in  Shelby 
precinct,  northwest  part  of  the  county,  on  the  west 
bank  of  Sugar  creek,  and  near  the  old  town  of  Marion. 
The  work  was  inaugurated  in  this  community  by  Moses 
and  Elijah  Goodwin,  J.  Standish  and  Cornelius  Aids. 
Their  first  meetings  were  held  at  the  residence  of  Quin- 
ton  Nicks,  and  it  was  here  the  church  was  organized, 
under  the  labor  of  Moses  Goodwin.  The  meetings  were 
held  for  some  time  after  they  organized,  from  house  to 
house,  but  mainly  at  the  house  of  Niles  A.  Shelby,  the 
same  house  now  occupied  by  his  son,  William  Shelby. 
The  first  elders  of  this  congregation  were  William 
Foster  and  N.  A.  Shelby  ;  and  the  first  deacons  were 
Quinton  Nicks  and  B.  F.  Park.  The  following  names 
were  enrolled  in  this  organization :  William  Foster, 
Lucy  Foster,  Niles  Shelby,  Malinda  Shelby,  Quinton 
Nicks,  Susan  Nicks,  B.  F.  Park,  Elmira  Park,  AV. 
Prichet,  Elizabeth  Prichet,  D.  Nicks,  Orpha  Nicks,  B. 
Kinyon,  Eliza  Kinyon,  and  perhaps  others.  They  or- 
ganized in  1843.  Hence  this  is  one  of  the  oldest 
churches  in  the  county.  It  has  been  privileged  to  enjoy 
the  occasional  preaching  of  E.  Goodwin,  B.  K.  Smith, 
Elder  Dibble,  et  al.  Elder  George  Morrall  was  sent  out 
as  a  preacher  first  by  Marion  church.  The  preachers 
regularly  employed  by  the  church  have  been  M.  Good- 
win, A.  Walker  who  was  a  mident  preacher,  Stephen 
Phelps,  W.  Courter,  C.  Aids,  G.  Morrall,  A.  Flower, 
M.  Shick,  J.  Sumner  and  William  T.  Gillesp  e.  Brother 
G.  Morrall  was  their  last  preacher.  The  resident 


preachers  have  been  Anderson  Walker,  and  William 
Woods.  W.  T.  Gillespie,  a  preacher,  now  lives  near  the 
church.  The  church  now  numbers  130.  Elders :  C.  B. 
Root  and  J.  M.  Walker.  Deacons :  Jordan  Walker 
and  Stephen  Stone.  The  church  holds  Sunday-school  six 
months  in  the  year.  Number  of  scholars  is  forty. 

The  church  edifice  is  a  frame  26x38  feet.  Seating 
capacity  250.  Value  of  church  property  $450. 

Marion  church  numbers  some  grand  men  and  women, 
and  it  has  the  ability  to  accomplish  much  toward  the 
salvation  of  men.  May  the  great  Head  of  -the  church 
bless  them  to  the  good  of  humanity  and  His  own  glory. 

JBonpas  Church. — The  facts  here  recorded  were  given 
to  the  writer  by  Elder  J.  C.  T.  Hall,  from  memory. 
Hence  the  history  of  this  church  is  necessarily  very  in- 
complete. The  church  is  situated  on  the  eastern  border 
of  the  county.  Elder  Amos  Willis  did  the  pioneer 
work  in  this  neighborhood,  and  organized  the  church 
about  the  year  1838.  Elijah  Goodwin,  M.  Goodwin, 
A.  Flower,  J.  C.  T.  Hall,  and  Elder  Tremble  have 
preached  considerable  for  them.  Monthly  preaching 
has  been  the  rule  in  this  church.  Membership,  sixty- 
five.  Their  Sunday-school  is  spasmodic.  Their  church 
edifice  is  a  frame,  valued  at  $700.  Sittings  300. 

Olive  Church. — This  church,  situated  about  half  way 
between  Albion  and  Grayville,  is  the  youngest  organiza- 
tion of  the  Church  of  Christ  in  Edwards  county,  being 
effected  under  the  ministerial  labors  of  Brother  C.  Ed- 
wards, 1879,  who  did  the  first  preaching  in  this  neigh- 
borhood. But  the  first  successful  series  of  meetings 
here  were  held  in  the  mouth  of  February,  1879,  by 
Brother  E.  Lathrop.  Brethren  J.  F.  James  and  Caleb 
Edwards  have  since  that  time  held  a  very  successful 
protracted  meeting.  The  church  now  numbers  thirty 
members,  with  F.  Wick  as  elder,  and  J.  Scott  and  J.  J. 
Wick  as  deacons.  They  have  a  neat  little  frame  chapel, 
built  in  1878,  at  a  cost  of  $550.  Seating  capacity  200. 

SUMMARY. 

Number  of  preachers  living  in  Edwards  county,  seven. 
Churches,  ten.  Value  of  church  property,  $8,310. 
Total  seating  capacity,  2,600.  Total  membership  of  the 
county,  945. 

In  conclusion  I  would  say  to  the  brethren  of  the 
county,  that  I  am  conscious  of  the  fact  that  the  above 
history  is  incomplete  and  perhaps  will  fall  far  short  of 
rendering  satisfaction  to  all ;  but  the  writer  has  taken  no 
little  pains  to  collect  all  the  above  facts  and  statistics. 
Most  of  the  church  records  have  been  very  imperfectly 
kept,  and  if  this  sketch  stirs  up  each  church  to  put  its 
history  in  a  more  perfect  and  permanent  shape,  it  has 
not  been  written  in  vain. 

CUMBERLAND     PRESBYTERIAN     CHURCH. 

BY  REV.  ISAAC   B.  SELF. 

Albion.— The  Cumberland  Presbyterian  Church  is  a 
growth  of  the  present  century.  It  originated  in  the  re- 
markable revival  of  religion  which  began  in  1797,  to 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND   W ABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


173 


develop  itself  in   the   extensive  region   known  as  the 
"  Cumberland  Country,"  embracing  a  considerable  por- 
tion of  northern  Tennessee  and  southwestern  Kentucky. 
The  organization  was  effected  on  the  4th  day  of  Feb- 
ruary, 1810,  at  the  house  of  Rev.  Samuel  McAdow  in 
Dickson  County,  Tennessee.     The  distinctive  doctrinal  , 
feature  of  this  body  is  the  middle  ground  between  ex-  j 
treme  Calvinism,  and  Arminianism.     It  is  Presbyterian  j 
in  its  form  of  government.     The  name  "  Cumberland  "  | 
is  retained  because  that  was  the  name  of  the  Presbytery,  { 
and  of  the  country,  where  the  gracious  revival  sprang 
up,  in  which  the  church  was  born.    In  1815,  three  years  i 
before   Illinois    was   constituted   a  State,   Cumberland 
Presbyterians  had  entered  the  Territory    and  carried 
the  glad  tidings  of  salvation  to  its  scattered  inhabitants. 
The  first  congregation  organized   in    this   State   was 
"  Hopewell,"  now  Enfield,  White  county,  by  Eev.  D. 
W.  McLin,  June  8th,  1819.      Among  the  first  ruling 
elders  elected  was  James  Miller,  whose  daughter  Sarah 
was  in  after  years  one  of  the  first  members  of  Albion 
congregation. 

Shiloh  congregation,  in  White  county,  was  organized 
not  long  after  the  one  at  Enfield.  Here  in  November, 
1822,  the  L.rd  most  graciously  blessed  the  labors  of 
Rev.  Woods  M.  Hamilton.  Among  those  converted  at 
this  meeting,  was  Alexander  Stewart,  a  ruddy  Scotch 
lad  sixteen  years  of  age,  who  joined  the  church  at 
Shiloh,  November  22d,  1822,  and  who  in  the  Providence 
of  God,  became  the  father  of  the  church  in  Albion. 

Attending  a  Cumberland  Presbyterian  camp-meeting 
at  Enfield,  young  Stewart  saw  Miss  Sarah  Miller,  re- 
ferred to  above.  At  once- he  was  impressed  with  her 
suitableness  as  a  life  companion,  and  sought  an  intro- 
duction. This  acquaintance  continued  with  increasing 
mutual  pleasure,  until  January  19th,  1825,  when  they 
were  united  in  marriage.  In  1827,  this  young  couple 
moved  to  Albion,  Edwards  county,  which  place  they 
found  almost  entirely  destitute  of  any  religious  interests, 
and  in  fact  much  avowed  infidelity  was  found,  and  often- 
times decided  opposition  was  manifested  towards  pro- 
fessing Christians  and  Christianity.  The  first  sermon 
by  a  Cumberland  Presbyterian  minister  was  delivered 
by  Rev.  James  Alexander,  who  visited  the  place  on  in- 
vitation of  Brother  Stewart,  in  1832.  He  preached  in 
a  small  school  house  which  stood  on  West  Main  street, 
on  the  lot  now  occupied  by  Richard  Curdling's  harness 
shop.  In  the  midst  of  this  service,  a  number  of  persons 
of  the  baser  sort  to  show  their  contempt  for  the  worship 
of  God,  gathered  outside  and  threw  stones  at  a  terrible 
rate  upon  the  building.  This,  is  said  to  have  caused 
quite  a  commotion  for  a  time.  But  the  minister  was 
finally  enabled  to  proceed,  and  finished  his  discourse 
without  further  interuplion. 

Either  in  1835  or  '3G,  Brother  Stewart,  in  connection 
with  Robert  Brown,  Wm.  Hall  and  others,  organized  a 
''  weekly  meeting  "  which  was  held  in  the  counting-room 
of  Joseph  Clark,  a  young  man,  (not  then  religious, 
but  who  afterward  became  so,  and  united  with  the 


church  at  the  organization  of  the  Albion  congregation,) 
who  did  business  for  a  number  of  years  in  a  log  build- 
ing which  formerly  stood  on  the  ground  now  occupied 
by  the  western  half  of  the  "  Craig  Brick."  This  meet- 
ing, for  prayer  and  the  study  of  the  Scripture,  was  con- 
tinued, with  increasing  interest  during  the  week,  until 
in  the  fall  of  1837  or  1838,  it  was  thought  proper  to  make 
an  appointment  for  Sabbath.  By  consent  of  Walter  L. 
Mayo,  then  clerk  of  the  county  court,  the  court-house 
was  obtained  for  the  purpose.  The  first  service  was  con- 
ducted by  Brother  Stewart,  who  was  filled  with  fear  and 
trembling  at  the  presence  of  a  large  number  of  the  most 
intelligent  and  sceptical  portion  of  the  community.  Lift- 
ing his  head  in  prayer  to  God  for  help,  in  a  trembling 
voice  he  announced  the  hymn  : 


Reading  it  through  and  then  "  lining  it  out  "  as  was 
the  custom,  the  hymn  was  sung.  Its  cheering  words 
were  blessed  to  his  encouragement,  and  he  proceeded  with 
the  services  to  its  close  ;  reading  a  sermon  of  some  se- 
lection, not  now  remembered.  To  the  surprise  of  the 
little  band  the  unbelieving  portion  of  the  audience 
treated  the  service  with  great  respect,  and  seemed 
pleased  at  the  idea  of  having  Sabbath  services  in  the 
town.  On  the  next  Sabbath,  service  was  again  held 
with  an  increased  attendance  and  interest  on  the  part  of 
the  community.  Brother  Stewart  at  this  time  read  a 
portion  of  "Watson's  answer  to  Paine's  Age  of  Reason." 
At  the  close  of  this  service  a  leading  sceptic  approached 
him,  and  shaking  hands,  thanked  him  for  inaugurating 
this  Sabbath  service,  saying  "  You  know  I  don't  believe 
in  Christianity,  but  this  will  have  a  good  effect  on  the 
community,  and  will  cause  the  people  to  brush  up  and 
put  on  clean  clothes  once  a  week  any  way  ; ''  thus  bear- 
ing an  unwilling  testimony  to  the  power  of  the  Gospel ; 
and  to  the  fact  that  godliness  and  cleanliness  are  inti 
mately  connected. 

These  Sabbath  services  were  continued  in  the  court- 
house until  1841,  conducted  by  members  of  different 
j  churches,  who  would  read  sermons,  extracts  from  good 
books,  or  comment  upon  the  Scriptures  as  seemed  best 
at  the  time.  As  opportunity  offered  the  services  of  any 
minister  passing  through,  or  that  could  be  induced  to 
visit  the  place,  were  secured.  In  1841  or  '42,  it  was  de- 
cided to  build  a  "Union  church-house,"  which  was 
done  by  the  contributions  and  energetic  efforts  of  a  faith- 
ful few,  members  of  various  churches.  This  was  a  brick 
j  building  2(5x50,  standing  back  from  the  street,  east  of 
the  court-house,  and  the  building  is  now  occupied  by  H. 
Wagner  as  a  dwelling.  Revs.  John  Porter,  Woods  M. 
Hamilton,  Wm.  Finley  and  Joel  Knight  pioneer  minis- 
ters of  the  C.  P.  Church  frequently  visited  Albion, 
preaching  in  this  brick  church.  Finally  the  way  being 
j  open  for  an  organization  of  a  church  of  their  choice, 
\  Brother  and  Sister  Stewart  made  a  request  to  this  effect. 
;  And  on  the  23d  day  of  May,  1843,  Albion  congregation 


174 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  W ABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


of  the  C  P.  Church  was  regularly  organized  by  Revs. 
Woods  M.  Hamilton  and  Win.  Finley,  with  the  follow- 
ing members:     Alexander  and  Sarah  Stewart,  by  letter 
from    Shiloh    congregation ;    Samuel    E.   and    Jennet  I 
Prichard,  Joseph  and  Jane  Clark  on  profession.   Brother 
Stewart  was  at  that  time  elected  and  ordained  ruling 
elder,  which  position  he  has  filled  ever  since.     Rev.  I 
Wm.  Finley  served  this  congregation  as  pastor  from  its  I 
organization  until  1851.     There  is  no  mention  made  of 
salary,  and  the  only  record  as  to  any    engagement  is 
that  Rev.  Wm.  Finley  was  employed  Nov.  25th,  1846, 
one-fourth  of  his  time  for  one  year.     For  the  next  two 
years  he  labored  as  much  as  he  could.     Mention  is  also 
made  of  his  conducting  and  assisting  in  meetings  from  j 
time  to  time  as  late  as  1855.     Rev.  James  Gaston  sup-  j 
plied  the  congregation  for  a  short  time  before  and  up 
to  September  1st,  1851,  when  Rev."J.  T.  Borah,  (now  of 
Mississippi)    was  employed   one-fourth   his   time   until 
some  time  in  1854. 

In  the  spring  of  1854,  it  was  decided  by  the  members 
to  build  a  church  house  of  their  own.  This  was  a  neat 
frame  50x26,  with  cupola  and  vestibule,  and  costs  from 
eight  hundred  to  a  thousand  dollars.  This  building  was 
dedicated  June  18th,  1854,  by  Rev.  Wm.  Finley,  Rev. 
J.  T.  Borah,  then  the  pastor,  and  Rev.  E.  T.  Senserman 
assisting  in  the  services.  It  stood  just  east  of  the  resi- 
dence of  Charles  S.  Stewart  and  is  now  a  part  of  his 
front  yard.  At  the  erection  of  the  new  brick,  the  house 
was  sold  and  moved  to  where  it  now  stands  occupied 
by  Garland  Biggers  as  a  dwelling. 

May  1,  1855,  Rev.  John  W.  Woods,  (now  of  Mattoon, 
Illinois,)  was  engaged  to  labor  with  this  congregation 
for  one  year,  at  a  salary  of  $350. 

At  a  meeting  held  by  Rev.  William  Finley,  at  Wan- 
borough,  near  Albion,  in  December,  1849,  Thomas  Smith 
joined  the  C.  P.  church,  coming  from  the  Independent 
church,  Kendall,  England.  Some  few  years  after  he 
placed  himself  under  the  care  of  Presbytery  as  a  candi- 
date for  the  ministry.  In  due  time  he  was  licensed  and 
ordained,  and  in  April,  1857,  application  was  made  to 
Presbytery  for  his  services  as  pastor  of  this  church. 
Said  request  being  granted,  it  was  renewed  from  time  to 
time,  and  Brother  Smith  continued  in  charge  of  the  church 
until  some  time  in  1864.  He  then  enlisted  in  the  Fed- 
eral Army,  and  the  congregation  was  supplied  with  oc- 
casional preaching,  by  Rev.  Charles  Low,  of  the  Baptist 
church,  and  by  Rev.  James  M.  Hatnon  and  Henry  | 
Cooper,  of  the  Moravian,  until  in  November,  1865,  Rev.  \ 
B.  H.  Blackwell  was  employed  for  six  months. 

April  25,  1866,  Rev.  Thomas  Smith  was  re-engaged 
for  one-half  his  time.  He  continued  his  labors  until 
September  26,  1867,  when  he  asked  to  be  released,  and 
another  minister  was  employed.  The  records  show  sev- 
eral very  interesting  meetings  under  the  pastorate  of 
Brother  Smith.  His  separation  from  the  C.  P.  church, 
and  union  with  the  Presbyterian,  was  regretted  by  this 
congregation,  who,  however,  follow  him  with  good  wishes 
in  his  new  congregation. 


November  20,  1867,  Rev.  R.  J.  P.  Lemen,  was  em- 
ployed as  pastor,  and  so  continued  at  a  salary  ranging 
from  seven  to  eight  hundred  dollars,  until  the  spring  of 
1870,  when  he  resigned  to  accept  an  appointment  from 
the  Board  of  Missions.  Soon  after  Brother  Lemen 
entered  upon  his  labors  here  the  Lord  most  graciously 
blessed  his  work,  and  a  precious  revival  was  enjoyed  by 
the  church.  Forty-nine  persons,  on  a  profession  of  faith 
in  Christ,  united  with  the  congregation  on  one  day ;  and 
thirty  more,  by  letter  and  experience,  joining  during  his 
pastorate. 

In  September,  1870,  Rev.  J.  R.  Lowrance  was  em- 
ployed as  pastor,  at  a  salary  of  one  thousand  dollars, 
and  house  rent  free.  He  entered  upon  his  duties  No- 
vember 2, 1870,  and  continued  to  serve  the  congregation, 
very  much  to  their  satisfaction,  until  August,  1874, 
when  he  resigned,  and  moved  to  Lincoln,  Illinois,  in 
order  to  obtain  better  facilities  for  the  education  of  his 
children.  Recently  he  has  moved  his  family  to  Gorden 
City,  Kansas,  where  he  hopes  to  establish  a  C.  P.  church. 

September,  1874,  Rev.  William  Wilson  took  charge 
of  the  congregation,  at  a  salary  of  seven  hundred  dol- 
lars a  year,  and  house  rent  free.  He  continued  in  this 
position  for  three  years,  though  not  receiving  so  large 
a  salary  after  the  first  year,  when  he  moved  to  Minne- 
sota, and  afterwards  entered  the  Congregational  church. 

At  this  time,  September,  1877,  Rev.  William  A. 
Hyde,  of  Tennessee,  visited  the  congregation,  and  ac- 
cepted its  pastoral  care,  agreeing  to  accept  the  free  will 
oSerings  of  the  congregation  as  pecuniary  remuneration 
for  his  services,  which  arrangement  was  continued  dur- 
ing his  stay,  and  resulted  very  satisfactorily.  Brother 
Hyde's  pastorate  was  a  very  successful  one,  some  sixty 
members  being  received  on  profession  during  the  first 
six  months. 

Soon  after  he  took  charge  of  the  congregation,  he 
began  to  press  the  importance  of  a  larger  and  better 
church  building,  which  had  before  been  discussed  by 
the  session.  Under  his  energetic  leadership  the  people 
entered  into  the  matter  most  heartily,  and  the  present 
handsome  edifice  was  erected.  This  is  a  substantial 
brick,  60x40  feet,  with  vestibule  and  cupola  additional, 
and  cost  completed,  four  thousand  five  hundred  dollars. 
It  is  heated  by  a  furnace,  and  is  well  supplied  with  com- 
fortable seats,  a  bell  and  organ.  It  was  built  by  Elias 
Weaver,  contractor,  who  has  perhaps  built  more  houses 
in  Albion,  than  any  other  one  man  This,  his  last  con- 
tract, stands  as  a  monument  of  his  continued  faithful, 
honest  labor,  good  taste,  and  workmanlike  execution. 

The  following  notice  of  the  dedication  of  this  build- 
ing is  from  the  Albion  Journal  November  23,  1878: 

"  The  New  Cumberland  Presbyterian  church  was  dedi- 
cated to  the  service  of  God  on  last  Sunday,  November 
17th,  and  notwithstanding  the  inclemency  of  the  weather, 
the  seats  of  the  capacious  building  were  more  than  com- 
fortably filled,  while  others  had  to  be  brought  in  from 
the  old  church  to  accommodate  those  who  were  unable 
to  get  a  seat.  At  about  half-past  ten,  Rev.  W.  J.  Darby, 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  W 'ABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


of  Evansville,  Ind.,  Rev.  J.  E    Jenkins  of  Princeton,  I 
Ind.,  and  Rev.  John  Woods,  of  Mattoon,  former  pastor 
of  the  church  at  this  place,  ascended  the  rostrum.    After  ! 
reading   an  appropriate    chapter  of  Scripture,    and   a 
prayer  by  Rev.  Woods,  Dr.  Darby  announced  bis  text 
to  be  found  in  the  132ud  Psalm,  8th  ver»e: 

''Arise,  O  Lord,  into  thy  rest;  thou,  and  the  ark  of 
thy  strength." 

Probably,  no  more  appropriate  piece  of  holy  writ 
could  have  been  chosen  for  theoccasion.  The  sermon  was 
delivered  in  a  very  impressive  manner  and  was  listened 
to  with  great  attention.  Dr.  Darby's  manner^  of  de-  ; 
livery,  distinct  articulation,  and  flow  of  eloquence  made 
a  very  favorable  impression  upon  his  hearers.  His  dig- 
nified appearance  in  the  pulpit  was  in  keeping  with  his 
calling  and  commanded  the  admiration  of  his  audience." 

Very  much  to  the  regret  of  the  cougregati  n  Brother  j 
Hyde  resigned  the  care  of  his  church,  on  account  of  | 
poor  health,  in  the  spring  of  1879,  and  accepted  a  call  j 
to  a  Mission  church,  at  Colorado  Springs,  Colorado,  i 
He  has  since  gone  to  Texas,  where  with  his  wonted 
earnest  faithfulness  he  is  laboring  for  the  Master. 

October  1,  1879,  Rev.  G-  W.  Eichelberger  of  Pilot 
Grove,  Missouri,  was  called  to  the  pulpit  of  this  church, 
for  time  indefinite,  and  salary  the  contributions  of  1st 
and  3rd  Sabbaths  of  each  month.  In  addition  to  the  usual  , 
pastoral  work,  Brother  Eichelberger  succeeded  in  organ- 
izing a  Woman's  Home  and  Foreign  Missionary  Society 
among  the  ladies  of  the  church,  which  is  still  in  success- 
ful operation.  He  also  established  a  Children's  Mission- 
ary Band,  which  was  the  means  of  raising  considerable 
funds  for  charity  at  home  and  abroad.  Under  his 
management  arrangements  were  made  for  the  purchase 
of  the  neat  brick  building  standing  on  the  adjoining  lot) 
west  of  the  church,  as  a  parsonage.  This  was  to  be  paid 
for  in  ten  yearly  installments.  One  payment  made  and 
the  remainder  secured  by  reliable  subscriptions.  He 
continued  to  serve  the  congregation  very  acceptably, 
until  October  17,  1881,  when  he  resigned  with  a  view 
of  further  prosecuting  his  studies  in  some  of  the  Eastern 
Colleges. 

Just  before  the  departure  of  Bro.  Eichelberger,  from 
Albion,  Uev.  Isaac  B.  Self,  who  was  then  traveling  as 
Financial  Agent  of  Lincoln  University,  visited  this 
church.  Finding  them  about  to  be  left  without  a  pastor, 
at  their  request,  he  agreed  to  supply  them  with  preach- 
ing until  the  next  spring.  This  arrangement  extended, 
in  the  spring,  for  six  months,  when  in  September,  1882, 
the  relation  having  proved  mutually  agreeable,  the  con- 
gregation extended  the  call  indefinitely,  agreeing  to  pay 
a  salary  of  nine  hundred  dollars  per  year,  and  free  use 
of  the  parsonage.  This  was  accepted,  and  the  Albion 
Presbytery,  at  its  fall  session,  was  asked  to  ratify  the 
arrangement  by  regular  installation,  which  was  done, 
and  an  account  of  which  is  here  given,  as  taken  from  the 
Albion  Journal  of  September  22,  1882. 

"Rev.  I.  B  Self  was  installed  last  Sunday  morning 
as  permanent  pastor  of  the  C.  P.  church,  at  this  place, 


in  the  presence  of  a  large  congregation.  Mr.  Self  has 
been  in  charge  of  the  C.  P.  church  here  fur  about  one 
year  past,  and  his  labors,  both  in  the  church  and  Sab- 
bath-school work,  have  been  so  eminently  satisfactory 
to  the  congregation  that  they  unanimously  called  upon 
him  to  accept  the  permanent  pastorate  of  the  church. 
After  expressing  his  willingness  to  the  church  to  do  so, 
the  church  made  known  its  wants  to  Albion  Presbytery 
at  its  recent  session,  and  Revs.  E.  T.  Bowers,  of  Enfield, 
and  J.  W.  Elder,  of  Flora,  were  appointed  to  install 
him  as  such.  They  attended  to  that  duty  last  Sunday 
morning,  Rev.  E.  T.  Bowers  preaching  the  installation 
sermon,  from  Acts  20:  24— 'But  none  of  these  things 
move  me,  neither  count  I  my  life  dear  unto  myself,  so 
that  I  might  finish  my  course  with  joy,  and  the  ministry 
which  I  have  received  of  the  Lord  Jesus,  to  testify  the 
gospel  of  the  grace  of  God.'  From  this  text  he  deliv- 
ered an  able  and  impressive  sermon  upon  the  call  to  the 
ministry,  after  which  the  charge  was  delivered  after  the 
authorized  manner  of  the  C.  P.  church  by  Rev.  J.  W. 
Elder." 

The  records  show  that  two  hundred  and  ninety-seven 
members  have  been  received  by  letter  and  experience 
into  this  congregation  since  its  organization.  Of  these 
nearly  one-half  have  been  lost  by  death  and  removal, 
leaving  one  hundred  and  fifty  members  as  the  present 
strength  of  the  congregation. 

The  following  are  the  (  fficers,  with  the  date  of  their 
ordination : 

Elders. — Alexander  Stewart,  May  23,  1843;  Levinus 
j  Harris,  November  24,  1867  ;  George  Bower,  November 
j  24,  1867 ;  Charles  S.Stewart,  July  9,  1871 ;  John  Wai- 
i  ker,  June  20,  1875 ;  H.  P.  Craig,  April  10,  1881. 

Deacons—  Edwin  Stewart,  March  17,  1878  ;  Lucius 
Harris,   March  17,  1878 ;  John  Batson,  July  7,  1880 ; 
|  Wm.  Curtis,  April  10,  1881. 

Henry  Edwards  and  Otis  T.  Macomber  were  elected 
and  ordained  Ruling  Elders  in  February,  1855.  The 
former  serving  until  February,  1869,  when  he  resigned, 
and  the  latter  until  his  death,  March  16,  1881. 

Joseph  S.  Keadington  also  served  the  congregation 
!  as  elder  from  July  9,  1871,  until  June  16,  1875,  when 
|  he  ceased  to  act  at  his  own  request;  Bedford  E.  Harris, 
!  from  June  20,  1875,  to  March  17,  1878,  and  James 
'  Davidson,  from  July  7,  1880,  to  July  26,  1881,  served 
'  as  deacons.  Their  removal  from  the  State  caused  their 
|  resignation. 

Trustees. — Alexander    Stewart,    Thomas  Smith  and 
Henry  Powell  were  elected  trustees  soon  after  the  elec- 
I  tion  of  the  first  church-house,  in  1854,  to  hold  the  church 
property  in  trust  for  the  congregation,  which  was  deeded 
to  them,  and  their  successors  in  office.     Various  changes 
have  been  made  in  this  board   through  death,  removal 
;  and  resignation,  but  the  vacauci  's  have  been  regularly 
filled.     The  present  trustees  are,  James  Churchill,  Robt. 
Curdling,  Sr.,  John  Walker,  Alfred  Tribe  and  Henry 
i  P.  Craig. 

Sabbath-Sclwol.—The  first  Sabbath-school  organized 


176         HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


in  Albion,  was  a  "  Mission  School,"  under  the  auspices 
of  the  American  Sunday-School  Mission,  in  what  was 
then  the  school  building  of  the  village  ;  a  log  house  16x 
18  that  stood  on  the  lot  just  east  of  the  residence  of 
Charles  S  Stewart,  and  on  which  afterwards  the  first 
C.  P.  church  was  erected.  Father  Stewart  was  the  first 
superintendent,  and  for  years  in  succession  held  that  of- 
fice. The  "Union"  Kature  was  continued  until 
1867  or  1868,  when,  under  the  direction  of  Rev.  R.  J. 
P.  Lemen,  the  school  assumed  a  more  distinctly  denomi- 
national form,  and  has  since  so  continued,  though  teach- 
ers and  scholars  from  other  churches  find  a  welcome  to 
its  sessions  and  have  always,  more  or  less,  been  found 
there.  A  good  school  well  supplied  with  books,  papers, 
blackboards,  maps,  etc.,  has  been  maintained  under  the 
superintendency  of  different  persons.  At  present  Mor- 
ris Emmerson,  Superintendent ;  John  Batson,  Assistant; 
Edward  Craig,  Secretary  and  Treasurer,  and  Mrs.  Ollie 
M.  Smith,  Organist,  are  the  efficient  officers,  under 
whose  care  the  school,  we  trust,  is  accomplishing  much 
good  in  sowing  the  good  seed  of  the  word  of  God  in  the 
hearts  of  the  children  and  youths,  who  are  the  hope  of 
the  church  for  the  future.  Twenty  teachers  and  one 
hundred  and  fifty  scholars  constitute  the  enrolled  mem- 
bership, with  an  average  attendance  of  more  than  three- 
fourths  of  this  number. 

Clerk. — Father  Stewart  served  as  clerk  of  the  session, 
from  the  organization  until  February  20,  1868,  when 
he  resigned,  and  Elder  George  Bower  was  elected, 
which  position  he  still  fills  very  efficiently.  To  his  well- 
kept  minutes  from  1868,  and  scraps  of  history  which  he 
had  transcribed  from  the  former  record,  the  present 
writer  is  greatly  indebted  for  much  of  the  information 
as  to  facts  and  dates  contained  in  the  above. 

Albion  is  the  only  congregation  of  this  denomination 
known  to  the  writer  in  Edwards,  Wabash  or  Lawrence 
counties.  There  are  members  living  in  each,  but  not 
sufficiently  strong  for  an  organization.  There  are  a 
number  of  families  connected  with  the  Albion  congrega- 
tion living  near  Bethel,  and  also  some  near  Wauborough. 
At  the  former  place  there  has  been,  for  years,  regular 
preaching  once  or  twice  a  month  by  the  pastor  in  Al- 
bion, in  the  Union  Brick  church.  The  present  pastor 
preaches  there  at  3  p.  M.  every  second  and  fourth  Sab- 
bath. A  very  interesting  Mission  Sabbath-school  is  also 
maintained  at  this  point,  members  of  the  C.  P.  church 
being  found  active  in  its  work  both  among  the  teachers 
and  scholars. 

Conclusion. — With  some  trouble,  but  also  with  a  great 
deal  of  pleasure,  has  this  history  been  gathered.  Father 
Stewart,  though  in  poor  health,  and  at  a  "  ripe  old  age," 
yet  has  a  vivid  recollection  of  many  of  the  scenes  of  the 
long  ago,  and  it  has  been  peculiarly  pleasant  to  gather 
them  from  him.  The  writer  is  sure  he  but  echoes  the 
sentiment  of  every  member  of  the  church,  and  of  the 
community  as  well,  when  he  says  that  to  Father  Stewart 
more  than  to  any  other  person  is  this  congregation  in- 


debted for   its   present   prosperous   condition,   and   for 
whatever  good  it  has  ever  been  enabled  to  accomplish. 


CONGREGATIONS    OF    UNITED   BRETHREN. 

(CO.V-VOA'Ll'    CALLED  MORAVIANS.) 
BY  KEV.  G.  F.  OEHLEE. 

To  write  the  history  of  these  congregations,  one  must 
begin  in  the  State  of  North  Carolina. 

In  the  year  1751,  a  purchase  of  100,000  acres  of  land, 
lying  in  the  present  State  of  North  Carolina,  was  effected 
by  the  Brethren's  church,  of  the  British  Parliament. 
The  object  which  Parliament  favored,  was  to  establish 
colonies  in  the  wilds  of  that  State,  around  which  the 
scattered  settlers  could  gather,  and  to  preach  the  Gospel 
to  the  Indians. 

In  1753  the  first  colonists  started  from  Bethlehem, 
Pa. ;  soon  other  Pennsylvanians  followed,  while  some 
families  came  direct  from  Germany ;  they  settled  on  the 
land  that  had  been  purchased,  and  which  lay  along  or 
near  the  Yadjun  river,  in  Stokes,  Davie  and  Forsythe 
counties,  called,  at  that  time,  Dobb's  Parish. 

The  German  language  had  not  been  brought  by  those 
alone  who  came  from  Germany  ;  the  Pennsylvanians 
also  spoke  it;  hence,  this  was  the  familiar  language  of 
the  settlers.  Divine  services  were  held  in  it,  as  one  con- 
gregation after  another  was  formed,  and  it  continued  to 
be  used,  even  by  those  who  were  seized  by  the  "  West- 
ward, ho ! "  spirit,  and  sought  homes  in  the  wilds  of 
Ohio,  Indiana  and  Illinois.  Many  of  these  could  speak 
English  in  only  a  very  imperfect  way. 

In  the  year  1829  some  of  these  seekers  of  new  homes 
found  their  way  to  Edwards  county,  Illinois,  and  by 
1840  they  numbered  some  twenty  families.  They  were 
not  all  Moravians,  nor  were  they  all  conversant  with 
German  ;  but  the  Moravian  ritual  had  become  dear 
above  any  other  to  them,  and  the  German  language  pre- 
vailed. The  leading  spirit  among  them  was  Joel  Roth- 
rock,  a  thorough  Moravian,  who  presided  over  their  re- 
ligious assemblies.  But  this  was  not  sufficient ;  their 
desire  was  to  have  a  pastor.  Through  correspondence 
between  them  and  the  authorities  of  the  church,  it  was 
arranged,  in  the  year  1843,  that  Rev.  Martin  Hauser,  a 
North  Carolinian,  and  well  acquainted  with  many  of  the 
Edwards  county  Brethren,  should  make  them  a  visit. 
Physically,  Brother  Hauser  was  a  strong  man,  who  had 
been  reared  amidst  the  hardships  of  frontier  life;  spirit- 
ually, he  even  surpassed  his  strength  of  frame,  for  he 
was  filled  with  divine  life,  and  with  an  invincible  zeal 
for  the  spread  of  the  Redeemer's  kingdom. 

On  the  20th  of  March,  of  the  year  1843,  in  company 
with  Mr.  Francis  Eberman,  he  left  his  home  in  Hope, 
Bartholomew  county,  Indiana,  185  miles  from  West  Sa- 
lem. They  came  by  water  as  far  as  Evansville,  and 
ihence  made  the  journey  on  foot,  being  compelled  to 
traverse  part  of  the  distance  through  snow.  In  the 
evening  of  the  25th,  they  arrived  at  Joel  Rothrock's, 
and  the  next  day,  at  11  A.  M.,  Rev.  Mr.  Hauser 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WAR  ASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


177 


preached,  in  a  little  school-house,  on  the  text,  "  I  am  not 
ashamed  of  the  Gospel  of  Christ."  The  same  evening 
he  preached  at  Adam  Hediick's.  In  the  four  days'  stay 
which  he  made,  he  preached  four  times,  discussed  church 
matters,  formed  fifteen  church  members  into  a  society, 
and  examined  the  surrounding  country.  This  done,  he 
started  on  his  return  home  by  way  of  Alt  Carinel, 
Princeton,  etc.  The  good  work  had  now  been  com- 
menced, and  the  biethren  continued  to  meet  regularly 
for  divine  service. 

On  the  8th  of  May,  1844,  Brother  Hauser  started  on 
his  second  visit  to  Edwards  county.  This  time  Brother 
Daniel  Brunuer  accompanied  him.  The  journey,  made 
overland,  consumed  nine  days;  some  of  the  nights  were 
spent  in  the  woods,  camping  out.  A  busy  visit  of  eight 
days  followed  ;  during  that  time  Bro.  Hauser  preached 
eight  times,  baptized  nineteen  children,  confirmed 
twelve  adults,  held  various  church  meetings,  wrote  out 
the  discipline  for  a  congregation,  and  then  organized  a 
congregation  of  thirty-five  members.  The  ceremonies  of 
organization  took  place  in  Peter  Hinkle's  barn,  on  the 
25th  of  May;  here  fifteen  members  subscribed  to  the 
church  rules,  and  thirty-five  souls  partook  of  the 
L  ird's  Supper.  On  the  same  occasion, '  a  Board 
of  Trustees  was  elected,  consisting  of  Joel  Rothrock, 
Adam  Hedrick,  Charles  Wolk,  Peter  Hinkle  and  Solo- 
mon Reich. 

The  next  important  step  was  the  building  of  a  house 
for  worship.  The  site  for  it  was  not  fixed  upon  without 
considerable  anxiety;  an  offer  on  the  part  of  Joel  Roth- 
rock,  at  last,  however,  settled  the  point ;  this  was  an 
offer  of  forty  acres  of  land  at  $2.00  an  acre,  the  price 
he  had  paid  for  it.  The  purchase  money  was  furnished 
by  the  Provincial  Elders'  Conference,  at  Bethlehem, 
Pa.,  who  took,  in  return  for  the  same,  a  deed  in  trust 
for  the  West  Salem  congregation.  Aided,  to  the  extent 
of  several  hundred  dollars  by  other  Moravian  congrega- 
tions, a  frame  building  30  x  40  feat  was  commenced. 
By  the  14th  of  March,  1845,  the  frame-work  was  com- 
pleted. In  the  following  May  Brother  Hauser  again  ap- 
peared on  the  scene  ;  on  this  occasion,  the  first  anniver- 
sary of  the  organization  of  the  congregation  was  celebra- 
ted, and  all  the  former  Trustees  were  re-elected. 

On  his  return  home,  Brother  Hauser  entered  eighty 
acres  of  land  for  Brother  Charles  Kluge,  in  behalf  of  the 
Executive  Board  of  the  Moravian  church  at  Salem, 
North  Carolina,  of  which  Board  the  latter  gentleman 
was  president.  This  purchase,  together  with  others 
made  by  the  same  Board,  and  by  the  Board  that  resided 
at  Bethlehem,  Pa.,  made  a  sum  total  of  200  acres  owned 
by  the  authorities  of  the  church.  The  Kluge  purchase 
of  80  acres  is  the  land  on  which  West  Salem  was  after- 
ward commenced. 

No  ministerial  visits  were  made  for  a  year,  but  divine 
services  were,  nevertheless,  regularly  held.  When,  how- 
ever, early  in  1846,  the  church  building  had  been  nearly 
completed,  the  two  reverend  gentlemen,  Herman  I.  Titze 
and  M.  Hauser,  were  invited  to  be  present  and  dedicate 
23 


it.     As  Brother  H.  I.  Titze  has  served  in  these  congre- 
gations longer  than  any  other  minister,  it  is  but  proper 
i  to  say  that  he  is  not  only  a  German,  but  a  thoroughly 
educated    Moravian,   who  had  been  a  theological  pro- 
j  fessor.  but  with  a  kindness  and  modesty  of  heart  that 
j  could  not  be  fully  appreciated  iu  what  were  then  the 

wilds  of  America 

[      By  thete  two  heralds  of  the  Cross  was  the  little  frame 
j  structure  dedicated  to  the  worship  of  the  Triune  God,  on 
'  the  31st  of  May,  1846 ;  the  services  were  held  in  both 
the  German  and  English  languages. 

Previous  to  this  holy  act  a  town  was  surveyed  on  the 

land  belonging  to  the  Salem  Board,  and  lying  west  of 

the  church  edifice ;  the  town  received  the  name  of  New 

I  Salem.  In  after  years,  when  a  post-office  was  established 

!  in  the  place,  it  was  discovered  that  there  already  existed 

a  post-office  by  that  name,  in  the  State  ;  hence  this  was 

!  changed  to  West  Salem,  and  has  since  been  so  known. 

I      In  the  autumn  of  this  year  logs  were  made  ready  to 

!  build  a  parsonage,  as  the  desire  for  a  resident  pastor  now 

became  very  strong.   The  following  year  their  desire  was 

gratified  by  Bro.  Martin  Hauser's  being  appointed  by 

the  proper  authorities  to  serve  this  little  flock      Ou  the 

15th  of  August,  1847,  he  was  introduced  to  his  new 

charge,  and  preached  his  first  sermon   from  the  text 

found  recorded  in  Matthew  vi.  33. 

Not  long  after  his  arrival  Bro.  Hauser  began  to  look 
up  places  where  the  Gospel  was  not  being  made  known, 
and  many  such  were  found  on  every  side.    At  a  number 
of  these,   both  within   and   outside   the   boundaries  of 
Edwards  county,  he  visited  at  regular  intervals,  and 
preached  the  good  news.    As  other  denominations  came 
in,  however,  one  after  another  of  these  outposts  was  relin- 
quished, until  only  one  remained,  namely,  that  at  Olney, 
Richland    county,  111.     The   summer  of  1849  gave  a 
|  great  impetus  and  new  life  to  the  congregation.     Some 
i  fifty  persons  arrived  direct  from  Germany,  many  of 
'  whom  had  received  their  religious  training  and  educa- 
tion in  the  Moravian  congregations  of  Germany.     The 
{  new  arrivals  were  poor  but  robust  young  people,  who  at 
once  united  with  the  congregation.     This  addition  was 
highly  beneficial  to  Bro.  Hauser's  charge,  in  many  ways  ; 
the  Moravian  usages  and  ritual  were  more  strictly  ob- 
1  served,  and  while  the  retired,  quiet,  easy  going  North 
'  Carolinians  were  roused  and  quickened,  the  strict  ritual- 
I  istic  Germans  in  turn  grew  more  modified  in  their  views. 
I  Up  to  this  time  there  had  been  few  Germans  in  the  con- 
!  gregation,  and  the  German  language  had  been  made  use 
of  on  only  comparatively  rare  occasions ;    but  now  it 
I  became  very  necessary  to  conduct  a  large  proportion  of 
i  the  services   in   this   language.     Since  1849  Germans 
I  have  continued  to  arrive  direct  from  Europe,  until,  at 
I  the  present  time,  more  than  a  hundred  families  have 
settled  iu  and  around  West  Salem,  giving  the  settlement 
'  a  decidedly  German  character. 

In  the  autumn  of  1851,  at  his  own  desire,  Bro.  Hauser 

i  was  relieved  of  his  charge,  Bro.  Edwin  T.  Senseman 

receiving  the  appointment   as  pastor,  on  December  1st 


178 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


of  the  same  year.  The  congregation,  having  a  church 
building,  a  parsonage  and  a  town  with  an  increasing 
number  of  inhabitants,  found  it  necessary  to  take  another 
step  forward.  On  May  13th,  1854,  an  educational  so- 
ciety was  formed,  the  aim  of  which  was  to  erect  a 
church  school  building,  in  which  the  children  of  citi- 
zens as  well  as  those  of  Moravians  could  be  educated. 
To  assist  them  in  this  laudable  enterprise,  the  executive 
board  at  Salem,  N.  C.,  made  the  following  offer :  If  the 
congregation  would  refund  the  cost  and  expenses  in- 
curred by  it  for  the  160  acres  of  land  which  had  been 
laid  out  in  town  and  other  lots,  and  which  had  by  this 
time  grown  very  much  in  value,  a  deed  for  the  160  acres 
of  land  should  be  made  over  to  the  congregation.  This 
offer  was  of  course  gladly  accepted,  and  it  was  at  once 
resolved  upon  to  build  a  suitable  school-house.  But 
the  carrying  out  of  the  project  was  interfered  with  for 
the  time  being,  partly  by  the  failure  of  the  crops  in  the 
year  1854,  and  paitly  by  the  unusual  amount  of  sick- 
ness and  great  number  of  deaths  of  this  same  year. 
The  pastor's  wife  was  among  the  latter  number.  A 
visiting  bishop  was  also  taken  with  the  disease  that  had 
carried  off  so  many  others,  and  died  on  the  way  to 
another  station  The  pastor  himself  was  brought  low 
with  the  prevalent  sickness.  Of  the  84  inhabitants  of 
the  town  42  were  sick  and  12  died. 

At  a  provincial  synod,  held  at  Bethlehem,  Pa.,  in  the 
beginning  of  September,  1855,  it  was  decided,  with 
the  consent  of  the  Salem  provincial  synod,  that  the 
West  Salem  congregation  should  henceforth  be  under 
the  control  of  the  executive  board,  residing  at  Bethlehem, 
Pa.  At  about  the  same  time  Bro.  Senseman  received 
an  appointment  to  fill  the  pulpit  of  the  New  York  city 
congregation,  while  the  place  left  vacant  by  his  removal 
was  occupied  'by  the  Rev.  John  Henry  Eberman,  who, 
as  well  as  Bro.  Senseman,  was  a  master  of  both  the 
English  and  the  German  languages. 

November  14th,  of  the  year  1856,  saw  the  two  story 
brick  school-house  building,  measuring  21x40  feet,  and 
which  had  been  begun  two  years  previous,  so  nearly 
completed  that  school  was  commenced  in  it.  The  plan 
of  making  it  a  boarding-school,  which  had  been  enter- 
tained, was  dropped.  As  a  day  school,  in  charge  of  the 
two  efficient  teachers,  Rev.  John  Eberman  and  Rev. 
Herman  I.  Titze,  the  project  prospered.  The  admission 
fee  for  non-Moravian  children  was  per  quarter,  for  boys, 
each  five  dollars;  for  girls, each  four  dollars ;  Moravian 
children  at  half  these  rates. 

This  praiseworthy  work  was  scarcely  under  way  when 
breakers  appeared  in  the  congregation.  The  flock  con- 
sisted of  members  of  two  nationalities,  who,  though 
belonging  to  the  same  church,  had  received  somewhat 
different  religious  educations.  Of  these,  the  Germans 
adhered  more  strictly  to  the  ritual,  while  the  Ameri- 
cans, per  force  of  circumstances,  were  rather  lax.  The 
former,  who  were  now  in  the  majority,  insisted  on  hold- 
ing all  the  services,  which  had  become  so  hallowed 
to  them  in  their  Fatherland,  and  demanded  that  the 


German  language  should  be  more  frequently  used  at  the 
services.   On  the  other  hand,  the  ministers,  being  Aint-ri- 
,  cans  by  education,  naturally  preferred   the  Engli  h  lan- 
guage, and  threw  their  weight  in  with  the   minority. 
Under  these  circumstances,  it  was  plain  to  all  that  the 
•  wisest  course  for  the  congregation  to  adopt  was  to  sepa- 
I  rate  into  an  English  and  a  German  organization.     This 
was  done  by  mutual  agreement,  and  the  German  division 
began  its  separate  church  life  on  the  1st  of  January, 
1857,  with  Rev.  H.  I.  Titze  as  pastor.     The  division  was 
|  not  strictly  defined,  nationally,  since  some  of  the  Ger- 
man-born remained  in  the  English  congregation,  and 
I  vice  versa. 

This  separation  rendered  necessary  a  partition  of  the 

church  property.     This  consisted  of  forty  acres  of  land 

i  and   many  town  lots,  the  gifts  of  the  two  provincial 

1  boards.     On  the  forty  acres  of  land  was  the  church,  the 

parsonage  and  the  grave-yard,  while  on  one  of  the  town 

lots,  facing  the  public  square,  stood  the  school-house. 

It  wa-t  agreed  that  the  German  party  should  divide  this 

property  into  two  equitable  parts,  and  that  then  the 

English  would  make  their  choice  of  one  of  these.     The, 

latter  chose  the  southern  half  of  the  forty   acres,  and 

with  it  the  school  house  and  lot  on  which  it  stood,  which 

1  formed  one  of  the  portions  as  made  out  by  the  Gtrman 

element.     The  remaining  lots,  quite  a  large  number, 

i  had  been  divided  equally  previous  to  this. 

By  synodical  enactment,  however,  this  property  would 
!  not  revert  to  the  church  in  the  event  of  either  congre- 
i  gallon's  ceasing  to  exist  or  leaving  the  Moravian  church. 
I  At  the  time  of  separation  the  numerical  strength  of  the 
|  two  congregations  was  about  165  communicant  mem- 
bers; by  the  end  cf  the  year  the  English  congiegation 
j  numbered  seventy-four,   while   the   German    amounted 
to  something  near  a  hundred.     The  English  body  used 
i  the  school-house  for  divine  service,  temporarily,  with 
:  the  ultimate  object  in  view  of  converting  it  into  a  par- 
sonage.    For  this  and  other  reasons  the  Moravian  high 
school  ceased  to  exist.     The  arrangement  of  the  school- 
|  rooms  was,  however,  so  inconvenient  for  the  holding  of 
j  divine  worship  that  the  project  of  building  a  church 
:  received  new  impetus  week  by  week.     On  the  adjoining 
lot  presently  a  foundation  was  laid,  upon  which  in  due 
i  time  was  reared  a  neat  brick  structure,  measuring  36x- 
57  feet,  and  on  the  13th  of  August,  1859,  it  was  dedi- 
cated as  God's  house.     The  cost  of  the  building  was 
beyond  the  means  of  the  little  flock,  but  the  Moravian 
congregations  at  other  points  came  generously  to  her 
assistance.     In   the  meantime   other  denominations  of 
marked  proselyting  proclivities  appeared  on  the  ground. 
Of  these,  the  Evangelical  Association,  commonly  called 
Albright's,  worked  so  energetically  that  many  members 
of  the  German  congregation  were  won  over  to  their 
church;  the  shock  to  the  church   they  left  was  very 
great;  but  in  spite  of  it  she  survived  and  eventually 
prospered.     A  little  later  a  shock  of  a  different  nature 
convulsed  the  entire  nation  and  thrilled  this  little  com- 
munity.    The  firing  on  Fort  Sumter,   on  the  12th  of 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  W ABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


179 


April,  1861,  aroused  the  inhabitants  of  this  little  village, 
and  called  forth  sentimf  nts  of  strongest  loyalty.  Nor 
was  the  loyalty  shown  by  sentiments  alone:  for  very 
many  of  the  able  bodied  promptly  responded  to  the  call 
for  defenders,  not  a  few  of  whom  sacrificed  their  lives 
for  the  Union  of  the  States.  In  course  of  time  the  con- 
gregation became  self-sustaining,  that  is,  they  paid 
their  ministers'  salaries ;  for  up  to  this  time  they  had 
been  assisted  in  this  by  the  church  authorities.  This 
entitled  them  to  lay  representation  in  the  Moravian 
synods,  which  convene  every  three  years. 

Another  step  forward  was  the  formation  of  missionary 
societies  for  both  native  and  foreign  lands,  which  an- 
nually contribute  about  SI 25.  But  this  is  only  a  small 
proportion  of  what  is  given  by  the  two  congregations ; 
for  in  addition  to  the  many  calls  for  help,  to  which 
there  is  always  a  liberal  response,— help  for  raising 
church  buildings  in  other  congregations,  for  distress 
among  sister  churches, — th^re  are  five  stated  collections 
for  benevolent  objects,  which  amount  annually  to  hun- 
dreds of  dollars. 

«*  The  Sunday-school  work  was  commenced  as  soon  as 
suitable  accommodations  could  be  provided,  and  has 
since  been  energetically  carried  on,  until  at  the  present 
time  the  scholars  of  the  two  schools  combined  number 
280  or  more.  There  now  remains  little  more  to  be  said 
on  the  subject  in  hand.  Both  congregations  are  well 
organized,  having  resident  pastors.  Their  numerical 
strength  has  been  slow,  yet  steady,  since  each  has 
almost  doubled  the  membership  with  which  it  began  its 
existence,  the  English  numbering  128  communicants, 
and  the  German  190.  Their  character  and  their  influ- 
ence on  the  community  is  such  as  to  warrant  the  predic- 
tion, that  having  done  well  in  the  pa-t,  they  will  do 
better  in  the  future;  that  good  work  for  Christ's  king- 
dom will  be  done,  and  their  number  will  be  increased. 

The  names  of  the  resident  pastors  are  :  of  the  English 
congregation,  Rev.  Robert  W.  Herbst,  and  of  the  Ger- 
man, Rev.  G.  F.  Oehler. 

EVANGELICAL  ASSOCIATION. 

BY   REV.    M     SPECK. 

This  church,  the  Evangelical  Association  of  North 
America,  was  founded  by  Jacob  Albright  in  the  year 
1800  Through  ignorance,  it  is  by  some  called  Albright 
church ;  perhaps  by  reason  of  J  Albright  being  the  founder 
of  it.  Doctrine  and  church  government  are  principally 
after  the  method  of  the  Method;st  Episcopal  church. 
About  thirty  years  ago,  several  families,  by  the  name  of 
Nichel,  Bernhart  and  Guyot,  members  of  the  Evangelical 
Association,  emigrated  from  Wabash  into  Edwards 
county,  and  located  in  Shelby  precinct,  near  the  Little 
Wabash.  Shortly  after  the  arrival  of  these  families, 
they  were  visited  by  the  itinerant,  Rev.  P.  Burgener, 
who  was  at  that  time  traveling  on  Olney  mission.  Here- 
after this  place  was  taken  up  as  a  regular  appointment 
for  preaching,  a  class  organized,  and  Mr.  M.  Bernhart 


elected  leader,  at  whose  house,  for  a  number  of  years, 
religious  meetings  were  held.  Whereas,  the  services 
were  conducted  exclusively  in  the  German  language, 
and  the  German  population  there  but  small  in  number, 
and  besides  that,  widely  scattered  (consequently)  the  little 
flock  increased  but  slowly.  This  is  the  foundation  or  the 
beginning  of  the  work  of  the  Evangelical  Association 
in  Edwards  county.  In  the  year  1854,  Rev.  P. 
Burgener  received  an  invitation  to  come  to  West  Salem 
and  preach  the  Gospel,  to  which  hegladly  responded.  This 
invitation  was  given  by  Mr.  Joseph  Barth,  of  West 
Salem,  formerly  a  member  of  the  German  Methodist 
church,  at  St.  Louis,  Mo  .  he  having  a  special  attachment 
for  a  like  church  at  West  Salem.  In  the  month  of  August, 
1854,  Rev.  P.  Burgener  delivered  his  first  sermon  in 
Mr.  J.  Earth's  cooper-shop,  to  a  large  and  attentive 
assembly.  A  few  weeks  after,  when  he  preached  the 
second  time,  an  organization  took  place,  and  the  follow- 
ing persons  were  received  as  members  of  the  church : 
Joseph  Barth  and  wife,  George  and  Michael  Koehler. 
Henceforth  West  Salem  was  taken  up  as  a  regular  ap- 
pointment. In  the  month  of  September,  the  Indiana 
Conference  held  its  annual  session,  at  which  a  change 
of  ministers  took  place.  Rev.  B.  Ruh  was  appointed 
as  successor  of  Rev.  P.  Burgener.  The  first  protracted 
meeting  was  held  in  West  Salem,  in  the  month  of  May, 
1856,  in  the  private  dwelling  of  Mr.  John  E.  Altne  r. 
Ministers  officiating  at  this  meeting  were  as  follows:  S. 
Dickower,  presiding  Elder  of  Wabash  district,  W. 
Boekman,  of  Mt.  Carmel  Circuit,  and  B.  Ruh,  of  Olney 
Mission.  The  meeting  resulted  in  the  conversion  of  a 
number  of  souls;  five  persons  united  with  the  church; 
a  class  was  formed,  and  Mr.  John  E.  Altner  elected  to 
serve  as  their  first  class-leader.  This  being  the  first  re- 
vival meeting  here  caused  a  great  deal  of  sensation 
among  the  German  population.  In  the  fall,  at  the 
annual  conference  session,  West  Salem  was  attached  to 
Mt.  Carmel  Circuit,  Indiana  Conference.  This  field  of 
labor  was  supplied  by  the  ministers  Joseph  Fisher  and 
Christ.  Wessling.  The  work  still  continued  to  prosper, 
but  under  exisiing  disadvantages  of  not  having  a  suit- 
able place  of  worship,  the  little  church  did  not  succeed 
so  well,  and  the  increase  was  not  as  large  as  it  would 
have  been  otherwise.  A  special  remarkable  year,  in  the 
history  of  the  Evangelical  Association  at  West  Salem,  was 
that  of  1858,  when  the  Rev.  John  Fuchs.N.  Batholomews 
and  C.  Kohlmeier  were  traveling  this  circuit.  These 
brethren  conducted  a  protracted  meeting  in  the  month 
of  July,  which  lasted  ten  days.  As  the  attendance  of 
this  meeting  was  great,  the  old  cooper-shops  and  private 
dwelling?,  the  usual  plaies  of  worship,  were  too  small  to 
accommodate  the  people,  therefore  a  vacant  store  was 
rented,  then  the  property  of  Mr.  David  Hedrick,  in 
which  the  services  were  held.  During  this  meeting,  a 
great  revival  took  place ;  many  souls  were 
converted  to  God,  and  united  with  the  church.  Eye- 
witnesses declare  that  they  never  saw  the  power  of  the 
Holy  Spirit  so  visibly  demonstrated  as  during  this  meet- 


180 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


ing.  It  proved  to  be  a  blessing  to  the  church,  and  its 
exerting  moral  influence  a  great  benefit  to  the  surround- 
ing community.  In  the  fall  of  the  year,  another  pro- 
tracted effort  was  made,  resulting  in  much  good  ;  quite  a 
number  of  souls  were  saved  and  added  to  the  church. 
The  meeting  was  held  in  Mr.  H.  Busefink's  furniture 
shop  Shortly  after  this  meeting,  the  brethren  received 
an  invitation  to  hold  a  series  of  meetings,  four  miles 
northeast  of  West  Salem,  at  the  house  of  Mr.  Christ. 
Witte.  Here  too,  the  power  from  on  high  manifested 
itself  to  the  salvation  of  many  souls,  who  were  received 
into  the  church ;  after  the  organization  of  a  class,  a 
regular  appointment  for  preaching  was  established. 
When  the  work  continued  to  prosper,  the  necessity 
of  a  proper  place  of  worship  was  deeply  felt.  The 
country  then  new,  and  money  scarce,  the  question  arose 
with  the  members  how  will  we  proceei  in  the  erection 
of  the  edifice.  In  the  spring  of  1859,  steps  were  taken 
and  arrangements  made  towards  building  a  church,  for 
which  purpose  a  lot  was  donated  by  Jacob  Mark.  At 
a  council  meeting,  a  proposition  was  made  by  Rev.  J. 
Fuchs,  that  each  male  member  should  subscribe  five 
dollars,  in  cash,  and  twelve  days'  work  to  this  enterprise, 
which  was  carried  by  a  unanimous  vote.  With  great 
cheerfulness  the  brethren  set  to  work,  and  with  their 
united  effort  completed  the  building  by  the  next  fall. 

In  October  the  church  was  dedicated  by  Rev.  M. 
W.  Steffy,  then  presiding  elder  of  Wabash  district, 
assisted  by  Rev.  J.  M.  Kronmiller,  of  Mt.  Carmel  Circuit, 
and  C.  Wessling,  from  Olney.  The  church  is  a  frame 
building,  26x40  feet,  costing  about  $700.  Having  thus 
succeeded,  it  gave  the  work  a  new  impulse,  and  caused 
the  hearts  of  Gad's  people  to  rejoice.  The  moral  and 
spiritual  culture  of  the  youth  were  now  especially  con- 
sidered and  attended  to.  A  Sunday  school  was  brought 
into  existence,  which  was  well  attended,  and  proved  a 
blessing  to  all  connected  with  it.  This  school  has  largely 
added  to  the  upbuilding  of  the  church. 

A  good  many  of  its  first  scholars  are  now  the  leading 
members  of  the  church,  and  the  Sunday-school  is  still  in 
a  prosperous  condition,  and  promises  well  for  the  future- 
Rev.  John  Hoffmann,  was  appointed  preacher  in  charge( 
G.  G.  Platz,  presiding  elder  of  Olney  district.  The 
circuit  not  having  a  parsonage,  a  house  was  rented  in 
Lincaster  for  temporary  use.  In  December,  1849,  at  a 
quarterly  conference,  the  necessity  of  building  a  parson- 
age was  discussed  ;  a  committee  of  three  was  appointed 
to  project  a  plan  and  select  a  site  for  the  same.  The 
committee  reported  as  follows:  The  building  shall  be 
erected  at  West  Salem  ;  size  of  the  building,  32x18  feet, 
13  feet  high,  1}  story,  with  necessary  outbuildings. 

At  the  next  quarterly  conference,  the  plan  of  the 
building  was  reconsidered,  and  it  was  resolved  that  it 
should  be  27x28,  1J  story  high.  The  house  built  of 
brick  and  completed  in  1870  ;  the  entire  expense  amount- 
ing to  $800.  In  the  year  1861,  a  revival  took  place 
among  the  young  people,  Rev.  \Vm.  Wessler  having 
then  charge  of  the  circuit.  After  the  outbreak  of  the 


great  rebellion,  many  of,  our  young  men,  prompted  by 
their  patriotism,  responded  to  the  call  of  taking  up  arms 
in  defense  of  their  country,  to  help  to  crush  the  rebellion. 
As  they  enjoyed  the  privilege  of  a  number  of  them  being 
together,  they  kept  up  their  religious  services  in  the 
army  and  retained  their  religion,  returning  as  Christians. 
From  1865  to  1865,  Revs.  H.  L.  Fisher  and  Parker 
traveled  on  the  circuit.  From  1865  to  1875,  the  follow- 
ing brethren  have  traveled  on  this  work  :  Rev.  C.  Glaus, 
J.  Miller,  J.  Berger,  J.  Hoffman,  C.  Wessling,  C.  Heim, 
and  B.  Uphaus.  There  is  no  great  success  to  report, 
under  the  administration  of  these  brethren  ;  nevertheless, 
the  work  continued  to  prosper.  A  great  aid  in  the 
Sunday-school  is  the  good,  sound  and  extensive  litera- 
ture of  the  Evangelical  Association,  comprising  the 
following  in  music,  "  Jubeltoene,"  "  Hosanna,"  "  Ever- 
green," " Happy  Songs,"  and  ''Sunday-school  Songs.'' 
The  "  International  Lesson,"  the  "  Sunday-school  Tea- 
cher," the  "  Blackboard,"  with  its  illustrated  lesson ; 
"Der  Klien  Kinder  Lehrer,"  "  Christlicher  Kinder- 
freuud,"  "  Laemmerweide,"  "Sunday-school  Messenger," 
and  "  My  Lesson."  Besides  the  above  Sunday-school 
literature,  the  church  publishes  a  good  variety  of  other 
religious  periodicals,  such  as :  "  Der  Christlicher  Botsch- 
after,"  '•  Living  Epistle,"  "  Das  Evangelische  Maga- 
zin,"  and  "The  Evangelical  Messenger."  All  the 
periodicals  mentioned,  excepting  two,  are  published 
weekly.  All  the  Sunday-schools  of  our  church  in  Ed- 
wards county,  have,  from  the  beginning  to  the  present 
time,  been  well  supplied  with  the  needed  Sunday-school 
material.  "Botschafter  and  Messenger,"  the  main 
organs  of  the  church,  are  especially  adapted  for  the 
family  circle.  These  are  first-class  papers,  and  have  a 
large  circulation,  not  only  among  the  members  of  our 
church,  but  also  in  other  denominations.  Soon  aft-  r  the 
establishment  of  the  church  in  the  county,  different 
auxiliary  mission  societies  were  founded,  who  nobly  con- 
tributed to  the  missionary  cause,  both  for  the  foreign 
and  home  mission.  In  1868,  West  Salem,  and  the  other 
appointments  of  the  county,  were  taken  from  Mt.  Carmel 
Circuit,  and  the  West  Salem  Circuit  was  formed,  in- 
cluding the  following  appointments :  West  Salem, 
Wittis,  Little  Wabash,  Lancaster,  and  Timber  Settle- 
ment. 

From    1875  to   1878,   Rev.   C.   Mattheis,    formerly 
a  citizen  of  West   Salem  Precinct,    traveled  on  West 
Salem  Circuit.      At  this  time  the  work  was  enlarged  by 
adding   the  Grayville   appointment.      There  being  too 
much  labor  for   one  man,   Bro.   M.  was  assisted  by  a 
colleague,    Wm.   L.  Luhring;    their  success   was  very 
good,  resulting  in  the  conversion  of  about  eighty  souls. 
The  following  three  years,  C.  Wessling  and  Finkbeiner, 
succeeded  the  above-mentioned  brethren.  At  this  time,  it 
was  deemed  necessary  on  some  parts  of  the  circuit,  to  com- 
mence laboring  in  the  English  language,  and  this  part  of 
[  the  work  was  especially  assigned  to  M.  F.  Finkbeiner,  who 
i  successfully  discharged  his  call  at  the  different  appoint- 
|  ments,  and  it  was  his  privilege  to  organize  and  establish 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARhS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WABASll  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS.  181 


the  first  English  classes  of  the  Evangelical  Association 
in  this  county. 

In  the  spring  of  1879,  at  a  meeting,  a  resolution  was 
passed  to  erect  a  church  in  Shelby  precinct,  at  Little 
Wabash  ;  to  be  located  on  the  land  of  Mr.  F.  Gaedecke 
Immediately  after  passing  this  resolution,  steps  were 
taken  to  proceed.  During  the  same  meeting,  subscrip. 
tious  were  taken  up,  to  which  the  people  contributed 
very  liberally.  The  contract  of  the  building  was  let  to 
Mr.  H.  Busefiuk,  of  West  Salem ;  to  be  a  frame 
structure  of  24x40  feet,  and  13  feet  high,  for  the  amount 
of  $700.  During  the  summer  the  house  was  finished. 
This  church  is  a  neat  building,  an  ornament  to  that  part 
of  the  country,  and  speaks  well  for  this  society.  It  was 
dedicated  by  II.  L.  Fisher,  I'r.  Elder,  in  November, 
1879.  The  meeting  was  protracted,  and  good  results 
obtained  ;  according  to  their  confession,  about  30  souls 
were  converted,  and  28  united  with  the  church.  A  good 
Sunday-school  is  connected  with  this  congregation,  con- 
ducted in  the  English  language.  The  congregation  of 
this  appointment  consisted  of  part  German  and  part 
English  members,  and,  accordingly,  the  services  are  con- 
ducted in  both  languages.  The  prospect  for  the  future 
is  promising,  as  the  people  are  energetic  and  zealous  in 
good  works.  In  1881,  the  southern  Indiana  annual 
conference  was  held  at  West  Salem.  Bishop  T.  H. 
Bowman  presided  during  the  session.  There  were 
ministers  present,  about  30  in  number;  the  conference 
was  good,  adding  to  the  cause.  The  missionary  meeting, 
which  was  held  Sunday  afternoon,  April  the  3d,  met 
with  good  success,  the  result  being  $578  10.  At  this 
conference,  Rev.  M.  Speck  was  appointed  to  the  circuit, 
who  has  successfully  labored  up  to  this  time.  This 
denomination  has  also  a  church  situated  in  Grayville, 
Edwards  county,  Illinois.  With  a  quiet  congregation, 
and  a  promising  Sunday-school,  the  church  is  located  in 
Edwards  county,  and  belongs  to  the  Grayville  circuit. 

The  statistics  of  circuit,  now  consisting  of  the  two 
appointments,  West  Salem  and  Little  Wabash,  are  as 
follows : 

1.  The  membership,  143. 

2.  Three  churches  valued  at  $2500. 

3.  One  parsonage  at  $800. 

4.  Three  Sunday-schools. 

5.  Containing  abuut  360  scholars. 

6.  Officers  and  teachers,  40. 

7.  Libraries,  three. 

8.  Containing  about  400  volumes. 


LAWRENCE    COUNTY. 

THE  PRESBYTERIAN  CHURCH. 

BY  J.  SCOTT  DAVIS,  SUPPLY  PASTOR  OF  8UMNER  CHURCH. 

To  insure  accuracy,  the  records  of  each  church  should 
be  searchtd.  This  has  been  done  by  that  Prince  of 
Statisticians,  Rev.  A.  T  NORTON,  D.  D.,  of  Alton,  by 
whose  labors  I  have  liis  permission  to  profit  on  this  oc 


casion.  Besides,  my  five  years'  residence  in  the  county 
enables  me  to  present  a  sketch  of  our  Church,  which 
will  I  trust,  accord  with  the  facts. 

For  forty-eight  years,  Lawrence  County  has  rejoiced 
in  the  sky-blue  light  of  Calvinism',  shed  by  the  oldest 
and  largest  Presbyterian  Church  in  the  county.  "  Pis- 
OAH,"  suggestive  of  ecstatic  views  of  the  Promised  Land, 
was  organized  March  15,  1835,  with  32  members. 

Then    come  seven   others :    Shiloh,   Lawrenceville, 
Union,  Hopewell,  Bridgeport,  Gilead,  and  Sumner. 

Pisgah,  from  its  organization  to  1851,  sixteen  years, 
was  blessed  with  the  prayers  and  labors  of  that  minister, 
ISAAC  BENNET,  whose  soul  was  on  lire  with  love  to  his 
Redeemer ;  and  who,  like  his  Master,  was  never  so  hap- 

j  py  as  when  seeking  and  saving  that  which  was  lost. 

Then   came   ministers   WALLACE,  LEFFLER,  SAYE, 

j  MACK,  Ross  and  SMITH.  The  last  will  soon  enter  his  ninth 
year  of  pastoral  work  ;  and  under  him,  assisted  by  Rev. 

i  C.  S.  ARMSTRONG,  SynoJical  Missionary,  occurred  the 
greatest  revival  known  in  the  Church,  adding  about  fif- 
ty to  the  membership. 

Under  Rev.  THOS.  SMITH'S  devoted  labors,  the  church 
is  edified  in  every  sense  of  the  word. 

Next  comes  SHILOH  church  ;  not  long-lived  but  filling 
its  destiny.  It  was  organized  in  1841,  by  that  worker, 
wise,  earnest  and  untiring,  Rev.  ISAAC  BENNET,  with 
thirteen  members.  Of  these,  two,  JOHN  and  JAMES 
WRIGHT,  were  chosen  Elders.  The  school-house  which 
this  church  used  for  religious  services,  was  one  mile  south 

[  of  an  old  village-site  called  Charlottesville,  ten  miles 

|  northwest  of  Lawrenceville,  and  near  Crawford  county. 

|  The  church  seems  never  to  have  had  more  than  fifteen 
members;  and  as  we  might  expect,  after  the  Lawrence- 
ville church  *was  opened,  the  Presbytery  dissolved  the 
Shiloh  church,  May  2,  1851,  and  added  its  members  to 
Lawrenceville. 

This  LAWRENCEVILLE  church,  at  the  county-seat,  was 
organized  August  12,  1848,  with  twenty  members.  .  Un- 
fortunately, the  records  of  the  church  were  burned,  be- 
ing in  a  physician's  office,  when  it  was  destroyed  by  fire. 
By  a  series  of  providences,  the  church  became  weakened, 
until  at  last  the  substantial  brick  building  was  sold,  and 
the  organization  given  up.  Meantime  the  valuable  bell, 
of  pure  bell-metal  and  clarion  tone,  was  generously  given 
to  Sumner. 

Fourth  on  the  list,  comes  UNION  Presbyterian  Church, 
organized  June  17,  1854,  by  Rev.  JOHN  CROZIER,  with 
twelve  members.  God  has  been  very  good  to  this  church. 
The  four  Elders,  H.  M.  WAGNER,  HENRY  GOODMAN,  J. 
H.  FEE,  and  JOHN  N.  B.  HARDY,  are  stalwarts ;  firm, 
energetic  and  ready  for  every  good  work.  The  Dea- 
cons, GEORGE  WESTALL,  and  CASPER  LEGG,  are  con- 
scientious and  efficient.  The  Sabbath  School  is  a  model. 
The  weekly  prayer-meeting  is  well  attended,  and  all  take 
part — young  and  old,  male  and  female,  Collections  are 
taken  for  all  the  Boards.  Membership,  seventy. 
Ministers  consecutively  :  LILLY,  CROZIER,  SAYE,  MACK, 


182          HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


Ross,  SMITH,  and    DAVIS.     Our  prayer  .is :  "  Father, 
through  us  glorify  Thy  Name." 

HOPEWELL  Church  was  situated  three  and  a  half  or 
four  miles  northwest  of  Bridgeport.     It  was  organized  i 
by  Revs.  Jons  CROZIER  and  JOHN  B.  SAVE,  May  15,  i 
1858,  with  sixteen  members.     It  had  a  log  building  for  | 
a  place  of  worship.     It  was  named  HOPEWELL  at  the 
suggestion  of  that  embodiment  of  hopeful  energy,  Rev. 
J.  CROZIEE.     But  its  name  did  not  save  it.    It  has  most- 
ly been  absorbed  by  the  Bridgeport  church.     In  1867 
its  name  had  disappeared  from  the  minutes  of  the  Gen- 
eral Assembly  and  its  roll  of  churches. 

BRIDGEPORT,  though  sixth  in  time  of  organization,  is 
second  in  numbers.  It  was  organized  by  Revs.  JOHN 
CROZIER  and  JOHN  MACK,  and  Elder  .Thos.  BUCHANAN, 
May  7  and  8,  with  24  members.  First  minister,  Rev. 
JOHN  MACK.  Next  Rev.  R.  G.  Ross,  by  whose  untiring 
work,  a  house  of  worship  was  built  for  $2,700.  In  the 
winter  of  1881  and  1882,  the  Synodical  Missionary,  Dr. 
ARMSTRONG,  labored  in  connection  with  the  pastor  and 
congregation,  in  a  protracted  meeting,  resulting  in  25 
members  added  to  the  church,  and  the  church  itself 
greatly  edified. 

GILEAD  church,  on  the  county  line  between  Lawrence 
and  Richlaud,  five  miles  south  of  Hadley,  was  organized 
by  Rev.  S.  C.  Baldridge,  February  13  and  14,  1870, 
with  eighteen  members.  It  has  been  regularly  supplied, 
at  various  times,  by  each  of  three  ministers  :  S.  C.  BAL- 
DRIDGE, C.  C.  BOMBERGER,  and  J.  S  DAVIS.  The  site 
of  the  building  consists  of  one  acre,  and  was  bought  for 
fifteen  dollars.  The  house  of  worship  is  of  wood,  26x40, 
finished  inside  with  ash  and  walnut,  and  is  a  perfect  gem 
of  good  taste,  embowered  in  its  grove  of  native  trees. 
It  cost  $1,500,  and  was  dedica  ed  December  4, 1870,  by 
Rev.  S.  C.  BALDRIDGE,  who  preached  the  sermon. 

SUMNER,  the  largest  town  in  the  county,  was  last  to 
have  a  Presbyterian  church,  but  the  ground  had  been 
thoroughly  worked  by  other  denominations.  On  the 
9th  of  June,  1878,  by  direction  of  the  Presbytery,  Rev. 
S.  C.  BALDRIDGE  preached,  and  after  the  sermon  orga- 
nized a  church  of  nineteen  members.  At  a  subsequent 
meeting,  the  church  decided  to  elect  their  officers  for  a 
specified  term  of  service,  not  to  be  less  than  three  years, 
and  Elders  and  Deacons  were  accordingly  chosen. 

Two  years  after,  Mr.  JACOB  MAY  offered  us  a  lot  and 
one  hundred  dollars,  if  we  would  build  a  house  of  wor- 
ship.    This  timely  and  generous  offer,  afterwards  more 
than  made  good,  saved  our  little  band  from  extinction. 
By  the  blessing  of  God,  the  help  of  other  Christians,  in-  [ 
eluding  the  Board  of  Church  Erection,  and  by  putting  j 
our  own  shoulder  to  the  wheel,  and  our  hands  deep  into 
our  pockets,  with  more  help  fro  u  Mr.  MAY,  we  have  a  i 
building,  neat  and  commodious,  costing,  besides  the  bell 
— a  present  from  Lawrenceville — $1,725,  lighted  bril- 
liantly by  two  six-burner  Bailey  Reflectors. 

Our  Elders  are  JOHN  Me  CORD  J.  S.  BROOKIE,  JOHN  I 
C.  WAGIE  and  Dr.  WM.  B.  BEDELL.  Our  Deacons,  \ 
8.  M.  MCCLURE,  WM  H.  ORR  and  SAMUEL  C.  CRAIG.  j 


Our  Sabbath  School  numbers  over  a  hundred  member*, 
and  pays  its  own  expenses.  Our  weekly  prayer-meeting 
is  well  attended,  and  all  take  part ;  young  and  old,  male 
and  female.  We  contribute  to  all  the  Boards.  A  week- 
ly Children's  Meeting,  conducted  by  Mrs.  DAVIS,  is  win- 
ning and  training  more  than  two  scores  of  the  younger 
ones  for  Christ.  Our  membership  is  thirty-eight.  We 
look  up  to  the  hill",  fro  n  whence  cometh  our  help. 

CHRISTIAN  CHURCH. 

BY  REV.  J.  R.  WRIGHT. 

The  first  church  of  this  name  in  the  United  States 
which  we  have  any  history  of  was  organized  in  Mauakin 
Town,  North  Carolina,  on  Christmas  Day  in  1793  ;  the 
members  were  in  most  part  seceders  from  the  Methodist 
Church,  and  they  called  themselves  Republican  Metho- 
dists for  a  short  time ;  but  at  a  subsequent  meeting 
dropped  this  title  and  took  the  more  general  name 
Christian. 

Their  rise  in  the  east  was  in  the  year  1800.  The 
first  church  organized  was  at  Lyndon,  Vermont,  Septem- 
ber, 1800;  and  at  Bradford,  Vermont,  1802 ;  at  Pier- 
mont,  New  Hampshire,  iii  1803. 

In  the  west,  in  Kentucky  and  Tennessee,  great  revi- 
vals of  religion  broke  out  in  the  year  1800  and  1801, 
from  which  a  number  of  churches  were  formed.  They 
have  some  good  schools  and  colleges.  A ntioch  College,  of 
Yellow  Springs,  Ohio,  Union  Christian  College,  of 
Meron,  Indiana,  and  a  theological  school  in  New  York, 
are  the  principal  of  their  institutions  of  learning.  At 
present  they  number  in  the  United  States,  Canada  and 
New  Brunswick  about  1500  preachers,  with  a  member- 
ship of  nearly  3,00,000. 

They  were  the  first  to  edit  a  religious  paper,  The 
Herald  of  Gospel  Liberty,  published  September  8, 1808,  by 
Elias  Smith,  N.  H. 

Center  School-House. — The  early  settlers  of  Lawrence 
county  were  in  most  part  a  religious  people.  One  of 
the  first  preaching  places  was  at  Center  school-house,  in 
Lawrence  county,  about  the  year  1817.  Daniel  Travis 
was  among  their  first  preachers  at  this  point.  They 
grew  rapidly  until  they  became  a  strong  church.  Wm. 
Adams,  of  Russellville,  was  one  of  its  oldest  members. 
This  church  had  several  pastors,  some  of  whom  were 
men  of  good  ability,  who  were  fully  up  to  their  day  in 
intellectual  power. 

Spring  Hill,  two  miles  southwest  of  Bridgeport,  was 
built  as  early  as  1820,  and  used  as  a  school-house.  This 
house  was  open  to  other  denominations.  The  cemetery 
still  marks  the  spot  where  the  old  veterans  of  the  croj-s 
worshipped.  Their  first  preachers  were  D  Travis,  and 
William  Kinkade,  the  latter  one  of  the  oldest  residei.t 
preachers  of  the  county.  Of  those  who  visited  this 
point,  were  Revs.  James  Hughes,  J.  Rodgers,  David 
McDonald  and  Elijah  Gooden. 

Law's  Camp-ground — Six  miles  north  west  of  Sumner, 
where  there  was  a  flourishing  society  for  several  years, 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS.          183 


and  where  the  Southern  Wabash  Christian  Conference 
was  held  for  several  years.  Juhn  Laws,  one  of  the 
leading  members  of  the  society,  fed  and  otherwise  enter- 
tained the  meetings  held  there.  He  killed  beeves,  ! 
cooked  large  quantities  of  different  kinds  of  provisions,  j 
set  a  long  table  out  doors,  hauled  wagon  loads  of  hay 
and  corn  out,  and  invited  all  present  to  eat  and  feed. 
But  from  removals  by  death  and  other  causes,  the 
society  is  only  an  object  of  the  past.  This  was  between 
1838  and  1854.  Their  preachers  were  Nathan  Woods, 
William  Ramsey  and  others. 

Bethlehem. — Organized  in  Lawrence  county,  seven 
miles  south  of  Sumner,  at  Emsley  Wright's,  in  the  year 
1840,  which  has  been  and  is  yet  an  influential  church. 
They  held  their  meetings  at  E.  Wright's  until  after  his 
death  in  1855,  when  they  built  a  house  of  hewed  logs, 
which  they  used  till  1868,  when  they  built  another  house,  | 
which  is  a  good  substantial  building. 

Aunt  Kate  Wright  (as  she  is  called)  was  one  of  the 
first  members  of  the  church,  and  she  is  the  only  one  now 
living  of  the  first  She  says  she  did  not  hear  a  sermon 
for  three  years  after  she  moved  to  this  State  till  Rev. 
William  Ramsay  preached  at  their  house,  and  soon 
after  effected  an  organization  which  has  stood  through 
all  the  tr  als,  and  is  yet  a  strong  society.  Their  pastors 
were  Rams-ay,  Guard,  Andrews  N.  Wood,  William 
Hole,  J.  Wood,  William  Wood,  M.  G.  Collins,  W.  M. 
Markwell  and  S.  L.  Cheek,  the  present  pastor,  1883. 
The  principiil  families  were  the  Moores,  Wrights,  Bells, 
Ridgeleys,  Borekmans  and  others  who  have  been  leading 
families  in  the  church.  They  number  about  130. 

Guard's  Point — Four  miles  south  of  Lancaster  in 
Wabash  county,  Illinois.  This  was  a  prominent  society 
for  several  years  but  has  become  extinct.  Anoiher 
church  east  of  Friendsville,  in  Wabash  county,  passed 
out  of  existence.  Some  of  the  Pools  were  members  of 
the  society. 

Another  society  near  McClary's  Bluff  which  flourished 
fi-r  a  few  years  is  now  only  in  the  memory  of  a  few  in 
Wabash  county. 

Sumner. — This  church  was  organized  February  1, 
1860,  by  Elder  D.  Griffin,  of  the  Miami  Christian  Con- 
fiTince  ci  Ohio.  John  Judy,  Sr.,  was  elected  deacon, 
Skilliman  Judy,  treasurer,  and  Bolivar  Judy,  clerk. 
N.  Summeibell  visited  the  church  in  July  of  this  year, 
and  five  were  added.  Elder  Austin  Hutson,  of  Fort 
Branch,  Jnd.,  became  pastor  of  the  church  in  1861,  and 
continued  till  his  death,  which  occurred  October  16, 
1869,  excepting  part  of  the  years  '62  and  '3.  Up  to 
that  lime  ihe  number  of  members  were  208,  and  Sumner 
(. 'hristian  Church  was  the  leading  church  of  the  vicinity. 
Elder  Hutsou  preached  his  last  sermon  in  Sumner  from 
"  I  am  not  ashamed  of  the  gospel  of  Christ,"  on  Sunday 
night  the  first  Sunday  in  October,  1869,  and  died  on  the 
16th.  President  T.  Holmes,  of  Meron,  Ind.,  preached 
the  funeral  sermon  of  Elder  Hutson  in  the  Christian 
Church  in  Sumner,  Nov.,  1869,  to  a  large  audience,  who 
mourned  the  loss  of  a  worthy  pastor.  The  chureh  had 


no  regular  pastor  but  for  a  short  time  till  October  27, 
1878,  when  M.  G  Collins  was  installed  and  reorganized 
the  church.  Eldt  r  Collins  served  as  pastor  until  Sep- 
tember, 1881.  J.  R.  Wright,  of  Sumner,  has  been  pas- 
tor of  the  church  since  September,  1881.  Some  of  the 
principal  families  are  the  Judys,  Wohers,  Bells,  Burgess', 
Thompsons,  Basdens,  Andersons  and  others. 

The  resident  preachers  are  D.  L.  Moore,  of  Sumner, 
111.,  James  B.  Wright,  of  Sumner,  111.,  J.  C.  Hughes,  of 
Chauncey,  111.,  J.  R.  Wright,  of  Sumner,  111.  This  is 
the  old  Christian  Church,  called  by  some  New  Lights. 
It  is  not  Christian  (or  Campbellites). 

DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST. 

BY   J.    L.    GRIFFIN. 

This  religious  body  is  generally  known  in  Illinois,  by 
the  name  'Christian  Church."  But  to  distinguish  it 
from  another  body  in  the  county,  called  by  the  same 
name,  we  have  used  the  name  applied  in  the  east,  and 
in  many  other  places. 

Some  of  the  older  congregations  in  Lawrence  county 
were  organized  at  an  early  day — perhaps  forty  years 
ago,  or  more.  Some  of  the  pioneers  of  the  church,  have 
preached  in  the  county.  We  call  to  mind  Elijah  Good- 
win and  Maurice  R.  Trimble  deceased  ;  and  Joseph  W. 
Wolfe,  and  John  S.  Howard,  who  are  living. 

Most  of  the  congregations  are  comparatively  young 
There  are  only  three  that  can  be  called  old  churches. 
There  are  eleven  organized  congregations  in  the  county, 
with  a  membership,  in  the  aggregate,  of  over  one 
thousand.  The  value  of  church  property,  a  fair  esti- 
mate, will  reach  eleven  thousand  dollars. 

The  following  as  nearly  as  we  can  ascertain,  is  the 
location,  membership  and  value  of  church  property,  of 
the  churches  in  the  county. 

1.  KuosellMle  —Situated  in  the  village  of  Russellville. 
The  membership  is  about  120.     The  value  of  church 
property  is  $1,500.  The  house  is  new  and  good. 

2.  Rising  Sun. — Situated  in  Russellville  township.  It 
is  a  country  congregation  of    recent  organization ;  the 
house    is    new ;    membership,   about    eighty ;    value   of 
church  property,  900  dollars. 

3.  Pleasant  Ridge. — This  is  a  country  congregation, 
situated  in  Bond  Township.     Church  property,  new  and 
good  ;    value  about  1,300  dollars ;  membership,  about 
100. 

4.  Hilkboro.— Situated  in  Bond  town-hip.     This  is  a 
new  country  congregation.     Membership,  about  eighty  ; 
value  of  church  property,  about  1000  dollars. 

5.  Prairie  Hall. — A  country   congregation  in    Petty 
Town.     Value  of  chuich  property,  about  1  000  dollars; 
membership,  about  100.     This  is  also  a  new  congrega- 
tion. 

6.  Sumner. — This  church  is  in  the  village  of  Sumner, 
and  is  known  there  as  the  "  East  Christian  Church." 
Membership,  from  75  to  100;  value  of  church  property, 
1,200  dollars. 


184 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  W ABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


7.  Bridgeport.  —  Situated  in  the  village  of  Bridgeport. 
Membership  of  the  church,  about  seventy-five  ;  value  of 
c'  urch  property,  1,200  dollars. 

8.  Pleasant  Hill.  —  This  is  a  country  congregation  near 
the  village  of  Bridgeport.     Value  of  church  property, 
1,200  dollars  ;  membership,  about  seventy-five. 

9.  Mount  Zion.  —  This  is  a  country  congregation.  The 
house  is  old,  and  not  very  good.     A  new  one  is  contem- 
plated.    Value  of  church  property,  500  dollars  ;  mem- 
bership, about  100  ;  situated  in  Lukin  Township. 

10.  Cmtreville.—  Situated   in  Allison  Township,  and 
near  the  post  office  of  that  name.     The  church  property 
is  valued  at  1,200  dollars  ;  membership,  about  seventy 
five. 

11.  Lawrenceville.  —  This  church  is  in  the  village  of 
Lawrenceville,  the  county  seat   of  county.     It  has  a 
membership  of  from    150  to   175;    value   of    church 
property  1,200  dollars  ;  one  of  the  oldest  churches  in  the 
county.    The  house  will  soon  be  put  in  a  good  state  of 
repair. 

The  following  is  the  post-office  of  the  officprs  of  the 
various  churches  : 

P.  O. 


1.  Russellville. 

2.  Rising  Sun, 

3.  Pleasant  Ridge, 

4.  Hillsboro, 

5.  Prairie  Hall, 

6.  Sumner, 

7.  Bridgeport, 

8.  Pleasant  Hill, 

9.  Mount  Zion, 

10.  Centerville, 

11.  Lawrenceville, 


Russellville. 


Bird's  Station. 


. 

Sumner. 


Bridgeport. 


"  Allison. 

"  Lawrenceville. 

Most  of  these  congregations  maintain  meetings  every 
Sunday  in  the  year,  and  evergreen  Sunday-schools. 


METHODIST  PROTESTAN  T  CHURCH. 

BY  D.  Bl'cOBMICK. 

Brief  history  of  Chauncey  circuit  Methodist  Protestant 
church,  south  Illinois  district. 

Chauncey  circuit  was  organized  at  the  Munn  school- 
house  in  the  year  1853,  by  Wm.  James. 

Among  the  first  members  in  the  first  organization  was, 
J.  B.  Stout,  Andrew  Mushrush,  Eliza  Stout,  Christina 
Mushrush,  Christian  Loas,  Jacob  Waggoner,  Isabel  Loas, 
Maria  Waggoner,  Richard  Bach.  Society  began  building 
a  house  of  worship  in  the  village  of  Chauncey,  in  the  year 
1861,  which  building  was  soon  completed.  The  second 
organization  in  Lawrence  county  was  effected  by  H. 
Duckworth,  and  called  Pleasant  Hill  church.  This  was 
effected  daring  the  fall  and  winter  of  1866  and  1867 
with  sixteen  members.  Chauncey  circuit  had  a  member- 
ship of  one  hundred  and  fifty  in  good  standing. 

The  names   of  some  of  the   pastors  having   served 


Chauncey  from  its  first  organization  are:  William 
James,  J.  H.  Williams,  H.  Duckworth,  A.  L  Reynolds, 
D.  B.  Russell,  S-  A  Long,  Rev.  Buckuer,  G.  E.  Sander- 
sou.  Chauncey  circuit  has  grjwn  to  be  a  large  and 
popular  circuit  in  the  church,  and  among  its  members 
are  some  of  the  best  men  in  southern  Illinois. 

Bird  Station  circuit,  south  Illinois  district.  This 
congregation  was  organized  by  J.  H.  Williams,  at  the 
McNee  church  some  time  in  the  year  1857.  The 
second  congregetion  was  orgauized  at  the  Ford  school- 
house,  in  the  fall  of  1859  by  W.  H.  Farris,  with  about 
thirty  members.  The  following  are  the  names  of  some 
of  them  :  John  Bird,  Louisa  Fritchey,  Mrs.Waggonseller, 
Allen  Gomel,  Isaac  Beetle,  Robert  Ford,  Philip  Miller, 
and  Mary  Ann  Cochran.  The  above  two  classes  were 
then  connected  with  Chauncey  circuit,  but  in  the  fall  of 
1861  they  were  taken  from  that  circuit. 

In  the  interim  of  1859  and  1861  the  Cochran  congre- 
gation was  organized  by  W.  H  Farris.  Then  the 
Bethel  Ford  and  Cochran  classes  were  called  the  Liberty 
circuit.  W.  H  Farris  continued  to  preach  for  them 
until  the  fall  of  1862  In  the  fall  of  1862  John  Brai- 
nard  came  on  the  work  and  left  about  the  1st  of  April, 
1863.  Then  the  work  was  left  without  a  pastor  until 
the  fall  of  1864.  These  being  the  trying  times  of  civil 
war,  the  circuit  became  almost  extinct.  In  the  fall  of 
1864  W.  B  McCord  came  on  the  work  and  preached  to 
the  people  in  this  distracted  state,  with  but  very  little 
reconciling  influence  He  left  the  work  in  the  fall  of 
1865.  W.  H.  Farris  took  charge  in  the  fall  of  1865. 
With  much  hard  labor  he  succeeded  in  reconciling 
many  existing  difficulties.  Rev.  Fanis  left  the  work  in 
the  fall  of  1866,  Rev.  John  Anderson,  succeeding  him. 
After  much  labor,  Anderson  succeed  in  re-organizing  the 
Ford  class  and  other  parts  of  the  work.  In  the  fall  of 
1876  he  organized  the  Higgins  class  at  the  Higgins 
school-house.  Then  he  organized  five  other  appoint- 
ments to  wit,  Porterville,  Dogwood,  Baily,  Brush  creek 
and  Liberty,  making  nine  in  all.  In  the  spring  of  1867 
the  Ford  class  succeeded  in  erecting  a  rude  log  meeting- 
house, called  the  Liberty  chapel,  which  was  never  finish- 
ed, and  was  finally  sold  for  ten  dollars,  and  the  land 
reverted  to  the  original  owners.  In  the  spring  of  1868  the 
Ford  congregation  and  the  Higgins  congregation  were 
united  and  called  themselves  the  Liberty  class  and 
secured  the  Otterbein  U  B.  chapel  to  preach  in.  In  the 
fall  of  1869  John  Anderson  left  the  work  after  three 
years  of  hard  labor,  and  was  succeeded  by  W.  H. 
Farris.  it  being  his  third  term.  He  remained  until  the 
fall  of  1871,  and  was  succeeded  by  Rev.  W.  N.  Middle- 
ton,  who  not  being  satisfied  with  his  salary,  left  in  about 
one  month,  which  left  the  work  without  a  pastor 
until  the  spring  of  1872.  At  which  time  by  legal  action 
R.  Wright  began  work  as  a  supply,  remaining  only 
until  conference  in  the  fall  of  1872. 

He  was  succeeded  by  S.  H  Chiddix.  He  labored  on 
the  whole  work  for  about  one  year.  Durirg  brother 
Wright's  administration  St.  Paul's  meeting-house  was 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  W ABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS.          185 


built,  and  was  dedicated  November  12th,  1871,  by  John 
Anderson. 

S.  H.  Chiddix  continued  on  the  work,  but  in  the  fall 
of  1872  Porterville,  Dogwood,  Baily,  Brush  creek  and 
Liberty  were  set  off  and  called  Oblong  mission.  At  the 
same  conference  by  request  of  the  Quarterly  conference 
the  name  was  changed  to  Russellville  circuit.  In  the 
fall  of  1872  Sand  Ridge  congregation  was  organized  by 
S.  H.  Chiddix.  During  the  summer  of  1873  Hills- 
boro  congregation  was  organized  by  S.  H.  Chiddix, 
and  left  the  work  in  the  fall  of  1873,  and  was  succeeded 
by  J.  D.  Farbin.  In  the  fall  of  1873  Mt  Zion  congrega- 
tion, formerly  Bethel,  was  detached  from  Russellville 
circuit  and  added  to  Chauncey  circuit.  J.  D.  Farbin 
left  the  work  in  the  fall  of  1874,  without  much  success. 

William  Murray  came  on  the  work  in  the  fall  of  1874, 
and  left  in  the  fall  of  1875  with  little  success.  Dur- 
ing the  years  1874  and  1875  Grace  church  was  built. 
I-  H.  Vandyke,  served  with  great  acceptability  for 
about  six  months,  until  the  spring  of  1876.  Miller 
Burdett  served  one  year,  with  some  success  and 
acceptability  during  1877  and  1878,  and  was  succeeded 
by  R.  Right  in  the  fall  of  1878,  who  did  much  good  and 
left  the  work  in  the  fall  of  1879  and  was  succeeded  by 
C.  H.  Felts,  who  served  with  good  success  two  years,  and 
was  succeeded  in  the  fall  of  1881,  by  D.B.Turney,  A.M., 
who  left  the  work  in  the  fall  of  1882  and  was  succeeded 
by  D.  McCormick,  the  same  fall,  who  is  the  present 
incumbent. 


M-  E.  CHURCH. 

BY   REV.   JOS.    VAN   CLEVE,   A.   M. 

To  write  a  complete  and  correct  history  of  Methodism 
in  this  county  is  an  enormous  task.  From  confused 
traditions,  indefinite  recollections  and  insufficient  docu- 
ments, little  that  is  satisfactory  can  be  obtained.  I 
have  therefore  undertaken,  merely  to  sketch  the  origin 
and  briefly  outline  the  progress  of  the  church,  which  I 
here  represent. 

The  M.  E.  Church  has  had  its  existence  in  the  county 
less  than  three  quarters  of  a  century.  Within  that  time 
the  membership  has  grown  to  nearly  two  hundred  times 
its  original  number,  the  number  of  classes  has  increased 
from  one  to  seventeen,  and  such  has  been  the  advance 
in  the  demands  of  the  work  and  ability  of  the  church,  as 
to  require  three  divisions  of  the  original  circuit. 

The  first  organic  pastorate  over  any  part  of  Lawrence 
county,  was  that  of  Charles  Slocumb,  who  was  appointed 
to  the  Mt.  Carmel  circuit  in  181JX  His  circuit  embraced 
the  territory  now  included  in  the  six  counties  of  Edwards, 
Wabash,  Lawrence,  Crawford,  Jasper  and  Richland.  In 
the  winter  of  1818-19,  nearly  a  year  before  the  appoint- 
ment of  Slocurrtb,  the  first  Methodist  society  in  Lawrence 
county,  was  organized.  The  following  named  persons 
were  members  of  that  society  :  Jacob  Schrader,  Cathe- 
rine Schrader,  John  Ruark,  Mary  Ruark,  James  Raw- 
lings  and  his  wife,  Nancy  Keneipp  and  Elisabeth 


Schrader.  The  organization  was  effected  by  two  local 
preachers,  Stone  and  Wallace,  from  Indiana.  They 
held  a  protracted  meeting  at  Jacob  Schrader's,  and 
formed  a  second  class,  consisting  of  children.  As  this 
was  deemed  an  evanescent  childish  excitement  that 
would  soon  die  away,  Samuel  Schrader,  then  about 
fifteen  years  old,  was  appointed  leader.  But  the  class 
survived,  formed  the  nucleus  of  the  future  circuit  and 
gave  cast  and  character  to  the  Methodism  of  Lawrence 
county.  Near  the  spot  where  this  meeting  was  held 
stands  Bethel  church,  and  there  the  descendants  of  the 
Schraders  remain  its  earnest  and  faithful  supporters. 

In  1820,  a  local  preacher  by  the  name  of  Dollahan 
settled  north  of  the  present  town  of  Lawrenceville  on 
Brushy  Fork  creek,  and  began  preaching  in  that  neigh- 
borhood. This  was  the  beginning  of  a  movement  that 
culminated  in  the  organization  of  a  society  and  the  erec- 
tion of  Dollahan  Chapel,  which  still  maintains  a  pre- 
carious existence  amid  manifold  difficulties  and  tribula- 
tions. 

Not  many  years  later  there  was  a  society  organized  at 
Walnut  Grove,  over  on  that  neck  of  land  which  lies  be- 
tween the  Embarras  and  Wabash  rivers.  There  was 
also,  in  a  very  early  day,  a  society  at  Russellville,  off  the 
Wabash  a  few  miles  above  Vincennes,  but  by  deaths  and 
removals,  both  have  faded  out  and  left  no  accurate  traces 
of  their  history. 

By  the  increase  in  the  dimensions  of  the  work,  and  the 
multiplication  of  the  number  of  societies,  it  was  found 
necessary,  in  the  year  1834,  to  divide  the  charge,  that 
part  lying  from  Lawrenceville  north  taking  the  name  of 
Palestine  circuit  and  the  southern  part  continuing  as  Mt. 
Carmel  circuit.  They  entered  upon  their  separate  ex- 
istence; Mt.  Carmel  under  the  pastorate  of  A.  McMur- 
try,  and  Palestine  under  J.  Chamberlain.  For  two 
years  under  the  care  of  various  pastors,  the  work  went 
on  in  this  shape  The  laborers  are  now  dead,  and  most 
of  them  forgotten,  but  "  their  works  do  follow  them." 

In  1844,  the  Lawrenceville  circuit  was  formed  from 
parts  of  Mt.  Carmel  and  Palestine  circuits,  and  John 
Shepard  was  appointed  Preacher  in  charge.  In  this  form 
the  Methodist  organism  began  to  have  more  definite  re- 
lations to  Lawrence  county,  the  present  territory  of  the 
county  being  about  the  same  as  that  covered  by  the  cir- 
cuit. Under  the  Lawrenceville  circuit  the  work  gradu- 
ally assumed  its  present  formation,  the  societies  at  Bridge- 
port and  Sumner  were  formed,  and  many  organizations 
sprang  up  in  the  surrounding  country ;  and  so  nearly 
was  the  whole  territory  of  the  county  occupied,  that  under 
this  circuit  Methodism  may  be  said  to  have  assumed  its 
permanent  and  crystallized  form.  The  following  are 
well  known  and  remembered  names  of  pastors  of  Law- 
renceville circuit :  T.  C.  Lopas,  J.  Thatcher,  Jacob  E. 
Reed,  John  T.  Johnson,  J.  Glaze,  David  Williamson,  J. 
Holt,  A.  B.  Morrison,  J.  W.  Nail,  R.  J.  Nall.C.  D.  Liu- 
genfelter,  O.  H.  Clark,  T.  N.  Johnson,  E.  Lathrop,  V. 
D.  Lingenfelter. 

In  the  year  1875,  the  Lawrenceville  circuit  was  divi- 


186 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WAS  ASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


ded  and  from  it  were  formed  the  Sumner  and  Bridgeport 
circuits.  Since  this  division  the  Sumner  circuit  has 
been  served  by  the  following  pastors:  W.  B.  Bruner, 
C.  W.  Sabine,  Win.  Tilroe,  A  B.  Morrison  and  John 
Leeper.  During  the  same  period  the  following  pastors 
have  served  the  Bridgeport  circuit :  J.  H.  Hill,  Eugene 
May,  C.  W.  Sabine  and  J.  Van  Cleve. 

The  principal  societies  in  Lawrence  county  are  :  Beth- 
el organized  1819,  Zicn  organiztd  1823,  Lawrtnceville 
ganized  1827,  Sumner  organized  1859,  and  Bridgeport 
organized  1861. 

The  first  Methodist  church  in  Lawrence  county  was 
erected  at  Bethel,  in  Lukin  township,  in  the  year  1831, 
the  second  at  Lawrenceville  in  1843. 

This  church,  which  began  in  1819,  with  eight  members 
iu  the  present  county  limits,  now  has  within  the  same 
boundaries,  14  churches,  a  membership  of  1218  and 
church  property  valued  at  $19,300.00. 

The  Colored  M.  E.  Church.— As  the  existence  of  this 
church  has  been  brief,  so  must  its  history  be.  In  the 
year  1881,  the  Rtv.  E.  Mason  organized  a  society  of 
about  a  dozen  members,  in  the  town  of  Lawrenceville. 
Rev.  Mason  was  pastor  in  Evansville,  so  that  this  branch 
of  the  church,  like  the  other  received  its  first  impulse 
from  Indiana.  It  has  been  hitherto  worked  rather  as  a 
missionary  appendage,  but  is  soon  to  be  erected  into  a 
distinct  pastoral  charge.  In  the  year  1882  the  colored 
society  in  Lawrenceville  purchased  the  property  owned 
by  the  First  M.  E.  Church,  repaired  it,  and  are  now  oc- 
cupying it  as  ahouse  of  worship.  In  the  winter  of 1882- 
83,  a  second  colored  society  was  organized  in  the  country 
north  of  Lawrenceville.  The  colored  M.  E.  church  in 
Lawrence  county  is  vigorous  and  promising,  having 
within  a  year  more  than  trebled  its  membership  and  ac- 
quired property  worth  $600,00. 


WABASH  COUNTY. 

CHRISTIAN  CHURCH. 

BY  REV.  W._  R.  CROUCH. 

In  giving  a  sketch  of  the  Christian  Church  in  Wa- 
bash  county,  Ills.,  it  will  be  necessary  to  go  back  to  the 
organization  of  what  is  now  known  as  the  New  Light 
Church, — inasmuch  as  their  first  teachers  were  imbued 
with  the  principles  of  the  Reformation,  having  heard 
Walter  Scott  in  Ohio,  before  coming  to  this  county.  And 
on  this  account,  when  the  principles  of  the  Reformation 
began  to  be  fully  unfolded  by  Morris  Trimble,  the  mem- 
bers of  the  old  order,  almost  without  exception,  accepted 
the  teaching  of  the  new,  and  there  was  really  no  division 
— but  a  continuation  of  the  same  membership,  the  same 
organization,  the  same  discipline,— the  Bible  as  the  rule 
of  faith  and  practice.  Simply  accepting  the  additional 
doctrine  as  Bible  truth,  that  with  proper  heart  prepara- 
tion, immersion  is  to  the  penitent  believer  for  the  re- 
mission of  past  sins. 


BARNEY'S  PRAIRIE  CHURCH. 

The  first  Christian  Church  in  Wabash  county,  Illinois, 
was  organized  in  the  year  1816,  on  the  east  bank  of 
Crawfish  creek,  under  the  spreading  branches  of  a  white 
oak  tree,  on  what  is  known  as  the  Eli  Wood  Tract  of 
Laud.  The  tree  is  still  standing  and  vigorous  to  this 
date.  The  organization  was  effected  under  the  direction 
of  Elder  James  Poole  and  William  Kinkade.  This 
was  a  central  place  between  Barney's  Prairie  and  Tim- 
|  ber  Settlement. 

This  also  was  the  first  church  of  the  old  Christian 
order  in  the  county.     There  is  in  the  possession  of  the 
church  a  very  complete  and  satisfactory  record  of  names, 
organization,  church  meetings,  church  discipline,  etc, 
j  from  the  beginning  to  the  present  time.     Their  disci- 
pline shows  a  great  reverence  for  the  Word  of  God|and  a 
commendable  determination  to  square  their  lives  by  the 
divine  rule.     The  Barney's  Prairie  Church  has  been  the 
source  of  Christian  Churches  in  Wabash  county, — as,  in 
the    organization   of   almost    every   other,    they   have 
drawn  upon  her  for  members.      Some  of  the  charter 
members  are  :     James  Pool,  Angelina  Pool,  Peter  and 
Jemima  Keen,  and  Daniel  their  son,  of  sainted  memory, 
Joseph  Wood,  Sen.  (the  first  deacon),  and  Leah  his  wife, 
j  Enoch  and  Daniel  Greathouse,  Jacob  Shadle  and  wife, 
j  Seth  (the  first  elder)  and  Mary  Gard,  James  (first  clerk) 
i  and  Susan  Fordyce,  Joseph  and  Abigail  Preston,  Jerry 
Ballard  and  wife,  Mrs.  Barney,  Job    Rixley  and  wife, 
Philo  and  William  Ingraham,  Mrs.  Ransom  Higgins, 
Mrs.  John  Higgins,  Mrs.  Wm.  Brown,  Mrs.  Levi  Couch,' 
George  and  Catharine  Litherland,  Charles  W.  and  Char- 
|  lotte  McNair,  William  and  Cynthia  Courier,  Eber  Put- 
i  nam,  John  and  Henry  Shadle,  Therim  Taylor,  Samuel, 
Leafy  and  Trifosa  Putnam,  Olive  and  Hannah  Chaffee, 
|  Ira  Keen  and  Priscilla  Wood.   In  1819  the  record  shows 
a  membership  of  71 ;  iu  1823,  of  103 ;  showing  a  steady 
and  healthy  growth. 

The  principles  of  the  Reformation  were   first  fully 
unfolded  to  the  people  of  Wabash  county  in  the  year 
1833,— the  first  sermon  being  preached  in  the  brick 
school-house  north  of  Friendsville  by  Morris  Trimble,  a 
very  fearless  and  talented  minister  of  the  Gospel.    From 
the  first,  Elder  James  Pool  and  Elder  William  Courier 
j  accepted  fully  the  issues  involved ;  so  that  by  the  year 
1836,  with  the  help  of  additional  visits  from  Eld.  Trim- 
ble, almost  the  entire  church  had  been  carried  over  into 
i  the  Reformation,  peaceably  and  quietly  in  the  spirit  of 
,  the  Master,  for  the  union  of  the  people  of  God  upon  the 
1  foundation  of  the  Apostles  and  Prophets,  Jesus  Christ 
Himself  being  the  chief  corner-stone.    From  this  date 
we  read  in  the  church  record  that  individuals  as  of  old 
received  the  fellowship  of  the  church  upon  the  confession 
of  their  faith   in  Christ,  and  baptism  into  the  name  of 
the  Father,  Son  and  Holy  Ghost. 

Their  first  house  of  worship  was  erected  one-half  mile 
east  of  Friendsville,  iu  which  also  schools  were  taught. 
For  a  great  many  years  their  meetings  have  been  held 
in  a  beautiful  grove  one  mile  east  of  Frieudsville,  fami- 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS.          187 


liarly  known  as  the  Stand,  where  they  held  their  meet- 
ings in  the  open  air,  in  the  shade  of  the  trees  in  pleasant 
weather,  at  other  times  in  the  neighboring  school-houses 
and  dwelling-houses,  until  the  erection  of  (Jjeir  perma- 
nent house  of  worship  about  the  year  1845.  In  those 
days,  at  their  big  meetings,  when  many  had  come  from 
a  distance,  it  was  the  custom  of  George  Litherland,  John 
Buchanan,  and  Ira  Keen  in  particular,  to  give  a  general 
invitation  to  the  whole  assembly  to  accompany  them  to 
their  homes,  for  food  and  provender  for  themselves  and 
their  horses.  During  these  times,  in  a  two  days'  meet- 
ing, it  was  common  to  get  away  with  a  large  hog.  a  dol- 
lar's worth  of  sugar  and  coffee  each,  and  other  things  in 
proportion,  at  Era  Keen's.  The  women,  sometimes  so 
anxious  and  hurried  in  the  preparation  of  refreshment 
for  others,  as  to  return  to  afternoon  service  forgetting  to 
eat  a  morsel  themselves. 

This  has  been  given  me  as  an  actual  occurrence  in  the 
experience  of  the  Widow  Charlotte  J.  Wood,  daughter 
of  Ira  Keen,  sometimes  feeding  fifty  and  sixty  people. 

Among  the  honored  members  of  this  churth,  worthy 
of  mention,  Eld.  Ira  Keen  and  Aunt  Nelly  will  ever  be 
remembered  by  the  public  as  big-hearted  and  hospitable 
souls,  who  fed  the  people  and  went  very  far  towards 
supporting  the  ministry.  Daniel  Keen,  also,  intelligent, 
pure-minded,  liberal,  capable  and  spiritual — one  of  the 
best  men  it  has  ever  been  my  privilege  to  know — was 
not  only  a  member  of  this  church  in  its  infancy,  but  af- 
terwards, also,  for  many  years. 

Joseph  Ballard,  the  quaint  old  farmer-preacher,  godly 
in  spirit,  seemingly  everywhere  present  ready  to  lend  a 
helping  hand  to  the  cause.  William  Ingraham,  who  by 
his  godly  walk  and  holy  conversation — his  desire  that 
all  should  be  at  peace  among  themselves — his  aptness 
and  skill  in  the  settlement  of  difficulties— won  for  him- 
self the  soubriquet  of  peace-maker.  "  Blessed  are  the 
peace-makers,  for  they  shall  be  called  the  children  of 
God." 

Joseph  Wood,  jr.,  belonged  to  the  second  generation. 
Capable  in  means  and  natural  ability,  pure  in  heart, 
sweet-spirited  in  life — a  pillar  in  our  Zion — he  fell  early 
at  his  post.  We  mourned  his  loss,  feeling  that  scarcely 
none  could  take  his  place.  But  the  Lord  gave  us  another 
in  the  person  of  his  brother  Ira,  whose  soul  was  touched 
with  the  melodies  of  a  better  life ;  and  feeling  at  the 
same  time  the  solemn  responsibilities  of  the  hour,  he  be- 
came at  once  an  efficient  ruling  elder  and  sweet  singer. 
For  volume  and  melody  of  voice  combined,  as  a-leader 
in  song  among  the  hosts  of  Israel,  Elder  Ira  Wood  has 
never  been  excelled  in  Southern  Illinois.  His  active 
Christian  life  extended  through  a  period  of  about  fifteen 
years,  which  was  also  the  period  of  the  church's  greatest 
prosperity.  Who  can  estimate  the  power  of  sanctified 
song,  when  coupled  with  an  earnest  effort  to  bring  the 
energies  of  the  soul  into  submission  to  the  will  of  God? 

Others  might  well  be  mentioned,  but  space  will  not 
permit.  The  church  has  a  neat,  commodious  house  of 
worship  erected  on  the  site  of  the  old  Stand.  The 


present  membership  of  the  Barney's  Prairie  Church 
reaches  two  hundred.  Eld.  James  Pool,  their  first  pas- 
tor, was  a  godly  man  and  excellent  teacher, — labored 
extensively  at  home  and  other  points  at  a  great  sacrifice, 
and  at  the  last  fell  asleep  in  the  bosom  of  the  church, 
honored  and  loved  by  all. 

PERSONAL  MENTION  OF  MINISTERS  WHO  HAVE  LABORED 
FOR  THE  BARNEY'S  PRAIRIE  CHURCH.    , 

William  Courier,  San.,  the  earnest  worker  and  elo- 
quent preacher.  Elijah  Goodwin,  the  silver-tongued 
orator  and  mighty  in  the  Scriptures, — the  peer  of  any, 
perhaps  equalled  by  none.  And  Moses,  also,  his  brother. 
Cornelius  Ades,  a  most  exemplary  man— a  good  reasoner, 
who  did  great  good  for  the  cause. 

William  Courier,  Jun  ,  a  native  of  Wabash  county. 
Possessing  a  limited  education,  but  with  a  soul  full  of 
faith,  he  has  labored  unceasingly,  and  none  has  been 
more  serviceable  to  the  church.  His  appeals  as  an 
evangelist  were  all  but  irresistible,  and  thousands  have 
been  brought  into  the  fold  through  his  efforts. 

Eld.  James  McMillen,  a  product  also  of  our  county, 
prudent,  cautious  and  correct, — a  systematic  reasoner,  a 
true  man  of  God,  reasonably  successful  as  an  evangelist, 
has  left  his  impress  upon  the  church  for  good.  Elder 
W.  B.  F.  Treat,  the  eloquent  preacher,  the  logical  speaker 
and  irresistible  debater,  now  living  in  Bloomington,  Ind., 
has  also  represented  his  district,  in  the  State  Senate  one 
term.  Alexander  We'ls,  an  excellent  teaching  preacher. 
Thomas  M.  Wiles,  a  very  efficient  and  successful  evan- 
gelist and  teacher, — a  great  worker,  and  a  favorite  with 
many.  Bro.  Wm.  C.  Black  has  also  labored  with  suc- 
cess and  is  counted  by  all  as  one  of  our  strong  men. 

These  have  all  preached  for  the  Barney's  Prairie 
church  regularly,  and  for  other  of  our  churches  in  the 
county,  and  are  and  have  been  good,  worthy  men  of 
God.  Elder  W.  F.  Black,  the  greatest  living  evangelist 
among  our  people,  has  held  protracted  meetings  for  this 
church  in  the  past  three  years,  resulting  in  120  additions. 
In  the  meantime  he  has  held  three  other  meetings  in  the 
county  at  the  following  places,  with  additions  as  annexed : 
Mt.  Carme],  twenty ;  Allendale,  twenty ;  Keensburg, 
eighty-six.  W.  R.  Couch  also,  the  writer :  "  By  the 
grace  of  God  I  am  what  1  am,"  has  labored  in  the 
cause  in  this  and  Johnson  and  Marion  counties,  Indiana, 
and  my  readers  all  know  me. 

Coffee  Creek  Church. — Daniel  Keen  having  settled  on 
Coffee  Creek  a  church  was  organized  in  his  house  on 
Saturday  before  the  fifth  Sabbath  in  August  in  the  year 
1819,  consisting  of  seven  members,  viz. :  Thomas  Thomp- 
son, Nancy  Thompson,  Daniel  Keen,  Polly  Keen,  Wm. 
Arnot,  Eli  Reed  and  Dennis  Sayles.  This  church  has 
been  fairly  prosperous,  and  from  its  organization  has 
scarcely  ever  been  without  regular  monthly  preaching. 
It  may  as  well  be  mentioned  here  that  it  is  the  custom 
of  all  our  churches  to 'meet  every  first  day  of  the  week 
for  exhortation,  prayer  and  breaking  the  loaf. 

This  church  has  enjoyed  the  teaching  of  Joseph  Was- 


188 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


son,  Elijah  Goodwin,  James  Pool,  William  Courier,  Jr., 
Cornelius  Ades,  James  McMillen,  James  Hall,  Alfred 
Flower  and  his  sons,  Erastus  Lathrop  and  W.  R.  Couch. 
Alfred  Flower  is  a  self-made  man,  a  fine  speaker,  a  suc- 
cessful preacher,  a  wonderful  historian  and  during  his 
long  life  has  given  himself  unreservedly  to  the  cause  of 
Christ.  In  this  church  none  are  more  esteemed  than  he. 
Dr.  Bristow  also  as  a  minister  and  Christian  physician, 
an  eminent  worker  in  the  Sunday  school  and  temperance 
work,  is  worthy  of  personal  mention.  Elder  Lathrop 
also  was  one  of  God's  true  noblemen,  and  one  of  our  best 
and  most  deserving  preachers. 

Personal  mention  of  members. — Among  those  who 
have  passed  on  before,  James  Ashford,  Alexander 
Compton  and  Joseph  Ballard  in  connection  with  Daniel 
Keen  will  ever  be  remembered  as  standing  among  the 
pillars  of  the  church.  Among  the  living,  Baker  Keen, 
large-hearted  and  capable,  has  been  the  strong  stay  of 
the  church,  and  its  ruling  elder  for  twenty-five  year?, 
and  his  house  the  preacher's  home.  Having  the  confi- 
dence of  the  people,  he  has  been  called  to  represent  his 
district  in  the  State  Legislature.  William  Keen,  now 
associated  with  Baker  in  the  government  of  the  church, 
generous  to  a  fault  and  liberal.  Through  their  efforts  a 
neat  and  commodious  house  of  worship  has  been  erected 
in  ihe  pleasant  village  of  Keensburg  at  a  cost  of  82000. 

The  Coffee  church  will  hereafter  be  known  as  the 
Keensburg  church.  The  house  was  completed  in  the 
year  1882,  and  dedicated  by  W.  F.  Black  on  the  second 
Sunday  in  August,  1882.  Here  also  Elder  Black  held 
one  of  his  great  meetings  in  which  eighty- six  were 
added.  In  connection  with  this  meeting  at  Rochester 
Ferry  on  the  Wabash  in  the  presence  of  more  than  1500 
people,  fifty-one  of  his  converts  were  immersed  in  fifty 
minutes  by  W.  R.  Couch.  The  church  now  numbers  160 
members,  and  is  in  a  very  prosperous  condition. 

Elder  James,  a  very  excellent  preacher  and  successful 
evangelist,  now  located  at  Olney,  has  labored  for  this 
church  with  much  success. 

The  Lick  Prairie  Church. — This  church  was  first  or- 
ganized in  the  year  1830  by  Elder  Joseph  Wasson,  of 
the  old  Christian  Order,  in  the  house  of  Adam  Baird. 
Elijah  Goodwin  and  Moses  also  did  efficient  service  in 
establ;shing  the  cause  at  this  place.  John  W.  Baird, 
Adam,  Samuel  and  Andrew  Baird,  Eli  Moora,  Thomas 
and  William  Hill,  John  Steward,  the  Brattens,  Samuel 
and  Eben  Putnam,  with  their  wives  respectively,  were 
among  the  first  members  of  this-  church.  Their  first 
house  of  worship  was  a  log  structure,  erected  one-half 
mile  north  of  the  present  site  in  the  year  1831.  They 
occupied  this  house  for  fourteen  years,  when  they  en  cted 
another  log  house  one  mile  south  of  the  present  site. 

The  church  was  very  prosperous  during  the  occupancy 
of  these  house?,  peace  and  harmony  prevailing,  and 
great  numbers  being  added.  Early  in  their  history  a 
Bible  class  was  organized,  out  of  which  grew  the  Sunday- 
school,  and  has  continued  to  be  a  regularly  organized  in- 
stitution to  the  present  time.  In  the  year  1853  their 


membership  had  outgrown  their  old  house,  and  Daniel 
Keen,  Eli  Moore  and  Samuel  Baird  were  chosen  a 
building  committee  for  the  erection  of  a  new  one,  which 
they  built,  35x50  feet.  This  was  a  union  house,  and 
occupied  by  the  Uuiversalists  one-fourth  of  the  time. 
Elements  so  conflicting  were  not  peaceful,  and  after 
twenty-eight  years  of  confusion,  the  old  house  becoming 
unfit  for  use,  it  was  pulled  down,  and  in  1881,  the  year 
of  failure  in  crops,  a  neat  frame  28x40  feet,  was  built 
by  the  disciples  and  called  the  Garfield  Memorial 
Christian  Church,  and  dedicated  by  W.  R.  Couch. 

The  church  now  numbers  seventy-five  members,  and 
in  their  new  house  have  taken  on  new  life,  and  bid  fair 
under  the  leadership  of  Albert  Sapp,  Peter  Fisher  and 
Nelson  Woods  to  have  at  least  a  prosperous  season. 

Church  of  Christ—  At  Lancaster,  Wabash  county,  and 
State  of  Illinois.  The  following  is  a  record  of  a  body  of 
believers  in  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  coming  together  for 
the  purpose  of  forming  a  church  to  be  known  as  the 
Church  of  Christ,  of  Lancaster,  State  and  county  afore- 
said, on  the  third  Lord's  day  in  October,  1842.  By 
mutual  agreement  the  following  named  persons  were 
chosen  to  act  in  the  capacity  of  elders  and  deacons : 

For  Elders— William  Ridgeley  aqd  Robert  Johnson. 
For  Deacons — Horace  A.  Woodward  and  John  Hig- 
gins. 

Charter  Members. — William  Clark,  Horace  A.  and 
Sophia  Woodward,  Hiram  R.  and  Polly  Couch,  William 
S.  and  Ann  E.  Ridgeley,  Joseph  and  Sarah  Gard,  John 
Higgins,  Andrew  Knight,  Ebenezer  Couch,  Lydia 
McMillen,  Martha  Jones,  Sarah  Russel,  Nancy  and- 
Elizabeth  Lewis,  Maria  Courier,  Sarah  Bryant,  Phoebe 
Knight,  Warren  and  Tamar  Winders. 

Elijah  Goodwin  was  probably  the  first  to  preach  the 
doctrine  in  the  vicinity,  preaching  in  Woodward's  barn 
and  old  LTucle  John  Higgins'  house,  Moses  Goodwin, 
sometimes  accompanying  him.  Morris  Trimble  and  H. 
A.  Haywood,  the  eccentric  but  gifted  preacher,  some- 
times preached  among  them  about  this  time.  James 
Pool,  present  at  their  organization,  continued  to  be  their 
regular  pastor  until  Preacher  Ades  came  into  their 
midst.  The  most,  perhaps  all  of  the  charter  members  of 
the  church,  were  converted  under  the  preaching  of 
Goodwin  and  Trimble,  at  the  old  stand,  on  Barney's 
Prairie.  In  addition  to  ministers  mentioned  before  in 
connection  with  other  places,  this  church  has  enjoyed 
the  labors  of  F.  M.  Shick,  W.  H.  Hardman,  and  W.  N. 
Littell.  Beginning  with  twenty-two  members,  located 
in  a  village  of  churches  in  the  midst  of  great  opposition, 
they  now  number  eighty.  No  more  honorable  or  true 
membership  can  be  found  anywhere. 

Adams'  Corner  Church.— We  take  the  following  state- 
ments from  the  records  of  the  church.  At  a  meeting 
held  at  Allen  R.  Jackman's  on  the  fifth  Saturday  and 
Sunday  in  June,  1851,  it  was  decided,  for  the  conven- 
ience of  that  portion  of  the  Barney's  Prairie  church,  resi- 
ding in  that  neighborhood,  that  a  church  be  established 
in  that  vicinity. 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


189 


Soon  after  this  a  union  house  was  built  at  the  Adams' 
Corners,  in  which  their  regular  meetings  were  held  until 
the  erection  of  their  present  house  of  worship  upon  the 
site  of  the  old  one,  which  had  previously  burned. 
Though  the.  untiring  eiforts  of  William  Courier,  their 
ruling  elder,  this  congregation  has  grown  into  a  strong 
and  influential  church,  now  numbering  over  200  members 
In  fact  this  is  the  banner  Christian  Church  of  the 
county.  Elder  George  Morrall  preached  for  this  church 
for  three  years  with  great  success. 

PERSONAL   MENTION. 

Among  those  who  have  passed  over  the  river  we  may 
mention  Samuel  Mclntosh,  Allen  E.  Jackman,  Isaac 
Smith,  \Vm.  Smith,  John  Litherland,  and  Mrs.  David 
Adams.  Among  the  living  are  Wm.  Courier,  William 
Preston  and  wife,  who  seem  never  to  grow  weary  in 
well  doing,  and  Ira  Smith,  who  was  for  many  years  one  of 
the  honored  elders  of  this  church.  Among  the  younger 
members  there  is  a  host  of  grand  noble  men  and  women 
whose  souls  have  been  touched  by  the  love  of  God,  whose 
names,  we  trust,  are  in  the  book  of  life. 

CHDRCH  OF  CHRIST  AT  MT.  CARMEL. 

A  record  of  the  Church  of  Christ,  meeting  for  worship 
in  Mt.  Carmef,  Wabash  county,  Illinois,  which  was  or- 
ganized December  14,  1862,  by  Elder  D.  D.  Miller, 
evangelist  for  the  Christian  Missionary  Society  of  the 
State  of  Illinois. 

The  brethren  and  sisters  in  Christ,  by  mutual  consent, 
enrolled  their  names  as  members  of  the  church  of  Christ, 
subject  to  the  Scriptures  as  the  rule  of  faith  and  practice  '• 
John  A.  Morgan,  Aurelia  Morgan,  Lucy  Dunning, 
Mary  Abby,  Virginia  Abby,  Mary  Ann  Turner,  Sarah 
Ann  Sturman,  Phebe  Sturman,  Abram  Utter,  Elizabeth 
Utter,  Julia  Hughs,  Judith  Titus,  Daniel  Titus,  Robert 
E.  Wright,  Remina  Wright,  Mary  E.  Redman,  Susan 
Wirth,  William  Sturman,  Susan  Beck,  America  Young, 
Charles  Redman,  Mary  L.  Utter,  Amy  Utter,  Lydia 
Simouds,  Kate  Newman,  Mary  Simonds  Zeuriah  Titus, 
Alice  Wright,  Elizabeth  Gordon,  Maria  Sherrar,  Mad- 
ison Tuniks,  A.  Walter  and  wife. 

The  following  officers  were  elected  in  1862 :  John  A. 
Morgan  and  Charles  Redman. — Elders. 

Amos  Walter  and  Daniel  Titus— Deacons. 

Church  trustees  chosen  in  1863  were,  John  A.  Mor- 
gan, R.  E.  Wright,  A.  Utter,  Charles  Redman,  and 
Daniel  Titus. 

The  church  was  built  in  1864,  and  cost,  besides  what 
was  done  free,  a  little  over  three  thousand  dollars.  Pres- 
ent membership  is  eighty-seven,  and  officers  are  as  fol- 
lows :  Chester  F.  Putnam,  Charles  Redman,  and  Jas. 
S.  Wilson— Elders. 

R.  E.  Wright,  F.  M.  Baird,  and  R.  S.  Gordon,  are 
the  Deacons. 

The  church-house  is  all  paid  for,  and  the  church  out 
of  debt.  The  church  building  is  on  Cherry  street  -be- 
tween 8th  and  9th  streets. 


The  foregoing  has  been  furnished  by  the  kindness  of 
R.  S.  Gordon : 

CHURCH  OF  CHRIST  AT  BELLMONT, 
BRO.  COUCH, 

Dear  Sir : — Yours  of  February  1st,  came  to  hand  this 
evening,  and  I  will  say  in  reply  that  the  first  sermon 
ever  preached  here  by  one  of  the  brethren,  was  preached 
by  Bro.  E.  Lathrop,  in  the  latter  part  of  the  year  1875. 
He  was  preaching  at  the  Lower  Bridge  church,  on  the 
Bonpas,  and  came  here  one  night  on  his  way  home.  Af- 
ter that  he  returned  a  few  times,  until  the  spring  of 
1876,  when  he  organized  a  church  on  the  2nd  day  of 
May,  1876.  After  that  he  returned  at  irregular  inter- 
vals, while  he  lived.  The  little  church,  consisting  at 
first  of  thirty-four  members,  having  no  meeting-house, 
had  many  ups  and  downs,  mostly  downs,  and  in  the 
course  of  two  years  ceased  to  meet.  But  the  indomita- 
ble spirit  of  progress  was  not  dead,  and  in  the  latter  part 
of  1878,  the  members  bought,  the  M.  E.  church,  (the 
Old  Silvam  meeting-house)  and  moved  it  to  town  and  re- 
erected  it,  and  held  the  dedication  services  in  September, 
1879,  Bro.  Wm.  Holt,  officiating.  Since  that  time  the 
church  has  met  regularly  to  attend  to  the  ordinances  of 
the  Lord's  house.  During  this  time  there  has  been  reg- 
ular preaching  only  about  six  months.  Meetings  have 
been  held  by  Holt,  James,  Black,  Little,  and  Couch. 
The  present  membership  is  eighty-six.  In  much  haste, 
Yours  fraternally, 

N.  BRISTOW. 

SHILOH   CHRISTIAN    CHURCH 

Was  organized  November  2,  1870,  by  Erastus  Lathrop, 
of  Olney.  The  following  are  the  names  of  the  charter 
members :  John  Brown,  Jarvis  Crackle,  John  Hen- 
derson, G.  W.  Bussell,  Thomas  Dukes,  J.  R  Newman, 
Sarah  Rotramel,  John  Rotramel,  Jermelia  Garue^ 
Hannah  Newman,  Alice  Newman,  Maria  Brown,  Al- 
mira  Bussell.  This  church,  after  doing  well  for  a  season, 
has,  to  a  great  extent,  declined. 

'THE  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST 

At  Kitchen  Bridge,  is  one  of  the  old  churches  of  our 
county.  It  has  usually  had  regular  preaching,  and  still 
has,  but  I  have  not  been  able  to  get  any  definite  infor- 
mation concerning  it. 

We  formerly  had  a  church  known  as  the  Church  of 
Christ,  at  Friend's  Grove,  but  it  declined,  being  situated 
within  a  few  miles  of  the  Lick  Prairie  church.  The 
whole  membership  of  the  Christian  church,  in  Wabash 
county,  Illinois,  reaches  nine  hundred  at  the  present 
time. 


M.  E.  CHURCH. 

'in  1818  three  Methodist  ministers  then  residing  in 
the  State  of  Ohio  came  to  the  then  "  far  west "  for  the  pur- 
pose of  founding  a  town,  as  described  in  a  circular  issued 
shortly  afterward  ;  "  at  the  confluence  of  the  Wabash, 
White  and  Patoka  rivers."  Two  of  these,  Rev.  Thos. 


190         HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


S.  Hinde,  a  local  preacher,  and  Rev.  William  McDow- 
ell, who  had  served  seven  years  as  an  itinerant  preacher, 
were  the  proprietors  of  the  town  site,  while  the  third, 
Rev.  William  Beauchamp,  who  had  faithfully  served  the 
church  in  the  active  ministry  and  as  editor  of  a  reli- 
gious paper,  came  in  the  capacity  of  a  surveyor.  While 
busily  engaged  with  this  new  enterprise,  upon  which  (it 
would  appear  from  the  original  articles  of  association 
and  town  plat)  they  embarked  with  great  faith  and  zeal. 
Such  men  could  not  be  forgetful  of  the  interests  of  the 
church,  and  it  was,  in  fact,  a  part  of  the  original  plan 
to  found  a  place  which  should  be  distinctly  marked  by 
its  moral  and  religious  character.  Hence  we  find  in 
seeking  a  name  for  this  new  town  in  the  wilderness,  they 
selected  a  Bible  name,  suggested  not  only  by  the  natural 
surface  of  the  town  site,  but  also  by  the  meaning  of  the 
very  name — Mt.  Carmel — signifying  "  the  garden  of  the 
Lord."  Such  if,  was  their  ambition  to  make  it.  As  evi- 
dence of  their  activity  and  their  devotion  to  the  interests 
of  the  church  with  which  they  were  connected,  we  find 
from  the  records  that  in  1819  was  established  Mt.  Car- 
mel Circuit,  embracing  all  the  country  from  Terre 
Haute,  Indiana,  to  the  mouth  of  the  Wabash  river,  and 
extending  into  the  interior  of  Indiana  and  Illinois — a 
territory  which  now  includes  five  districts.  But  "  there 
were  giants  in  those  days,"  who  knew  not  weariness  or 
fatigue  in  the  service  of  their  Master,  and  though  the 
circuit  was  immense  in  extent,  and  the  difficulties  in 
traversing  this  new  circuit  were  formidable,  there  were 
men  ready  to  say,  "  Here  am  I  ;  send  me."  According- 
ly, we  find  that  in  1820  Charles  Slocomb  was  the  first 
to  enter  this  new  field  of  labor,  and  preach  salvation  to 
the  straggling  settlers  wherever  they  could  be  found. 
He  was  followed  in  1821  by  Robert  Delap,  in  1822  by 
Samuel  Hull,  in  1823  by  Wm.  McReynolds,  in  1824 
by  Thomas  Davis  and  Samuel  Basset,  and  in  1825  by 
John  W.  McReynolds.  Such  had  been  the  growth  of 
the  new  town,  and  of  the  membership  of  the  Methodist 
church,  that  in  the  latter  year  they  proceeded  to  erect  a 
house  of  worship,  and  earned  for  themselves  the  honor 
of  erecting  the  first  brick  church  in  the  State  of  Illinois. 
This  building,  creditable  to  their  efforts  and  liberality, 
continued  to  stand  as  one  of  the  old  landmarks  in  the 
community  until  destroyed  by  the  cyclone  of  1877 — 
though  it  had  long  since  ceased  to  be  used  for  church 
purposes.  In  the  following  year,  1826,  John  W. 
McReynolds  was  returned  to  Mt.  Carmel  circuit,  and 
continued  his  faithful  and  efficient  labors,  until  the  fall 
of  1827,  when  he  was  succeeded  by  Rev.  Aaron  Wood. 
The  year  1827  is  noted  in  the  local  church  history  as 
being  the  time  when  an  annual  Conference  was  first 
held  in  Mt.  Carmel.  The  Illinois  Annual  Conference, 
in  whose  bounds  Mt.  Carmel  circuit  was  then  included, 
convened  at  this  place,  and  was  presided  over  by  Bishop 
Roberts.  There  were  assembled  at  this  Conference 
many  men,  mighty  in  faith  and  power,  whose  names  are 
remembered  with  reverence  and  honor  in  the  Methodist 
church.  Few,  however,  survive  to  this  day.  Among 


the  survivors  prominently  remembered  is  Adam  Wood, 
who  at  this  Conference  received  his  appointment  to  the 
Mt.  Carmel  circuit,  and  labored  so  faithfully  and  accep- 
tably that  in  the  following  year  he  was  returned  to  the 
same  field.  This  devoted  servant  of  the  Lord,  though 
ripe  in  years,  continued  to  labor  actively,  and  is  now 
traveling  a  circuit  in  northern  Indiana.  In  the  years 
1824-1828,  Rev.  Chas.  Holliday  served  in  the  capa- 
city of  Presiding  Elder, of  the  district  in  which  Mt. 
Carmel  was  included,  and  in  the  latter  year  the  General 
Conference,  recognizing  his  fitness  and  qualifications, 
elected  him  to  the  position  of  book  agent  at  Cincinnati, 
Ohio.  His  successor  in  the  Presiding  Eldership  was 
Geo.  R.  Locke,  who  continued  to  discharge  the  duties 
of  Elder  for  the  full  terra  of  four  years. 

In  1829  Rev.  Aaron  Wood  was  succeeded  in  the  cir- 
cuit by  Revs.  John  Miller  and  A.  F.  Thompson,  who 
labored  together  one  year,  when  in  1830  Rev.  John 
Miller  was  returned  to  the  circuit  with  Rev.  John  Fox 
as  his  colleague.  In  1831,  John  Miller,  having  served 
the  full  limit  of  time  permitted  by  the  rules  of  the 
church,  was  assigned  another  appointment,  and  Rev. 
Jas.  McKean  with  Rev.  John  Fox  were  assigned  to  Mt. 
Carmel  circuit,  and  continuing  one  year,  were  followed 
in  1832  by  Rev.  James  Massey,  in  1833  by  Rev.  Wm. 
S  Crissey,  and,  in  1834  by  Rev.  A.  McBtntry.  In  the 
latter  year  Mt.  Carmel  was  again  the  seat  of  the  Annual 
Conference,  with  Bishop  Roberts  as  Presiding  Officer. 
At  this  session  of  the  Conference  Mt.  Carmel  was  made 
a  station,  and  Rev.  P.  W.  Nichols  was  appointed  pastor- 
in- charge,  while  Rev.  Michael  S.  Taylor,  who  had  suc- 
ceeded Rev.  Geo.  Locke  as  Presiding  Elder,  was  con- 
tinued in  that  position,  and  remained  Presiding  Elder 
until  1837.  Rev.  P.  W.  Nichols  was  succeeded  as  pas- 
tor-in-charge  of  Mt.  Carmel  church  by  Rev.  Jas.  Hadley 
in  1836,  and  the  latter  in  1837  by  Rev.  A.  L.  Risley. 
In  the  latter  year  Rev.  Hooper  Crews  was  made  Presi- 
ding Elder  of  the  district.  It  was  about  this  period 
that  the  growing  interests  of  Methodism  found  "  the 
little  brick  church  in  the  corner  "  too  limited  for  their 
needs,  and  the  question  of  building  a  larger  edifice  was 
actively  discussed.  At  a  meeting  held  for  the  purpose 
of  considering  the  matter,  it  was  resolved  to  build  a 
church  capable  of  seating  fifteen  hundred  people.  After 
further  deliberation,  however,  a  committee  was  appoint- 
ed to  procure  plans,  etc.  for  the  new  building.  This 
committee,  however,  did  not  appear  to  regard  so  large  a 
structure  as  required  by  the  needs  of  the  church,  for  at 
a  subsequent  meeting  they  reported  that  they  thought 
"a  building  50x70  with  an  end  gallery"  would  be 
sufficiently  large  to  accommodate  the  congregation.  After 
procuring  subscriptions  to  the  amount  of  several  thous- 
and dollars,  and  after  considerable  material  had  been 
purchased,  the  effort  to  build  was  abandoned,  as,  we 
suppose,  the  effects  of  the  great  financial  panic  began  to 
be  felt  and  defeated  their  designs.  In  1835  Rev. 
J.  M.  Massey  was  appointed  to  Mt.  Carmel ;  in  1839 
Rev.  W.  C.  Cummings.  In  1840-41  Rev.  John  Van 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


191 


Cleve,  with  Geo.  W.  Bobbins  as  Presiding  Elder  in 
1840,  and  Barton  Handle  as  Presiding  Elder  in  1841. 
In  1842  Rev.  Jas.  H.  Dickens.  In  1843  Rev.  Robert 
Ridgeway.  In  1844-1846  Rev.  0.  J.  Houts,  with  Rev. 
John  Van  Cleve  as  Presiding  Elder.  Some  time  prior 
to  the  latter  date  Lebanon,  Stouis,  Riggs,  Rochester,  I 
Centerville,  Pleasant  Ridge  and  Newley  were  regularly  ! 
designated  preaching  places  in  Mt.  Carmel  circuit  with- 
in the  bounds  of  Wabash  county.  At  the  first,  four  of 
the  places  mentioned,  Sunday-schools  were  organized,  and  , 
at  several  of  these  places  there  have  grown  up  quite  \ 
strong  societies  which  have  become  established  on  a 
permanent  basis.  In  the  Fall  of  1846  Rev.  E.  H.  Hib- 
bard  was  sent  to  Mt.  Carmel,  and  was  followed  in  1847 
by  Rev.  E.  G.  Falcuier,  and  in  1848  Rev.  S.  Elliott  re-  j 
ceived  the  appointment.  During  the  term  of  the  latter 
there  was  a  gracious  revival,  and  the  church  was  largely  j 
increased  in  numbers.  Asa  result  of  this  revival  and  j 
growth  in  .membership,  we  find  the  question  of  build- 
ing a  larger  house  of  worship  again  agitated,  and  a 
resolution  to  build  was  passed  by  the  Quarterly  Confer- 
ence. This  resolution  was  carried  into  effect,  though 
the  active  work  of  building  was  somewhat  delayed,  and 
in  the  course  of  a  couple  of  years  a  commodious  brick 
structure,  two  stories  in  height,  was  erected,  and  is  still 
used — being  the  main  building  of  the  present  church 
edifice.  This  structure,  in  honor  of  Rev.  Wm.  Beau- 
champ,  one  of  the  pioneers  of  Methodism  in  this 
county,  was  called  Beauchamp  chapel.  In  1849  Rev. 
John  Birland  was  appointed  to  Mt.  Carmel.  In  1850 
Rev.  J.  W.  Caldwell  received  the  appointment;  at  the 
same  time  Rev.  Norman  Allyn  was  made  Presiding  El- 
der of  the  district,  succeeding  Rev.  Wm.  M.  Taylor,  who 
received  the  appointment  of  Presiding  Elder  in  1847. 
In  1851  Rev.  Wm.  Cliffe  was  sent  to  Mt.  Carmel  as 
preacher-in-charge,  and  was  returned  to  the  charge  again 
in  1852.  In  the  following  year  the  Southern  Illinois  An- 
nual Conference,  which  had  now  been  organized,  held 
its  session  at  Mt.  Carmel  with  the  late  Bishop  Scott  as 
presiding  officer.  At  this  Conference  Rev  James  Lea- 
ton  received  the  appointment  to  Mt.  Carmel,  and  was 
succeeded  in  1854  by  Rev.  Nelson  Hawley,  in  which  year 
also  Rev.  Wm.  Cliffe,  whom  we  have  seen  had  served  two 
years  as  pastor-in-charge  at  Mt.  Carmel,  received  the  ap- 
pointment of  Presiding  Elder  of  the  district,  which  po- 
sition he  continued  to  fill  until  1858,  when  he  was  suc- 
ceeded by  Rev.  R.  J.  Nail.  Rev.  Hawley  was  re-ap- 
pointed to  the  charge  in  1855,  and  during  his  two  years 
of  service  did  much  to  promote  the  spiritual  interests  of 
the  church.  In  1856  Rev.  A.  B.  Nisbett  was  appointed 
to  Mt.  Carmel,  serving  one  year,  and  was  succeeded  by 
Rev.  J.  P.  Davis,  who  served  two  years,  when  at  the 
Conference  of  1859  Rev.  A.  B.  Nisbett  was  again  re- 
turned. At  the  session  of  Conference  held  in  1860, 
Rev.  R.  J.  Nail,  who  was  then  filling  the  position  of 
Presiding  Elder,  received  the  appointment  to  Mt.  Car- 
mel, and  A.  B.  Nisbett  was  assigned  to  the  district.  In 
the  following  year  Rev.  G.  W.  Compton  received  the 


appointment  to  Mt.  Carmel,  and  was  again  returned  in 
1862,  but  remained  only  a  part  of  the  year,  when  he 
resigned  as  pastor-in-charge  to  accept  the  position  of 
chaplain  in  the  army.     The  vacancy  caused  by  Rev. 
Compton's  resignation  was  filled  by  Rev.  D.  Chipman, 
local  preacher,  who,  by  appointment  from  the  Presiding 
Elder,  continued  to  supply  the   place  of  preacher  in- 
charge  during  the  remainder  of  the  Conference  year.  In 
1863  the  Southern  Illinois  Annual  Conference  again  con- 
vened at  Mt.  Carmel  with  Bishop  Baker  as  presiding 
officer.     At  this  session  of  the  Conference  Rev.  Hiram 
Sears  received  the  appointment  to  Mt.  Carmel,  and  was 
re-appointed  in  1864,  and  during  his  two  years  of  ser- 
vice, labored  with  abundant  success-    At  the  Conference 
of  1865,  and  again  in  1866,  Rev.  A.  B.  Morrison  was 
assigned  to  Mt.  Carmel.    In  the  latter  year  the  Sunday- 
school  connected  with  this  charge  received  a  donation 
of  8800  from  the  Mt.  Carmel  Division,  Sons  of  Temper- 
ance, which  fund  has  since  been  increased,  and  the  inter- 
est arising  from  it  serves  largely  to  defray  the  expenses 
of  the  school.    In  1868  Rev.  G.  W.  Hughey  was  assigned 
to  Mt.  Carmel,  and  Rev.  L.  S.  Clifford  was  appointed 
Presiding  Elder,  succeeding  Rev.  N.  Hawley,  who  had 
received  the  appointment  in  1864.     At  the  Conference 
held  in  the  fall   of    the   following   year,    1869,    Rev. 
I  Hughey  was  returned  to  Mt.  Carmel,  and  Rev.  R.  H. 
'  Massey  was  chosen  Presiding  Elder.     During  the  pas- 
torate of  Rev.  Hughey  the  church  erected  their  present 
brick  parsonage  at  a  cost  of  about  $3,000.      In  the  fall 
of  1870  Rev.  T.  A.  Eaton  was  assigned  to  Mt.  Carmel, 
and  having  been  returned  to  the  charge  by  the  Confer- 
ence of  1871,  continued  faithfully  to  discharge  his  duties 
•   until  the  fall  of  1872,  when  at  the  annual  Conference 
held  in  that  year  Rev.  B.  R.  Pierce  was  asisgned  to  Mt. 
i  Carmel,  who  was  also  re-appointed  in  1874,  at  which 
,  time  Rev.  W.  T.  Davis  was  assigned  to  the  district  as 
'•  Presiding  Elder.     Under  the  leadership  of  Rev.  Pierce 
|  the  church  undertook  the  work  of  enlarging  and  remod- 
!  eling  their  building,   which    they   successfully   accpm- 
1  plished   at  a  cost    of    over    $7,000,   notwithstanding 
the  fact  that  the  financial  panic  which  occurred  shortly 
after   the  work  was  commetnced  exercised  a  very  de- 
!  pressing  influence.     The  success  of  their  efforts  was  due 
largely  to  the  wise  and  prudent  labors  of  the  pastor, 
who  labored  untiringly  until  success  had  crowned  his 
efforts,  and  in  the  summer  of  1874  he  witnessed  the  re- 
opening of  the  building  for  worship  with  appropriate 
services  conducted  by  Rev.  Bishop  Bowman.     The  year 

1874  was  also  marked  by  the  annual  Conference  again 
holding  its  session  at  Mt    Carmel,  with  the  venerable 
Bishop  Scott  as  presiding  officer.     It  was  at  this  session 

I  of  the  Conference  that  the  late  Dr.  Eddy  delivered  his 
last  address  save  one,  for  only  a  couple  of  weeks  later  he 
joined  the  church  triumphant.  At  the  same  session  of 
Conference  the  pastor  assigned  to  Mt.  Carmel  was  Rev. 

j  W.  J.  Grant,  who  served    one  year,  and  in  the  fall  of 

1875  was  succeeded  by  Rev.  J.  L.  Wallar,  who  contin- 
ued as  pastor-in-chargs  until  the  fall  of     1878,  when 


192 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


Rev.  Herdman  was  assigned  to  Mt.  Carmel.  After  two 
years'  service  ill  this  charge  Rev.  Herdman,  in  accor- 
dance with  the  usage  of  the  Methodist  church,  was  sent 
to  labor  elsewhere  and  Rev.  J.  Earp  was  by  the  Confer- 
ence of  1880  assigned  to  Mt.  Carmel,  and  like  his  pre- 
decessor was  appointed  to  the  same  charge  again 
for  the  second  year.  In  the  fall  of  1882  Rev.  R. 
M.  Carter  was  appointed  to  Mt.  Carmel,  and  at  this  date 
is  rendering  effective  and  acceptable  service  as  pastor- 
in-charge. 

While  we  have  BO  far  followed  mainly  the  history  of 
the  Methodist  church  in  Mt  Carmel,  we  have  seen  that 
the  interests  of  the  church  in  other  localities  were  not 
neglected.  Whenever  and  wherever  a  few  settlers  are 
found  in  new  localities,  there  will  be  heard  the  voice  of 
the  Methodist  preacher,  ministering  unto  their  spiritual 
needs.  Among  the  earliest  Methodist  organizations  in 
the  county,  outside  of  Mt.  Carmel,  was  the  society  or- 
ganized in  1825  or  1826  in  a  hickory-pole  cabin  on  what 
is  now  the  Alfred  Rigg  farm.  This  society  was  or- 
ganized by  Rev.  John  McReynolds  and  others.  Of  the 
the  original  members  of  this  society  all  are  now  dead 
excepting  one.  Services  were  held  in  private  dwellings 
and  school-houses  until  1858,  when  the  society,  under 
the  ministry  of  Rev.  A.  B.  Nisbett,  erected  a  neat  and 
commodious  house  of  worship  to  which  was  given  the 
appropriate  name,  "  Bethel!"  The  society  continued  to 
prosper  and  grow  in  numbers  so  that  in  1880,  realizing 
the  need  of  a  larger  and  more  convenient  house  of  wor- 
ship, and  the  village  of  Bellmont  growing  up  in  the*im- 
mediate  vicinity,  the  society  determined  to  erect  a  new 
house  of  worship  in  that  vilage.  A  suitable  site  having 
been  donated  by  a  member  of  the  Mt.  Carmel  church, 
the  society  proceeded  at  once  to  put  their  resolutions 
into  execution,  and  now  have  an  elegant  frame  church 
34  x  60,  erected  at  a  c  ost  of  about  $2,000,  and  a  mem- 
bership of  about  125. 

THE  PRESBYTERIAN  CHURCH. 

BY   SAMUEL,   C.   BALDEIDGE. 

The  Presbyterian  churches  in  Wabash  county,  in  the 
order  of  their  organization  are  : 

1.  Wabash.— Organized  March  5th,  1822,  by  Rev.  D. 
C.  Proctor,  with  5  members.     Number  now  enrolled  78. 
Ruling  Elders :  Henry  Thompson,  J.  R.  Corrie,   Wm. 
Greenhood,  Charles  Anderson  and  Wm.  Hershey. 

2.  Mt.  Carmel.— Organized  May  5th,  1839,  by  a  com- 
mittee of  Palestine  Presbyterians  consisting  of,  Revs. 
S.  Bliss  and  Isaac  Bennet,  with  11    members.  Number 
now  on  roll  43.     Ruling  Elders,  Hon.  Robert  Bell  and 
R.  T.  Wilkinson,  Esq. 

3.  Friendsville.—  Organized  August  29th,  1857,  by  a 
committee  of  Palestine  Presbyterians  consisting  of,  Revs. 
J.  Crozier  and  S.  C.  Baldridge.     Elders,  Hon.   James 
McDowell  and  S.  W.  Bliss,  with  28  members.     Number 
now  on  roll  82.     Ruling  Elders,  J.  P.  McNair,  Esq.,  G. 
C.  Kingsbury  and  M.  D.  and  A.  A.  Gould. 


4.  Allendale—  Organized  February  26th,  1867,  by  a 
committe  of  Palestine  Presbyterians  consisting,  of  Revs. 
S.  C.  Baldridge,  W.  H.  Smith  and  John  Mack.  Elders, 
Thomas  Buchanan  and  H.  Thompson,  with  9  members. 
Number  now  on  roll  15.  Ruling  Elder,  Isaac  F.  Price, 
Esq. 

Presbyterian  Pioneers. — Among  the  settlers  who  began 
to  come  into  the  country  at  the  close  of  the  war  of  1812, 
was  Thomas  Gould,  Esq.,  who  settled  in  Timber  settle- 
ment. He  reached  there  in  the  spring  of  1816,  with  a 
large  family.  He  was  from  New  Jersey,  but  had  emi- 
grated to  Springdale,  Ohio,  near  Cincinnati,  and  from 
there  to  Illinois.  They  came  to  Evansville  by  a  flat- 
boat,  sold  it  and  came  across  by  wagon.  It  may  give 
us  an  impression  of  the  state  of  things  then,  to  know  that 
Evansville  was  a  group  of  cabins,  with  not  one  shingle 
roof  in  it.  In  his  house  the  first  sermon  by  a  Presbyte- 
rian preacher  was  delivered.  The  preacher  was  the  Rev. 
Samuel  Thornton  Scott,  pastor  of  the  Indiana  church, 
Knox  county,  Indiana.  He  afterwards  came  frequently. 
He  would  aim  to  reach  Squire  Gould's  early  in  the  after- 
noon, and  the  boys  would  be  put  on  horses  and  sent  out 
to  invite  the  neighbors  to  meeting,  and  by  early  candle- 
light the  house  would  be  full.  By  and  by  William 
Crane,  a  sweet  singer,  who  was  chorister  for  many  years 
to  the  Presbyterian  congregation,  came  and  settled  in 
the  neighborhood.  He  also  had  a  large  and  most 
interesting  family,  and  they  could  everyone  sing  like 
nightingales.  Then  came  the  McClains,  Cisels  and 
Pitmans,  etc.,  all  of  cordial  Presbyterian  preferences, 
and  most  excellent  citizens.  But  no  church  was  organized 
in  this  rich  and  fallow  field  until  1867.  A  Sabbath- 
school  was  opened  about  1824,  in  Squire  Gould's  house, 
and  was  maintained  with  varying  fortunes,  but  with 
considerable  usefulness  for  years.  The  school  was 
especially  useful  in  teaching  many  to  read,  parents 
and  children  often  sitting  together  in  one  class. 
The  Bible  Society  gave  Squire  Gould  the  liberty  of 
giving  Bibles  and  Testaments  as  a  reward  for  commit- 
ting Scripture  to  memory.  The  poor  and  the  diligent 
were  thus  supplied  in  a  very  destitute  field. 

The  next  Presbyterian  pioneer  to  the  county  was 
Cyrus  Danforth,  Esq.  He  came  from  New  York  state 
in  the  summer  of  1817.  He  started  for  Terre  Haute,  Ind., 
but  God  who  appoints  the  bounds  of  our  habitation 
stopped  the  voyagers  in  their  keel-boats  at  the  Grand 
Rapids,  by  the  low  waters.  Afraid  of  sickness  on  the 
river,  he  took  his  family  out  on  Barney's  Prairie  to 
await  the  rise  of  the  stream.  Once  there  on  the  gentle 
height  that  swelled  up  from  the  lovely  plains  around,  all 
said,  we  shall  never  find  a  fairer  land  than  this.  And  Mr. 
Danforth  stopped,  and  bought  the  great  tract  of  land, 
still  in  the  hands  of  his  descendants,  at  Friendsville.  He 
had  four  sons  and  two  daughters.  Mr.  Danforth  was  a 
man  of  God  ;  of  unflinching  devotion  to  his  convictions, 
and  of  heroic  mold.  His  views  were  not  borrowed,  nor 
would  they  even  take  hue  from  the  sentiments  prevail- 
ing around  him. 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  W ABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS.          193 


Policy  was  never  thought  of  apparently.  Truth  was  j 
truth,  and  right  was  right  and  duty  was  duty.  In  breadth  j 
of  views  and  comprehension  of  the  great  questions  of  that 
day,  in  church  and  state,  he  was  wise  beyond  his  genera- 
tion. His  speech  was  slow  and  measured,  his  words 
weighed  before  uttered  and  spiced  with  more  than  Spar- 
tan ters  ness,  but  what  he  said  was  oracular.  For  years 
he  and  his  family  stood  alone  in  the  community,  but  by  j 
and  by  the  impulsive,  and  whole-hearted  Charles  W. 
MeNaircame,  and  the  Knapps  and  the  Wardels,  and  in 
1829,  John  F.  Youngken,  who  became  his  son-in-law, 
and  Dr.  C.  W.  Miller,  and  in  1837,  William  R.  Wilkin- 
son. The  next  Presbyterian  pioneers,  were  two  New 
Eaglanders,  Stephen  Bliss  and  George  May.  They  settled 
ou  Decker's  prairie.  They  were  both  graduates  of 
MiddU-burg  college,  Vt.,  Mr.  Bins  in  1812  and  his  ' 
friend  in  1814.  They  were  men  of  judgment,  candor, 
industry  and  of  pleasing  manners,  thorough  Christian 
geutl*  men.  What  added  to  the  interest  of  this  new 
establishment,  wa*,  that  in  1820  Mr.  Bliss  walked  back 
to  Boscawen,  N.  H.,  and  married  his  affianced,  Miss 
Elisabeth  Worcester,  daughter  of  Dr.  Noah  Worcester, 
of  Brighton,  Ma*s  ,  and  cousin  of  Jos.  Emerson  Worces- 
ter, LL  D.,  the  lexicographer.  They  came  to  the 
cabin  under  the  five  whispering  oaks,  in  June  1821.  It 
was  graced  with  no  luxuries  when  they  eet  up  house- 
keeping, but  it  was  bright  with  intelligence,  thrift,  taste 
and  sweetest  piety.  Wordsworth's  plain  living  and  high 
thinking  was  realized  there.  God  meant  much  for  this 
untamed  wilderness,  when  he  planted  such  a  stock  as 
that  on  Decker's  prairie. 

The  work  of  the  Presbyterian  church  in  this  county, 
may  be  said  to  have  begun  in  earnest  with  the  coming  of 
Messrs.   Bliss  and  May,  April  llth,  1819.  They  opened 
a  Sabbath-school  in  their  cabin  and  later  a  Prayer  meet- 
ing,   the   first  Monday   in   each    month — the  monthly 
concert  of  New  England.     But  more  still  was  in  store 
for  them.     On  Friday,   March    1st,  1822,    a  stranger 
stopped  at  Mt.  Carmel  to  lodge.     In  the  night  his  horse 
was  injured  in  the  stable,  so  that  he  could  not  travel  the 
next  morning.     The  stranger  began  to  look  around  to 
see  why  he  had  been  stopped.     He  inquired  about  the  j 
people  in  town  and  county.  Heard  of  some  Presbyterian 
families  settled  on  the  prairie  to  the  north,  and  set  out  I 
at  once  to  visit  them.     Some  sort  of  a  trail  led  him  to  j 
some  cabins,  and  he  knocked  at  one  of  the  doors.  It  was 
Mr.  Danforth's.     As  he  caught  sight  of  the  faces,  and 
the  air  of  things,  he  stalked  right  in  shaking  hands  with 
each  he  met,  and  exclaiming,  I  feel  quite  at  home  here; 
I  am  on  Presbyterian  grounds  I  know.     His  enthusiasm 
was  reciprocated,  as  he  introduced  himself.     It  was  the 
Rev.  David  Choate  Proctor  of  Conn,  a  Missionary  of  the 
Conn.  Missionary  Society.     What  a  feast  was  this  inter- 
view to  these  exiles,  a  rill  from  the  New  England  hills. 
The  next  day  they  took  their  noble  guest  up  to  Mr.  j 
Bliss.     And  there,  i:i  that  house  of  prayer  shrined  in  the  j 
wild,  rank  wilderness,  that  home  of  puritan  piety  and  ] 
simplicity,  with   those  rare    guests,  the    Presbyterian  i 
25 


church  in  this  county  was  born.  Three  of  these  men 
were  graduate?,  and  Mr.  Danforth  was  peer  of  either  in 
wisdom  and  sterling  worth. 

The  organization  of  the  "First  Presbyterian  church 
of  Edwards  county  was  effected  on  Tuesday,  March  oth, 
at  the  Dauforth  school-house,  a  log  building  standing  ou 
the  edge  of  a  swale  a  half  mile  east  of  D.'s  cabin.  The 
members  were  Mr.  Bliss  and  Mr.  Dauforth  and  their 
wives,  and  Mr.  May.  In  August  Mr.  Bliss,  who  had 
studied  Divinity  with  Dr.  Samuel  Wood  of  Boscawen, 
N.  H.,  received  a  license  to  preach  from  the  Hopkington 
Congregational  Association.  He  was  abundantly  quali- 
fied, but  of  such  an  humble  and  conscientious  spirit,  that 
he  hesitated  for  a  year  to  take  this  step.  But  August 
3d,  1823,  he  preached  his  first  sermon  iu  that  same  log 
church  and  school-house,  by  the  edge  of  the  swale.  The 
Danforth  school-house  is  thus  strangely  identified  with 
the  origin  of  the  Presbyterian  church.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Gould  united  with  the  church  that  day. 

The  Presbyterian  churches,  out  of  Mt.  Carmel,  are 
in  the  neighborhoods  where  these  good  men  lived,  Bliss, 
Danforth  and  Gould. 

Some  notice  of  the  ministers  longest  iu  charge,  will 
close  this  sketch.  Rev.  Stephen  Bliss  was  for  many  years 
the  only  Presbyterian  preacher  in  the  county.  He  was 
born  at  Lebanon,  N.H.,  March  27tb,  1787.  Graduated 
at  Middleburg  College,  18 12.  Studied  Divinity  with  Dr. 
Samuel  Wood,  of  Boscawen,  N.  H.  He  taught  with 
great  acceptance  in  central  New  York  until  1818,  when 
he  and  his  friend  George  May  left  with  broken  health, 
and  came  to  Decker's  prairie,  found  the  mild  air  and 
cheap  land  they  were  hunting,  and  settled.  The  accom- 
plished May  died  August,  1822.  August  3d,  1823,  Mr. 
B.  began  to  preach.  1824  he  was  nominated  by  the  anti- 
slavery  party  for  the  State  Legislature.  His  judgment 
moderation  and  ability  turned  all  eyes  upon  him  in  this 
crisis.  In  the  furious  campaign  he  took  no  part,  but 
was  elected.  By  the  election  of  1824,  Illinois  was  made 
a  free  state.  He  returned  from  Vandalia  in  January.  In 
April,  1825,  he  was  received  by  the  Salem  Presbytery  as 
a  licentiate  and  was  ordained  August  4th,  1825.  He  la- 
bored in  the  same  field  during  all  his  ministry.  He  died 
December  6th,  1847.  He  was  a  clear,  calm,  instructive 
preacher,  sound  in  the  faith,  a  most  upright,  humble, 
godly  man.  He  was  a  leader  everywhere  by  his  weight 
of  character.  (See  life  of  Rev.  Stephen  Bliss,  A.  M.) 

Rev.  Isaac  Bennet  was  the  next  to  enter  this  field  as 
a  settled  minister.  One  freezing  night  in  March,  1831, 
he  came  to  Mr.  Bliss.  From  this  time  on,  these  two 
good  soldiers  of  Jesus  Christ  were  indissolubly  joined  as 
father  and  son  in  the  Gospel.  He  took  the  field  in  Law- 
rence county  and  labored  there  with  great  success  for  17 
years.  He  was  a  truly  great  preacher,  mighty  in  the 
Scriptures,  of  a  logical  mind,  a  good  scholar,  a  close 
student,  a  man  of  remarkable  piety,  given  to  the  word 
of  God  and  prayer.  His  zeal,  his  unselfishness,  his  devo- 
tion to  Gospel  work  were  remarkable,  but  it  was  all  of 
grace — Nobody  owes  as  much  to  Christ  Jesus  as  I  do — 


194 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  W ABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


he  often  said.    For  a  full  estimate  of  this  minister,  see 
"  Life  of  Rev.  Stephen  Bliss  and  his  colaborers." 

Rev.  Joseph  Butler,  A.  M.,  appeared  in  this  field  in  the 
spring  of  1838.  In  1832,  when  Mr.  Bliss  surrendered 
Lawrence  county  to  Beimel  the  Evangelist,  a  colony 
was  coming  into  EJ wards  ounty.  They  were  from 
Massachusetts.  They  had  gone  first  into  West  Virgiu  ia 
and  bought  laud  on  the  Cheat  river,  a  fine,  enterprising 
people.  Some  years  after,  some  one  disputed  their  titles, 
and  their  smiling  farms  and  villages  were  wrested 
away  from  them.  Some  bought  their  lands  again,  but 
the  most  fled  to  the  West  and  finally  settled  in  Edwards 
county,  17  miles  southwest  of  Mr.  Bliss.  In  1833  they 
invited  him  to  preach  for  them,  and  in  1835  the  Shiloh 
Presbyterian  church  was  organized  there.  They  flourish- 
ed under  his  ministry,  until  in  1838  they  were  able  to 
employ  Mr.  Butler.  This  gentleman  was  of  a  most 
vehement  temperament,  of  strong  convictions,  of  utter 
fearlessness,  of  great  honesty  of  speech,  and  void  of  all 
tact.  He  knew  no  way  of  opening  a  door,  but  beating 
it  in  with  a  sledge.  He  was  one  of  the  most  solemn 
preachers.  He  could  drive  his  hearers  to  despair,  but  he 
could  not  persuade.  He  had  no  gifts  for  the  pastorate. 
And  yet  he  was  a  very  pious  and  able  minister  and  la- 
bored incessantly  over  much  of  southern  Illinois,  and 
not  without  blessed  fruit.  Oh  solemn,  stern,  single- 
eyed,  holy  brother,  thou  canst  never  be  forgotten. 

Rev.  Robert  H.  Lilly  came  to  Mt  Carmel  in  1839. 
He  came  on  the  call  of  the  church.  From  the  time  the 
town  was  made  the  county  seat,  there  had  been  Presby- 
terian families.  In  1838,  the  State  scheme  of  "  Internal 
improvement"  being  in  operation,  Mt.  Carmel  was  made 
a  terminus  of  the  railroad  running  across  the  State  to 
Alton.  The  town  sprang  into  new  life,  immigrants 
poured  in,  and  among  them  families  of  Presbyterians. 
In  1838,  they  erected  a  brick  church  edifice,  the  finest 
one,  at  that  time,  in  southern  Illinois.  May,  1839,  Mr. 
Bliss,  who  had  supplied  them  for  years  occasionally,  and 
Mr.  Bennet  organized  a  church  of  eleven  members,  who 
eoon  called  Rev.  Mr.  Lilly,  of  Kentucky,  who  was  in- 
stalled Pastor  June,  1840.  He  was  a  sound  theologian, 
a  fine  sermonizer,  but  eccentric.  He  resembled  the  cel- 
ebrated Mr.  Finney  of  Oberlin.  Mr.  L.  went  into  busi- 
ness in  central  Illinois,  and  became  wealthy.  He  gave 
freely  to  benevolent  objects. 

Rev.  P.  W.  Thompson  took  this  combined  work  in 
1848.  The  first  revival  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of 
Wabash  church  was  under  his  ministry.  There  had 
come  into  that  neighborhood  families  from  New  England, 
England  and  Tennessee.  This  revival  in  1851  did 
much  to  fuse  these  elements  and  enlist  them,  and  some 
valuable  additions  were  made  to  the  church.  Rev.  Mr. 
Butler  was  the  preacher  in  these  meetings,  and  bold, 
searching  and  terrible  were  the  sermons. 

Rev.  John  L.  Hawkins  took  charge  of  the  Mt.  Car- 

•  mel  church  in  1852,  and  as  Wabash  church  was  vacant, 

he   visited   them   occasionally.     He   was   a   very   able 

preacher,  presenting  the  doctrines  of  the  Bible   with 


great  power  and  faithfulness.  He  was  tall,  slender, 
nervous,  pale,  dignified,  scholarly — a  "gentleman  of  the 
old  school."  There  was  a  sensitiveness,  a  shy  courtli- 
ness, a  constraint  about  him  that  awed  a  stranger.  If 
Lilly  had  been  too  familiar  and  inquisitive,  and  Leffler 
and  Thompson  "  too  unclerical,"  here  was  one  came  into 
their  pulpit  precise  enough,  fastidious,  deliberate, 
"  sicklied  over  with  the  pale  cast  of  thought,"  with  ser- 
mons of  a  high,  antique  mold,  with  an  odor  of  midnight 
vigils  about  them,  but  marked  with  a  robustness  of 
thought  and  clear,  close-knit  speech  that  enthralled  his 
auditory.  His  morning  sermons  were  impressive  with  his 
pale  visage  set  in  whitest  hair,  and  lit  with  eyes  blazing 
with  fervor,  and  his  whole  person  electrical  with  enthu- 
siasm. A  "Master  in  Israel"  still,  he  has  just  retired 
—1882— from  the  Pastorate  of  the  Carbondale  church, 
at  the  age  of  82  years. 

Rev.  Jefferson  C.  Thornton  had  charge  of  Mt.  Carmel 
congregation  in  1860  to  1863.  Besides  these  no  minis- 
ter retained  that  pulpit  more  than  a  year,  although 
among  the  "  supplies  "  have  been  gentlemen  of  unusal 
worth  of  talents,  such  as  Charles  L.  Spinning,  1858,  the 
faithful  and  gifted  Wm.  S.  Heindel,  1875,  and  Thomas 
C.  Winn,  now  a  missionary  in  Japan,  who  spent  a  vaca- 
tion there  in  1876.  In  1877,  June  4th,  the  church 
edifice  was  dtstroyed  by  a  cyclone  which  devastated  the 
city. 

Thomas  E.  Green,  Licentiate,  took  charge  of  the  con- 
gregation in  1879.  Plans  were  soon  on  foot  for  build- 
ing a  church.  The  current  of  sympathy  was  •  very 
strong  in  town  and  country,  for  the  popular  pastor  and 
struggling  people.  Liberal  subscriptions  were  received, 
and  the  enterprise  started  finely.  No  congregation  ever 
had  a  fairer  path  open  before  them  in  which  to  walk 
with  God  right  on  to  success.  In  an  evil  hour  those 
having  the  business  in  hand  planned  too  ambitiously,  and 
the  old  story  was  repeated — debt,  di  sension,  discourage- 
ment, and  at  last  the  fine  property  with  the  thousands 
of  dollars  expended  on  it  was  given  to  the  Episcopalians 
on  conditions  that  they  would  pay  the  debt  and  finish 
the  building.  Whether  this  sad  outcome  will  disorgan- 
ize the  church,  for  the  time,  remains  to  be  seen. 

We  return  now  to  "  Wabash  church/'  which  em- 
braced all  the  Presbyterians  in  the  county  outside  of 
Mt.  Carmel.  In  May,  1853,  by  invitation  of  the  ses- 
sion, Samuel  C.  Baldridge,  a  Licentiate  of  Madison 
Presbytery,  and  just  graduated  at  the  New  Albany 
Theological  Seminary,  visited  the  congregation.  The 
church  engaged  him  to  supply  them  for  one  year,  at  a 
salary  of  $400.  The  communicants  were  reported  to 
the  General  Assembly  that  year  as  numbering  60, 
but  practically  there  were  35.  But  the  congregations 
were  large,  and  God  gave  the  church  great  favor  among 
the  people.  In  1865  a  revival  of  much  power  at 
Friendsville  brought  in  so  much  strength,  that  in  Aug. 
29,  1857,  the  Presbyterian  church  was  organized  with 
27  members.  This  church  has  been  very  useful.  In 
the  26  years  since  it  was  organized  about  200  members 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS.  195 


have  been  added,  almost  all  of  them  by  "  profession  of 
faith."  It  has  been  conspicuous  for  its  enterprise,  and 
liberality.  Its  members  have  been  prominent  in  Sab- 
bath-school, temperance  and  educational  work  in  the 
county. 

The  gap  made  at  Wabash,  by  the  dismission  of  the 
27  members  to  form  Friendsville  church,  was  soon  filled 
up  by  revivals.  In  1862,  the  undersigned  received  a 
commission  as  Chaplain  of  the  llth  Regiment  Missouri 
Volunteers,  through  the  nomination  of  the  staff  officers, 
and  entered  the  Federal  army.  1863,  the  Wabash  and 
Friendsville  churches  made  out  a  call  to  the  pastoral 
office,  while  he  was  still  in  the  field,  and  'forwarded  to 
him.  He  resigned,  came  home  and  was  installed  pastor 
iu  April.  In  1866,  he  resigned  Wabash  church,  but  re- 
tained the  pastorate  at  Friendsville  until  July,  1882, 
when  he  accepted  a  call  from  the  Cobden  Presbyterian 
church,  Cubden,  Illinois.  So  closed  a  ministry  in 
Wabash  county,  of  more  than  29  arduous,  but  happy 
years.  In  this  long  period  more  than  300  members 
were  added  to  churchts  under  his  charge.  He 
preached  more  than  4,500  sermons,  assisted  at  the  or- 
ganization of  the  churches  of  Olney,  Allendale,  Sumner 
and  Gilead,  and  did  much  missionary  and  evangelistic 
work  in  southern  Illinois. 

In  reviewing  the  history  of  the  ministers  of  the  Pres- 
byterian church  in  Wabash  county  for  now  60  years,  it 
seems  strange  that  two  pastorates — Bliss  and  Bald- 
ridge's,  should  have  covered  53  years.  They  have  been 
periods  of  peace  and  growth.  Neither  of  these  pastors 
ever  had  dissension  in  his  session,  or  had  a  ruling 
elder  to  resign  because  of  divisions.  The  first  "  true 
yoke-fellows  "  were  the  last.  (See  table  of  ministers.)  i 

It  is  to  the  immortal  honor  of  Wabash  church  that  I 
the  first  Sabbath  school  in  the  State  of  Illinois,  was  or-  1 
ganized   in   Mr.    Bliss'  cabin,  April   11, 1819.      This  | 
school  has  been  full  of  the  spirit  of  Sabbath-school  mis- 
sions.   It  has  been  blessed  with  leaders  of  unusual  gifts  | 
and  zeal.     For  years  they  went  out  to  start  and  keep  j 
Sabbath  school  in  the  neighborhoods  around,  when  there  | 
was  none  else  to  thus  care  for  souls.     It  will  be  enough 
to  mention  the  names  and  self-denying  labor  of  John  j 
A.   Dods,    Samuel    Woods,  Bliss  and    Thompson,   at 
Wabash  ;  Father  Danforth,   John  F.  Younken,    J.  P. 
McNair,  &c.,  at  Frieudsville,  and  Father   Gould,  at 
Timberville,  with  their  fellow  laborers.      These  schools 
were  earnest  Bible  schools,  so  far  as  they  could  make 
them  so.     For  years  these  were  the  only  Sabbath-schools 
in  the  county,  and  were  carried  forward  in  the  midst  of 
neglect,  prejudice,  and  in  many  cases  of  opposition  and 
ridicule  by  religious  people,  but  now  the  tide  has  turned, 
and  their  heroic  work  is  honored,  and  their  names  are 
precious. 

Friendsville  Male  and  Female  Seminary,  opened  in  ; 
the  brick  church  September,  1860,  and  maintained  with  i 
more  or  less  success  ever  since,  is  the  far-reaching  work 
of  the  Wabash  and  Friendsville  churches.     The  semi- 
nary now  has  a  property  that  has  cost  about  84,500,  and 


a  paitial  endowment  of  81,400,  and  has  educated,  in 
whole  or  in  part,  some  1,400  students.  It  was  started 
in  the  interests  of  higher  education,  and  Christianity. 
It  has  been  successful.  It  has  trained  multitudes  of 
teachers  for  the  public  schools  and  Christian  workers  in 
the  various  denominations.  The  seminary  is  well  rep- 
resented in  the  eldership  of  the  Presbyterian  churches 
of  southern  Illinois.  One  student  is  now  pastor  of  the 
church  in  Boulder  city,  Colorad  >,  another  graduates  in 
the  Theological  Seminary  of  the  N.  W,  this  spring,  two 
others  are  candidates  for  the  ministry,  others  are  en- 
gaged in  the  various  pursuits  of  life,  and  in  offices  of 
honor  and  trust,  and  one  was  a  professor  in  the  Illinois 
State  Normal  University,  Normal,  Illinois,  at  his  death 
in  1878,  and  one  is  a  member  of  the  Legislature  of  In- 
diana. In  no  other  way  could  these  humble  churches 
have  helped  and  blessed  the  country  so  efficiently.  (See 
table  of  teachers.) 


WABASH,  1823. 

MT.  CAR.IEI.,  1839. 

Minuter,. 

Ministers. 

8.  Bliss,  1823-1845. 
Isaac  Bennet,  1831,  occasional. 

S.  Bliss,  occasional. 
R.  H.  Lilly.  18I9-18U. 
Jam  s  Stafford,  1816. 

Jos.  Butler,  1839,  \i  of  time. 

Leffler,  1817,  U  liis  time. 

B.  Leffler,  1847,  y,  of  time 
P.    W.   Thompson,  1850-1852,   ^  of 

Tnoinnsrm,  IKis-lsno. 
.I.L.  Hawkins,  1852-1856. 
C.  Spilling,  18.i». 
.1.  <:.  Tlim-nton,  1863-1863. 

S.  C.  Baldridge,  1853-1857. 

W.  S.  Heindel.  1875. 

S.C.  Baldridge,  1837-1866,  14  of  time. 

T.GWinn,  1*7.,. 

W.  H.  Smith,  ISGO-ISTO. 

S.C.  lUMri.lsp,  Iseo-18T8,Woftlme. 

FRIEXDSTIILI,  185 

J.  S.  Davis,  1878-1881,  '4  of  time. 
S.  C.  Baldridjre,  1S81-1882,  "^  of  time. 
R.  Rutherford    188i 

Minutert. 
S.  C.  Baldridge,  1857-1882. 

TEACHERS  OF  FRIENDSVILLE  SEMINARY. 

Frisndsville  seminary  was  opened  September,  1860, 
in  the  Presbyterian  church,  Friendsville : 

Principal,  Wm.  S.  Coulton,  A.  B.;  Miss  Mollie  Gil- 
pin.  Broken  up  by  war,  1862. 

1863,  Principal,  Thomas  W.  McClain. 

1864,  Principal,  A.  S.  Seward,  1st   term;  Rev.  S. 
C.  Baldridge,  21  and3J;  Misc  Kate  Finley,  assistant, 
3d  term. 

1865  to  1870,  Principal,  Lieut.  John  C.  K.  Young- 
ken  ;  assistant,  Miss  K.  Finley. 

1870  to  1874,  Principal,  Rev.  Wm.  H.  Smith  ;  asaist- 
ant,  Miss  K.  Finley. 

1875,  Principal,  Rev.  Wm.  H.  Smith ;  Prof.  S.  re- 
signed in  March,  1875,  and  the  seminary  was  closed. 

1876  to  1877,  Principal,  Rev.  S.  C.  Baldridge;  assist- 
ant, Miss  K.  Finley. 

1878  to  1880,  Principal,  Rev-  S.  C.  Baldridge;  assist- 
ant, Mrs.  Sarah  A.  Irw'in. 

1881  to  1882,  Principal,  Prof.  W.  Beaty  Davis;  as- 
sistant, Miss  Hattie  Davis. 

The  seminary  building  was  erected  1866-1868.  The 
"  Endowment  Fund  "  was  secured  in  1870. 


EVANGELICAL  CHURCH. 

BY   REV.    G.   H.    ALBRIGHT. 

In  writing  this  short  sketch  it  may  be  necessary  to 
say  a  word,  as  to  the  particular  part  of  the  Lutheran 
Church  to  which  these  congregations  belong. 


196 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  Vf  ABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


The  Lutheran  Church  in  this  country  is  represented 
by  the  following  General  Bodies. 

The  General  Synod,  The  General  Council,  The 
General  Synod,  South,  The  Synodical  Conference,  and 
Synods  Independent. 

These  different  representative  bodies,  all  Lutheran, 
and  holding  to  the  great  fundamental  doctrines  of  the 
Reformation,  differ  somewhat  as  to  general  church 
government  and  dicipliue. 

The  congregations,  of  which  this  sketch  will  speak, 
belong  to  the  General  Synod.  This  is  generally  re- 
garded the  progressive  branch  of  the  Lutheran  Church. 
It  accepts  and  holds  the  Aug.-burg  Confession  as  a  cor- 
rect exhibition  of  the  fundamental  doctrines  of  the 
Divine  Word. 

There  are  but  three  congregations  in  this  county,  and 
these  three  in  their  early  history,  composed  one  charge, 
and  were  generally  served  by  the  same  pastors. 

The  earliest  date  in  the  history  of  these  congregations 
that  can  be  given  is  1836.  It  was  during  ibis  year  that 
Rev.  C.  F.  Heyer,  a  missionary  in  the  Lutheran  Church 
and  afterwards  the  founder  of  our  mission  in  India,  I 
first  came  to  |this  county,  and  preached  within  the 
bounds  of  these  congregations.  Considerable  Lutheran 
material  was  at  different  times  scattered  about  the 
county,  and  many  were  glad  to  hear  of'  the  arrival  of  a 
Lutheran  minister,  who  might  soon  begin  work  among 
them.  His  work,  however,  was  but  to  investigate  the 
state  of  affair?,  and  he  soon  left,  and  was  followed  in 
the  same  year  by  Rev.  H.  Haverstick. 

Under  the  direction  of  Rev.  Haverstick,  the  Jordan 
creek  congregation  was  organized  and  entered  upon  the 
work  of  erecting  a  church  building.  It  was  a  work  of 
earnest  toil.  There  was  not  much  wealth  among  them, 
but  a  will  to  work.  By  their  own  toil  and  industry  they 
bought  the  brick  and  did  most  of  the  work  on  the  build- 
ing. This  took  time,  and  it  was  several  years  before  the 
church  was  dedicated  to  God's  service.  The  Jordan 
creek  church  was  northwest  from  Mt.  Carmel  about  j 
twelve  miles,  and  quite  a  number  of  Lutherans  had 
settled  there,  coming,  mostly  from  the  state  of  Penn- 
sylvania. Here  Rev.  Haverstick  also  instructed  a  class 
of  catechumens,  and  on  the  return  of  missionary  Heyer, 
these  were  confirmed.  This  was  the  first  confirmation  in 
the  Lutheran  Church  of  this  county.  Very  soon  after 
this  both  Revs.  Heyer  and  Haverstick  left  this  part  of 
the  country.  Not  long  after  this,  Rev.  Henry  Grow,  a 
German  Reformed  minister,  came  to  this  county  and 
preached  in  the  Jordan  creek  congregation,  and  also  in 
the  town  of  Mt.  Carmel.  During  his  endeavor  to  or- 
gauize  a  German  Reformed  congregation  out  of  nearly  | 
all  Lutheran  material,  there  came  to  the  county  Rev.  | 
Daniel  Kohler,  a  missionary  of  the  Evangelical  Lutheran 
Church  sent  by  the  Synod  of  East  Pennsylvania.  He 
visited  Jordan  creek  and  Mt.  Carmel.  During  his  stay 
the  Jordan  creek  church  was  dedicated,  and  on  the  llth 
of  March,  1838,  he  preached  in  Mt.  Carmel ;  German 
in  the  morning  and  English  at  night. 


On  the  27th  of  March,  1838,  according  to  previous 
announcement,  all  cotctrned  met  in  the  courthouse  at 
Mt.  Carmel,  to  organize  a  congregation.  The  object  was 
to  organize  a  union  society  composed  of  Evangelical 
Lutheran,  and  German  Reformed  members.  The  build- 
ing of  a  union  church  at  Mt.  Carmel  was  also  considered, 
but  as  no  union  could  be  effected  between  the  members 
of  different  names,  a  constitution  was  presented  by  Rev. 
Kohler,  which  with  little  alteration  was  adopted. 

In  the  first  article  of  this  constitution  the  name 
"  Ziou's  congregation  "  was  incorporated,  and  that  the 
congregation  shall  belong  to  the  Evangelical  Lutheran 
Church. 

The  following  trustees  and  officers  of  the  church  were 
elected  :  Trustees — Dr.  Jacob  Lescher,  Messrs.  Samuel 
Fisher  and  Adam  Schafer.  Elders — Adam  Schafer  and 
Frederic  Seiler.  Deacons — Samuel  Fisher  and  Thomas 
Glick. 

On  Saturday,  March  31st,  1838,  Rev.  Kohler  held  pre- 
paratory services,  and  on  Sunday,  Apiil  1st,  distributed 
the  elements  of  the  Lord's  Supper  to  twenty  communi- 
cants. Very  soon  after  this  he  traveled  further  west, 
and  Rev.  Grow  again  went  on  with  operations,  but  soon 
he  also  removed  from  this  county.  Rev.  Barthol  next 
came  to  this  county  and  took  charge  of  these  congre- 
gations. Under  his  influence  the  Mt.  Carmel  congrega- 
tion laid  aside  their  constitution,  accepted  a  new  one 
and  dissolved  the  connection  with  any  general  syn- 
odical  body.  This  new  constitution  was  subscribed  by 
fifteen  male  members.  During  the  ministry  of  Rev. 
Barthol,  the  lot  upon  which  the  Lutheran  Church  at 
Mt.  Carmel  now  stands,  was  purchased,  and  with  it  an 
old  brick  blacksmith  shop,  and  a  frame  house.  This 
blacksmith  shop  was  repaired  and  used  for  church  ser- 
vices, but  a  fire  having  broken  out  in  another  house 
right  by  it,  t*ie  little  church  was  torn  down  in  part  and 
the  ruins  were  afterward  sold.  About  the  close  of  the 
year  1839,  Rev.  Barthol  removed  to  a  place  near 
Peoria,  Illinois. 

Rev.  Sauer,  from  near  Evansville,  Indiana,  now 
visited  the  congregations,  and  also  baptized  some  chil- 
dren among  the  members  of  the  Mt.  Carmel  congrega- 
tion. 

Rev.  Heunig,  next  settled  here,  but  only  for  a  short 
time.  He  was  not  acquainted  with  the  German  lan- 
guage, and  as  there  were  many  Germans  among  our 
people,  he  could  but  partly  supply  the  wants  of  the  con- 
gregation. It  was  during  his  stay  that  many  of  the 
German  members  dissatisfied,  without  German  preaching 
and  influenced  by  others  of  greater  zeal  than  knowledge, 
withdrew  from  the  Lutheran  Church,  and  became  a 
nucleus  for  the  present  existing  Albright  (Evangelical 
Association)  Church  of  this  county. 

Thus  far  the  congregation  was  very  unsettled,  and  we 
may  add,  driven  to  and  fro  by  various  winds  of  doctrines. 
A  better  state  of  affairs  was  inaugurated  in  1844,  when 
Rev.  Daniel  Scherer,  took  charge  of  these  congregations 
as  their  regular  pastor,  September  29th,  1844. 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


197 


The  previous  forms  of  government  were  laid  aside 
and  new  ones  adopted.  The  finances  of  the  congregation 
now  began  to  trouble  them.  There  was  now,  resting 
upon  the  Mt.  Garmel  congregation,  a  debt  of  $1,111.46, 
small  as  was  her  membership  In  order  to  raise  this 
money  Rev.  Daiiiel  Scherer  made  two  collecting  tours, 
one  to  the  south  and  east,  and  the  other  the  west.  He 
returned  in  the  latter  part  of  the  year  1846,  and  by  as- 
sistance from  the  congregation  and  people  of  Mt.  Car- 
mel,  the  debt  was  raised.  Of  Mr.  Joshua  Beall  it  is 
praiseworthy  to  say,  that  he  relinquished  part  of  his 
claims  at  time  of  payment,  $3b'2.22. 

These  collections  from  abroad,  having  been  made  en- 
tirely from  Lutheran  congregations,  a  promise  was  given 
to  erect  a  new  church,  and  that  it  should  be  Lutheran. 
The  church,  however,  when  erected  was  consecrated  a 
union  church,  1850,  and  Rev.  Scherer  served  both  Mt. 
Carmel  and  Jordan  creek  congregations  and  at  the  same 
time  preached  at  several  other  points  also. 

About  the  close  of  1850,  Rev.  Scherer  moved  upon 
the  church  grounds  of  the  Jordan  creek  congregation, 
but  continued  to  serve  both  congregations  until  April 
the  4th,  1852,  on  which  day  he  preaclud  his  last  sermon 
in  the  Jordan  creek  church,  and  died  that  night,  in  the 
62d  year  of  his  age.  He  was  buried  in  the  cemetery  at 
Mt.  Carinel. 

In  the  same  month  of  Rev.  Scherer's  death,  Rev.  G. 
Wolf,  of  the  "  Olive  Branch  Synod,"  took  charge  tem- 
porarily. About  the  same  time  the  congregations  were 
also  directed  by  Rev.  C.  Kuhl,  then  a  missionary  in  the 
service  of  the  Illinois  Synod. 

In  July,  1852,  the  council  of  Mt.  Carmel  congregation 
made  application  to  the  Illinois  Synod,  then  in  session 
at  Hillsboro,  Illinois,  for  a  pastor.  This  request  was 
granted,  and  on  September  4,  1852,  Rev  C.  Kuhl  took 
charge  of  both  Jordan  creek  and  Mt.  Carmel  congrega- 
tions. His  labors  were  successful.  He  also  did  much 
for  these  congregations  by  presenting  a  new  constitution 
and  writing  a  historic  sketch  of  the  churches  of  this 
county.  Rev.  Kuhl  remained  pastor  for  three  years, 
and  was  followed  in  1856  by  Rev.  I.  C.  Hiller,  who 
remained  a  few  years,  and  was  followed  by  Rev.  J. 
Krack,  who  was  pastor  from  1858  to  1861. 

Rev.  J  .Harkey  took  charge  in  1861,  and  served  about 
seven  years.    During  his  stay  many  came  into  the  church, 
and   the   organization   prospered.     But   unfortunately, 
about  the  close  of  his  pastorship,  a  general  division  oc- 
curred in  the  Lutheran  Church,  and  the  General  Coun- 
cil, referred  to   at   the   beginning  of  this  sketch,  was 
formed.     The  pastor,  Rev.  Harkey,  went  with  the  Gen    j 
eral  Council,  and  most  of  the  members  of  these  congre- 
gatious  were  General  Synod  in  their  views.     The  work  | 
he  was  doing  among  these  people  was  thus  in  a  measure  ' 
checked.    He  left  in  1868,  and  was  followed  by  Rev.  G,  | 
H.  Schur,  who  remained   but  about  a  year,  and  was  ! 
again  followed  by  Rev.  C.  M.  Lingle,  who  in  1871  took  i 
charge  of  Jordan  creek  and  Mt.  Carmel  congregations, 
and  remained  pastor  for  about  three  years. 


Rev.  McDaniel  then  served  the  charge  as  pastor  from 
1875  to  1876,  and,  soon  after  he  left,  was  followed  by 

Rev.  H.  C.  Grossman,  who  took  charge 1876,  and 

remained  until  1879  During  his  stay  the  church  was 
much  revived  and  quite  a  number  added.  The  Jordan 
creek  congregation,  being  quite  large  and  somewhat 
scattered,  was  divided,  forming  two  congregations.  The 
one  now  called  the  St.  Paul's  built  a  beautiful  church  in 
the  little  village  called  Lancaster  (Post-office  Mier),  at  a 
cost  of  $5,000,  and  owns  a  fine  lot  in  connection  with 
it. 

The  people  labored  harmoniously,  and  on  the  12th  of 
May,  1878,  the  church  was  dedicated  to  the  service  of 
God, — one  of  the  finest  churches  in  the  county.  The 
other  congregation  formed  by  this  division  is  called  St. 
Peter's.  They  have  not  yet  built  a  church,  but  are 
hoping  ere  long  to  have  a  house  of  worship  also.  They 
now  hold  their  church  services  in  the  school-house  of 
that  district. 

In  1879  Rev  Grossman  took  his  departure,  and  was 
followed  by  Rev.  M.  L.  Heisler  in  1879.  He  served  the 
congregations,  St.  Paul's,  St.  Peter's  and  Zion's  at  Mt. 
Carmel,  but  was  the  last  pastor  who  served  these  three 
as  one  charge.  His  stay  was  short.  Having  been 
elected  president  of  Burkittsville  Female  Seminary, 
Md.,  he  accepted,  and  left  Mt.  Carmel,  after  a  stay  of 
only  five  months. 

Rev.  Heisler  was  succeeded  on  the  18th  of  July,  1880, 
by  the  Rev  G.  H.  Albright,  a  graduate  of  Gettysburg 
Theological  Seminary.  His  call  to  become  pastor  was 
first  intended  to  include  the  three  congregations  above 
named,  but  a  division  having  been  made,  because  they 
needed  two  pastors,  the  call  was  given  by  Zion's  congre- 
gation of  Mt.  Carmel,  where  he  began  his  labors  on  the 
18th  of  July,  1880.  On  the  same  day,  at  the  first  meet- 
ing of  the  congregation,  it  was  decided  to  rebuild  their 
church,  and  on  the  following  morning  the  work  was 
begun,  Mr.  Adam  Stein  having  been  chosen  as  overseer 
of  the  building.  The  building  is  newly  furnished,  and 
the  debt  all  paid.  The  church  was  dedicated  on  the 
6th  of  September,  1880.  Rev.  F.  Springer,  D.  D., 
then  president  of  Central  Illinois  Synod,  assisted  the  pas- 
tor at  its  dedication. 

The  present  membership  of  Zion's  congregation  ia  112, 
and  the  present  pastor  is  Rev.  G.  H.  Albright. 

The  membership  of  St.  Paul's  at  Lancaster  is  100,  and 
of  St.  Peter's,  near  Lancaster,  is  30.  These  two  congre- 
gations last  named  compose  a  separate  charge  since  1880, 
and  are  served  as  pastor  by  Rev.  I.  W.  Bobst.  who  came 
to  them  from  Harper's  Ferry,  W.  Va,  having  been  called 
as- the  first  pastor  of  this  charge  since  their  separation 
from  Mt.  Carmel.  He  began  his  labors  at  Lancaster  in 
Dec.,  1880,  and  his  charge,  composed  of  St.  Paul's  and 
St.  Peter's,  comprised  the  Jordan  creek  congregation  of 
early  times,  spoken  of  so  frequently  in  this  sketch. 


198 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WAS  ASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


CATHOLIC  CHURCH.* 

It  was  in  the  year  1837  when  the  first  Roman  Catholic 
came  to  Mt.  Carmel.  His  name  was  Mr.  Henry  Fuehs. 
He  was  by  birth  an  Alsatian  ;  has  been  the  first  emigrant 
of  that  part  of  Germany,  who  came  to  Mt.  Carmel.  Soon 
after  the  time  that  Mr.  Fuchs  arrived,  Mr.  John  Kaiser, 
also  a  native  of  Alsatia,  became  an  inhabitant  of  the 
city  of  Mt.  Carmel.  From  1837  to  1839,  a  few  other 
emigrants  arrived  at  Mt.  Carmel.  They  were  Mr- 
Michael  Peter  with  his  family,  his  brother  Nicholas  and 
family,  also  Mr.  J.  Keepas  and  Mr.  George  Wirth.  The 
four  last  named  persons  were  natives  of  Bavaria  They 
were  poor,  and  had  to  work  hard  for  their  daily  bread. 
All  the  above  named  persons  lived  at  Mt.  Carmel,  ex- 
cept Mr.  Michael  Peter,  who  purchased  a  farm  of  forty 
acres,  seven  miles  west  of  Mt.  Carmel.  From  1839  42, 
Mr.  Silbertus  Kolb,  Mr.  J.  Breivogel,  George  Fridrich, 
also  George  Weissenberger,  with  families,  left  the  old 
country,  Bavaria,  and  emigrated  to  Mt.  Carmtl,  to  try  to 
make  their  fortune  in  America.  The  first  services  were 
held  at  Mt.  Carmel,  by  the  Rev.  K.  Muller,  on  the  20th 
August,  1840.  At  the  same  time  several  children  were 
baptized.  The  first  child  that  was  baptized  was  Frances 
Michael,  daughter  of  Francis  Michael,  et  Regina  Roth. 
At  that  time  there  was  no  church,  no  priesthouse  and  no 
resident  priest  at  Mt.  Carmel.  From  time  to  time  a 
priest  came  to  keep  services  for  the  Catholics  of  Mt. 
Carmel.  It  was  not  all  the  time  the  same  priest  who 
took  care  of  the  parish.  Different  priests  of  divers  parts 
of  the  country  came  from  18401851  to  Mt.  Carmel,  to 
celebrate  mass  and  to  perform  the  other  priestly  functions. 
So  the  church  book  gives  the  names  of  Rev.  K.  Muller. 
Rev.  James  Flyn,  Rev.  G.  A.  Hamilton,  Rev.  Fr. 
Fisher,  and  Rev.  R.  Weinzapfley,  of  St.  Wendell,  in 
Indiana.  For  a  time  the  Catholics  had  no  church,  the 
services  were  held  in  private  houses,  and  sometimes  in 
the  public  school-house  of  Mt.  Carmel.  During  the  year, 
1851,  several  other  emigrants  of  Bavaria  had.  come 
to  Mt.  Carmel  or  to  the  neighborhood  of  it.  The  best, 
known  of  them  are :  Simon  Keer,  Nicholas  Goet, 
Larenz  Keppel,  Michael  Berberich,  Lareuz  Kander, 
Joseph  Fuchs,  George  Brust,  Michael  Beyer,  Andreas 
Doell,  Robert  Leefmann,  John  Krug,  John  Scherf, 
Charles  Fleming,  Fred  Schupp,  and  several  others.  So 
it  happened,  that  about  28  or  30  Catholic  familes  lived  in 
and  around  Mt.  Carmel,  in  the  year,  1850.  These  fam- 
ilies came  to  the  conclusion,  that  it  would  be  best,  to  build 
a  church  and  to  get  a  resident  priest.  But  from  where 
should  they  get.  the  means,  to  do  it,  because  nearly  all 
of  them  were  poor.  But  they  did  not  despair,  and  com- 
menced at  once.  At  first  they  asked  the  Rt.  Rev.  Bishop 
of  Chicago  for  a  resident  priest,  and  in  1851,  Rev.  V. 
Burgos,  a  Spaniard,  was  sent  by  the  Rt.  Rev. 
Bishop,  to  take  charge  of  the  Catholics  of  Mt. 
Carmel.  Rev.  V.  Burgos  arrived  at  Mt.  Carmel  in 
the  month  of  November,  and  remained  there  about  three 
years.  In  these  years  a  church  was  built,  with  hard  work 

From  data  furnished  by  Father  G.  Jansen,  Rectnr  of  St.  Mary's  church. 


and  great  difficulties.  They  were  not  able  to  get  an 
architect.  All  the  members  of  the  congregation  had  to 
help.  Some  of  them  were  carpenters,  and  they  provided 
for  the  carpenter  work,  others  did  the  brick  work.  So 
the  church  was  finished  under  the  direction  of  Rev.  V. 
Burgos.  But  not  only  did  he  lead  the  work ;  he  also 
worked— performed  as  much  labor  as  one  of  the  working 
men.  Mr.  G.  Wirth,  Mr.  Fr.  Fuchs,  and  Mr.  J. 
Breivogel  took  the  greatest  interest  in  the  affairs  of  the 
church.  When  the  church  was  finished,  it  was  dedicated 
to  God,  and  it  received  as  patron  the  blessed  Virgin 
Mary,  under  the  title  of  St.  Mary  of  Mt.  Carmel.  Also 
a  dwelling-house  was  erected  only  a  short  time  after  the 
church  had  been  finished.  Rev.  V.  Burgos  worked 
hard  for  the  congregation,  and  remained  there  till  Oct. 
1854.  When  he  left  Mt.  Carmel,  the  congregation 
had  no  resident  priest  for  about  four  years.  During  this 
time  the  congregation  had  been  attended  by  different 
priests,  who  came  at  certain  times,  to  give  services.  In 
Aug.,  1858,  R.  W.  Repis  came  as  pastor.  He  remained 
about  six  months,  and  after  him,  Rev.  P.  R.  Kolopp 
was  appointed  as  pastor.  Since  which  time  the  church 
has  had  a  resident  priest,  but  many  changes  took  place 
in  regard  to  the  persons  who  attended  the  church.  The 
church  at  Mt.  Carmel  is  a  brick  building,  and  is  63x30. 
In  the  year,  1886,  an  addition  was  made  to  the  priest- 
house  under  the  direction  of  Rev.  Louis  Ruitter. 

In  1870,  a  frame  church  was  erected  seven  miles  west 
from  Mt.  Carmel,  73x60  feet,  was  finished  in  1871,  and 
at  the  dedication,  as  patron,  was  chosen  St.  Sebastian,  and 
the  congregation  was  called  St.  Sebastian  congregation. 
This  church  is  in  Bellmont  Precinct,  formerly  called 
Bonpas  Precinct.  The  Catholic  families  of  this  con- 
gregation are  forty. 

The  congregation  of  Mt.  Carmel  purchased,  in  1880, 
on  the  first  of  June,  a  nice  building  of  M.  S.  Landes. 
It  is  a  large  frame  building,  and  is  now  used  for  school  and 
sister-house.  It  cost  $2000.  At  the  present  time  about 
50  to  55  Catholic  families  belong  to  St.  Mary's  congre- 
gation of  Mt.  Carmel.  The  sisters  of  the  Precious  Blood 
teach  school.  About  thirty-five  or  forty  children  attend 
the  school. 

ST.  JOHN'S  GERMAN  EVANGELICAL 
LUTHERAN  CONGREGATION. 

BY   GEO.    V.   KIRSCH. 

In  the  year  of  our  Lord  1870,  the  Messrs  G.  V.  Kirsch 
and  William  Bossecker,  both  members  of  the  German 
Evangelical  Lutheran  Zion's  Congregation  of  Preble 
Township,  Adams  Co.,  Ind  ,  where  Rev.  Gerhard  Jaeb- 
ker  preached,  emigrated  with  their  families  to  Illinois 
to  buy  land,  and  settled  near  Cowling  Station,  Wabash 
Co.,  111.  The  next  year  the  Messrs  John  Graesch,  Sr., 
John  Graesch,  Jr.,  J.  Henry  Graesch,  John  Bossecker, 
Sr.,  Louis  Bossecker,  Peter  and  Adam  Kirsch  followed 
from  the  same  congregation.  These  nine  gentlemen  or- 
ganized the  German  Evangelical  Lutheran  St.  John's 
congregation  of  Wabash  Co.,  111.  Services  were  now 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


held  by  Rev.  F.  R.  Tranom,  of  Vincennes,  Ind.  and  Rev. 
G.  Mohr  until  August  llth,  1872.  On  this  da>y  the  new 
built  church  was  dedicated  to  the  service  of  God,  and 
the  first  pastor  Rev.  Christian  Maeurer  was  ordained  and 
introduced  by  Rev.  F.  R.  Tramra  and  Rev.  G.  Mohr. 
In  this  same  service,  the  introduced  pastor  baptized  G. 
V.  Kirsch,  the  son  of  G.  V.  Kirsch,  Sr.  and  this  was  his 
first  pastoral  ainistration.  Charles  Kirsch,  Jacob  Frei- 
berger,  Ida  Bossecker  and  Sophia  Schaich  were  the  first 
children  who  were  confirmed  in  the  church.  The  first 
marriage  service  was  held  for  Rev.  G.  Mohr  and  Miss 
Louise  Bossecker,  daughter  of  John  Bossecker,  Sr.  The 
first  funeral  sermon  was  held  in  church  beside  the  re- 
mains of  Peter  Kirsch's  daughter. 

In  the  year  1874,  the  cougregation  joined  the  Missouri 
Synod.  Year  by  year  the  congregation  increased  in  num- 
ber by  members  coming  from  congregations  near  Evans- 
ville,  Ind.  and  from  Holland,  Ind.  At  this  day,  Feb. 
13th,  1883,  the  parish  register  shows  28  members  and  in 
all  142  individuals.  The  church  and  the  parsonage 
are  situated  two  miles  north  of  Cowling,  twelve  miles 
southwest  of  Mt.  Carmel,  four  miles  northeast  of  Bell- 
niont  and  six  miles  northeast  of  Grayville,  111. 

Our  present  pastor,  Rev.  Philip  M.  Fritze,  was  born 
in  Baltimore,  Md.,  Dec.  29, 1853.  He  received  his  clas- 
sical education  at  the  Concordia  College  in  Ft.  Wayne, 
Ind.,  and,  having  completed  his  course  there,  entered 
the  Concordia  Seminary  in  St  Louis,  Mo.  in  1875  to  stu- 
dy theology.  August  18th,  1878,  he  was  ordained  as 
pastor  oif  the  German  Evangelical  Lutheran  Trinity 
Congregation  of  Hobart,  Ind.  On  the  24th  day  of  Sep- 
tember he  married  Miss  Emilie  Chr.  Grosse,  daughter  of 
the  late  teacher  Grosse  in  St.  Louis,  Mo.  Having  re- 
ceived a  call  from  our  congregation  in  January,  1882,  he 
accepted  the  call  and,  on  the  17th  day  of  February,  was 
introduced  as  our  pastor  by  Rev.  G.  Mohr. 


HISTORICAL  SKETCH  RESPECTING  THE  MISSIONARY  WORK 
OF  "  THE  EVANGELICAL  ASSOCIATION  OF  NORTH 

AMERICA." 
BY   REV.  WILLIAM   L.    LTJEHRING- 

It  was  in  the  year  1842,  A.  D.,  when  the  Ohio  Con- 
ference of  the  Evangelical  Association  held  its  annual 
session  in  Pickaway  county,  Ohio,  that  the  first  mis- 
sionary of  said  denomination  was  sent  to  Wabash  county, 
111.  This  new  field  of  labor  was  designated  as  the  Mt. 
Carmel  mission  of  the  Ohio  Conference,  and  was  sup- 
plied by  Rev.  C.  Augenstein,  who  is  at  present  (1883) 
in  the  decline  of  life,  still  serving  one  of  our  congrega- 
tions in  Chicago.  The  above  named  mission  might 
have  been  termed  as  practically  almost  unlimited  ;  for 
the  faithful  missionary  traveled  over  about  six  counties 
in  Illinois  and  Indiana,  and  preached  the  gospel  wherever 
he  found  occasion  so  to  do,  although  Wabash  county 
constituted  the  centre,  and  thus  received  his  first  and 


chief  attention.  The  work  of  the  above  missionary  did 
not  consist  in  organizing  such  as  had  been  heretofore 
identified  with  the  church  ;  but  it  consisted,  as  it  were, 
in  plowing  the  fallow  ground  of  the  then  somewhat 
morally  neglected  German  inhabitants  of  Wabash 
county. 

The  arduous  but  also  efficient  labor  of  the  first  mis- 
sionary was  crowned  with  success,  so  that  at  the  next 
session  of  conference  he  was  able  to  report  about  100 
accessions  to  the  church.  The  aggressive  missionary, 
aided  by  one  local  preacher  and  one  exhorter,  also  held 
a  camp  meeting  on  the  land  of  P.  Dundor,  a  former 
member  of  the  Evangelical  Association  in  Berks  county, 
Pa.  Rev.  C.  Augenstein  thus  has  the  honor  of  being 
the  first  German  Protestant  missionary  in  Wabash 
county,  (although  other  so-called  missionaries  had  vis- 
ited the  county  before,  but  proved  to  be  "  hirelings," 
and  were  rejected  by  the  people.)  The  following  year 
(1843)  Rev.  C.  Lintner  and  Rev.  A.  Nikolai,  both 
young  and  full  of  religious  enthusiasm,  traveled  and 
preached  the  "word  "  on  this  extensive  mission  territory  ; 
and  the  third  year  Rev.  A.  Nikolai  again  and  Rev.  G. 
G.  Platz ;  under  the  administration  of  the  latter  two 
missionaries  the  mission  greatly  thrived — the  seed  of 
the  "  word "  germinated  in  many  hearts  and  finally 
brought  forth  fruit.  Numerically  and  financially  the 
mission  so  prospered,  that  at  Conference  (1845)  the 
Indiana  appointments  were  detached  from  the  Mt  Car- 
mel mission,  and  called  the  Dubois  mission  ;  and  the 
Mt.  Carmel  mission  was  converted  into  Mt.  Carmel 
circuit.  It  may  be  of  interest  to  some  to  give  the  names 
|  of  the  Evangelical  preachers  who  in  Wabash  county 
|  preached  the  gospel :  Augenstein,  Lintner,  Nikolai, 
I  Platz,  Bretsch,  Tobias,  Mueller,  Withaub,  Trometer, 
Dickover,  Messner,  Fisher,  Bockman,Fuchs,Kohlmeyer, 
Hoffman,  Kronmiller,  Kleiber,  Glauss,  Gomer,  Berger, 
Fisher,  Mode  and  others. 

The  following  were  some  of  the  first  members  in  Mt. 

Carmel  and  vicinity :  H.  Kraemer,  William  Proetzler, 

j  N.  Lutz,  P.  Moyer,  R.   Beutelman,  Steven  Moyer,  C. 

j  Seitz  and  L.  Mueller.     The  above  names  represent  the 

"  heads  "  of  the  first  "  Evangelical  "  families. 

In  the  year  1847  a  little  brick  church  was  erected  on 
4th  near  Cherry  street ;  for  a  number  of  years  this  little 
"Evangelical"  society  was  noted  for  its  spirituality. 
On  quarterly  or  special  meetings  the  "  Evangelicals  "  of 
Wabash  and  adjoining  counties  would  meet  in  this  lit- 
tle church  to  have  a  "  good  time  "  together  ;  many  souls 
were  brought  from  darkness  to  light,  and  from  the  power 
of  Satan  to  God. 

In  the  year  1873  a  new  brick  church  was  built  on  the 
corner  of  4th  and  Cherry  streets,  under  the  administra- 
tion of  Rev.  Joseph  Meyer.  The  congregation  at  pre- 
sent (1883)  numbers  not  quite  100  members — and  has 
to  battle  with  language  difficulties — some  of  the  young 
people  (being  more  English  than  German)  ought  to  have 
some  English  preaching,  to  which  some  of  the  old  mem- 
i  bers  object — this  makes  it  exceedingly  difficult  for  the 


200 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


preacher.  A  change  for  the  better  is  needed — may  it 
speedily  come ! 

The  following  were  some  of  the  first  members  in  Lan- 
caster and  vicinity  :  M.  Bernhard,  J.  Foruhofi',  M.  Marx, 
Gierd  Schaun  and  others. 

For  many  years  Lancaster  had  but  one  church  (union) 
in  which  the  different  denominations,  represented  here, 
held  their  public  services;  but  in  the  year  1865  the 
"  Evangelicals  "  built  a  church.  The  Lancaster  society 
numbers  about  ninety-five  members,  and  is  in  a  some- 
what flourishing  condition — nevertheless  there  is  much 
room  for  improvement.  During  the  last  year  a  com- 
fortable parsonage  was  bought  and  paid  for.  May  the 
members  of  the  "Evangelical  Association"  in  Wabash 
county  be  a  power  for  good,  and  an  honor  to  their 
church. 


UNITED  BRETHREN  IN  CHRIST. 

BY   ALEXANDER   LITHERLAND. 

In  the  year,  1862,  through  the  continued  labors 
of  Wm.  Hovis,  the  first  class  of  the  church  of  the  United 
Brethren  in  Christ,  in  Wabash  county,  was  organized  at 
a  small  school  house,  one  mile  acd  a  half  west  of 
Friendsville.  This  class  consisted  of  thirteen  members, 
whose  names  are,  Wm.  Litherland,  Susan  Litherland, 
G.  W.  Litherland,  Nancy  Litherland,  Joseph  Litherland, 
Amy  Litherland,  David  Bixon,  Mary  J.  Dixon,  Louisa 
Dixon,  Wm.  Deisher,  Clementine  Deisher,  E  G.  Mundy, 
Catharine  Canady. 

The  pastors  of  this  class,  while  it  remained  here,  were, 
Wm.  Hovis,  H.  Severn,  R  Clark,  C.  H.  Jones,  M.  Hale, 
S.  Stark.  While  under  the  care  of  S.  Stark,  the  class, 
in  1866,  was  removed  to  what  is  known  as  old  Cabbage 
Corners. 

While  here  the  preachers  that  had  charge  of  the  class 
were,  I.  W.  Williams,  J.  Bedwell,  J.  L.  Catdwell,  R. 
Ratcliff,  J.  Peachy,  G.  W.  Burtner.  In  1874,  while 
under  the  pastoral  care  of  G.  W.  Burtner,  the  class 
was  dissolved,  and  one  organized  at  Stoltz  school-house, 
called  Stoltz  class,  three  miles  west  of  Friendsville. 
Surroundings  were  very  favorable  here,  and  the  class 
was  strengthened  continually,  so  that  in  1879,  a  board 
of  trustees  was  appointed  to  build  a  house  to  worship  in. 
Wm.  Litherland  was  elected  president  of  the  board, 
and  he  went  to  work  spending  both  his  time  and  money 
in  the  work,  and  by  his  unceasing  labors  and  the  liberal 
help  of  others,  a  church,  bearing  the  name  of  Nye  chapel, 
was  erected  in  1880,  at  Card's  Point  graveyard 
one  mile  and  three-quarters  southwest  of  the  original 
place  of  organization  where  the  class  is  now  established, 
and  has  a  membership  of  fifty-five.  The  preachers  that 
have  had  charge  of  Stoltz  class  are,  R.  L.  Brengle,  S. 
Zeller,  Wm.  McGinnis,  S.  Bussard,  S.  Keagy. 

ADAMS'  CORNER  CLASS. 
In     1869,  J.   Bedwell,    the    U.    B     preacher,  was 


invited  to  hold  a  series  of  meetings  at  Adams'  Corners, 
which  he.did  and  organized  a  small  class,  called  Adams' 
Corners'  class.  This  class  increased,  and  continued  to 
grow  until  they  became  so  strong  that  they  purchased 
the  church  belonging  to  the  Lutheran  and  EvangelicaJ 
Association  organizations,  and  now  they  have  a  house  to 
worship  in. 

PLEASANT  HILL   CLASS. 

In  December,  1882,  a  series  of  meetings  were  held  by 
Rev.  S.  Keagy  at  a  school-house  one  mile  and  a  half 
southeast  of  Lancaster,  which  resulted  in  the  organiza- 
tion of  a  class  called  Pleasant  Hill  class,  of  the  United 
Brethren  in  Christ,  consisting  of  twenty-seven  members. 

PLEASANT   GROVE   CLASS. 

In  January,  1883,  Rev.  S.  Keagy  organized  a  class 
called  Pleasant  Grove  class  at  a  school-house  four 
miles  southwest  of  Lancaster,  consisting  of  eleven  mem- 
bers. All  four  of  these  classes  are  now  in  good  condition. 


LAWRENCE  COUNTY.. 

UNITED  BRETHREN  IN  CHRIST. 

BY   REV.    T.    D.    SPYKER. 

The  history  of  this  denomination,  in  Lawrence  county, 
dates  back  to  the  year  1852,  w.hen  George  Stoltz  emi- 
grated to  this  county  from  Perry  county,  Ohio,  at  which 
time  he  could  hear  of  no  organization  south  of  Cumber- 
land county. 

In  the  next  year,  1853,  Daniel  Stoltz,  a  brother  of 
George,  also  came  west,  and  settled  near  his  brother. 
Daniel  was  a  preacher  of  this  church,  and  not  only  de- 
voted his  attention  to  his  temporal  interest,  but  at  once 
set  to  work  in  the  "  Master's  vineyard."  It  is  said  of 
some  men :  "  They  do  very  well  where  they  are  not 
known."  But  not  so  with  this  man  ;  he  was  loved  most 
where  best  known  ;  he  was  a  man  of  energy,  and  influ- 
ence, and  spent  much  of  his  time  and  means  in  church 
work,  and  much  of  the  success  of  this  church,  in  south- 
ern Illinois,  is  owing  to  his  spirit  of  self-sacrifice,  and  ear- 
nest devotion  to  the  cause. 

A  class  was  soon  organized,  consisting  of  the  families 
of  Daniel  Stoltz,  George  Stoltz, and  George  Martin,  with 
others  amounting  to  about  twelve  members.  This  class 
was  attached  first  to  Hebron  circuit,  and  its  first  pastor 
was  Rev.  J.  G.  Shuey,  of  Westfield,  111. 

In  1854,  a  new  mission  was  organized,  embracing 
nearly  all  of  Illinois,  south  of  the  Enibarras  river,  five 
or  six  circuits  having  since  been  organized  on  the 
ground  that  was  actually  occupied  in  this  mission. 

About  the  year  1870,  the  class  mentioned,  in  connec- 
tion with  the  Methodist  church,  built  a  comfortable 
house  of  worship,  giving  it  the  name  of  Pleasant  Hill 
chapel.  It  is  located  about  seven  miles  northeast  of 
Sumner,  and  in  accordance  with  its  name  stands  upon 
a  beautiful  hill.  This  class  grew  slowly,  until  the  year 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWREXCE  AKD  WABASII  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


201 


1881,  when,  under  the  labors  of  Rev.  S.  Bussard,  there 
was  an  extensive  revival  and  a  large  ingathering  to  the 
church.  It  has,  at  present,  a  membership  numbering 
one  hundred  and  three.  Several  active  and  pious  men 
have  gone  to  rest  from  this  organization,  but  have  not 
left  it  without  many  young  members  that  promise  equal 
actively  and  piety.  Among  these  men  who  have  thus 
gone  home  are,  Bros.  Vannatta  and  dingier. 

Prairie  Class. — About  the  year  1854,  two  brothers, 
Harrison  and  Joel  Petty,  with  their  brother-in-law,  Mr 
Stine,  came,  with  their  families,  to  this  county,  and  lo- 
cated about  five  miles  from  where  Pleasant  Hill  chapel 
now  stands. 

These  having  been  connected  with  this  church  in 
Perry  county,  Ohio,  and  desiring  a  home  in  it  still,  or- 
ganized under  the  labors  of  Bro.  Stark,  a  class  of  seven 
members,  consisting  of  the  families  of  these  three  men. 
In  the  year  1874,  they  built  a  neat  and  comfortable 
chapel,  known  as  Prairie  chapel. 

Bros.  Stine  and  Harrison  Petty  have  been  dead  for 
several  years,  but  some  of  the  members  of  their  families 
are  still  connected  with  this  class. 

Joel  Petty  still  lives  near  the  church,  and  is  still  an 
active,  energetic  member.  Several  good  families  have, 
from  time  to  time,  been  added  to  this  class,  and  the 
number  of  its  membership  is,  at  present,  about  sixty. 
The  chapel  is  located  about  three  and  a  half  miles  north- 
west of  Sumner. 

Union  Class. — Among  the  places  occupied  by  Danl. 
Stoltz,  was  Peppel's  School-house,  located  about  3  miles 
from  Pleasant  Hill.  Here  his  labors  were  very  accept- 
able to  young  and  old.  At  one.  time  a  young  man  out- 
side of  the  house,  called  a  prominent  member  to  him  and 
gave  him  a  respectable  sum  of  money  from  the  young 
men,  as  a  tribute  of  respect  to  Bro.  Stoltz.  About  the 
year  1856  or  1857,  there  was  a  meeting  held  at  this 
place,  by  Bro.  Stoltz,  in  connection  with  Rev.  H.  Elwell, 
that  awakened  a  good  deal  of  interest.  Bro.  Elwell  was 
then  a  young  man  full  of  energy,  and  zeal,  for  the  cause 
of  Christ,  and  his  labors  are  still  spoken  of  by  many  in 
this  county. 

A  class  was  soon  organized  at  this  place,  and  several 
of  the  prominent  members  of  Sumner  Circuit  refer  to  this 
organization,  and  the  meetings  held  at  this  place,  in 
connection  with  their  conversion.  This  class  gradually 
grew  in  numbers  and  influence,  until  they  built  a  church 
upon  the  state-road,  about  3J  miles  northeast  of  Sumner. 
This  occurred  about  1865  or  1866.  They  worshiped  in 
this  house  until  the  year  1872,  when  an  incident  occurred 
that  cast  a  gloom  upon  the  whole  community,  and  es- 
pecially upon  those  who  were  members  of  this  class.  At 
this  time,  Rev.  S.  H.  Ross,  the  pastor,  was  holding  a 
series  of  meetings  at  this  place  in  connection  with  a 
quarterly  meeting.  His  father,  D.  Ross,  was  presiding 
Elder  of  this  district,  and  was  assisting  in  the  meet- 
ings. 

On  Monday  afternoon,  after  the  people  had  returned 
home,  from  the  forenoon  service,  Mr.  Geo.  Claycomb 


looking  toward  the  church,  saw  that  the  house  was   on 

j  fire.  The  alarm  was  given,  and  the  friends  of  the  imme- 
diate vicinity,  came  together,  to  find  that,  under  the  cir- 
cumstances the  fire  was  uncontrollable.  Though  the 
fire  had  made  but  little  progress,  there  being  no  water 

I  near,  they  were  compelled  to  stand  by  and  see  the  fruit 
of  their  labor,  and  sacrifice  reduced  to  ashes.  Though 
the  news  of  the  disaster  spread  rapidly,  many  wended 
their  way  hopefully  to  that  spot,  that  night,  expecting 
to  hear  the  word  of  the  Lord  expounded,  and  to  worship 
him  in  the  usual  place,  only  to  find  their  beloved  resort 
io  ruins. 

Many  a  community  would  have  sat  down  in  despair, 
and  simply  have  mourned  over  their  loss.  Many  a  pas- 
tor would  have  yielded  to  circumstances  and  given  up 
the  situation,  but  these  two  men,  father  and  son,  were 
equal  to  the  emergency,  and  this  community  were  ready 
to  rally  at  their  bidding.  A  meeting  was  called  almost 
before  the  smoke  had  died  away,  and  almost  as  if  by 
magic,  there  arose  another  house  on  the  old  site.  This 
was  a  hard  struggle,  and  required  much  self  denial,  but 
it  is  over,  and  many  who  engaged  in  it  have  gone  home. 
Among  these  are  the  preachers  that  were  present  at  the 
disaster,  while  many  still  live  to  speak  of  it  as  one  of 
the  sad  hours  of  their  lives.  The  organization  of  two 
new  classes  has  drawn  largely  from  this  class,  yet  it 
has  a  membership  of  about  64.  There  are  a  number  of 
men  of  influence,  and  some  young  men  of  promise. 

Sand  Barrens  Cla«s. — This  class  was  organized  under 
the  labors  of  Rev.  H.  Elwell,  about  1856.  Among  the 
first  members  was  father  Ghear,  who  has  done  much  for 
this  church  in  the  way  of  labor  and  means.  He  still 

j  lives  near  the  church  that  was  built  largely  by  his  en- 
ergy, but  his  age  interferes  much  with  his  activity. 

la  the  year  1871,  Rev.  J.  Peachee  came  to  the  vi- 
cinity, and  gave  them  valuable  services.  He  now  lives 
in  Sumner,  and  is  somewhat  broken  in  health.  Being 
a  carpenter,  he  did  much  toward  erecting  a  house  of 
worship,  which  was  done  in  the  year  1874.  This  class, 
which  was  formerly  a  part  of  Lawrence  Circuit,  now 
belongs  to  Allendale  Mission  Church,  located  ten  miles 

I  south  of  Lawrenceville. 

Broad  Hollow  Class.— This  class  was  organized  A. 
D.  1881,  by  Rev.  S.  Bussard,  who  has  spent  three  years 
of  active  service  in  this  county.  It  has  recently  received* 
quite  a  number  of  accessions  under  the  labors  of  Rev.  S. 
Keagy.  Arrangements  are  now  being  made  for  the 
building  of  a  house  of  worship,  which  will  probably  be 
done  during  the  approaching  summer.  Rev.  Pinner 
resides  in  the  community  and  renders  efficient  help. 
This  location  is  about  five  miles  south  of  Lawrenceville. 
Fairview  Class. — This  class  holds  its  meetings  at  a 
school-house  about  three  miles  northeast  of  Bridgeport. 
It  was  organized  in  the  fall  of  A.  •D.1882,  by  Rev.  S. 
Bjssard,  with  twenty  mambers.  It  has  now  twenty- 
seven  members  and  gives  some  promise  of  success.  A 
few  of  its  members  were  transferred  from  Union  Class. 
Sumner  Class. — This  class  holds  its  meetings,  in  the 


202 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  W ABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


Western  Christian  Church,  in  suraner.  It  also  was  or- 
ganized in  1862,  by  Rev.  S.  Bussard.  It  was  organized 
first  with  nine  members.  It  has  now  thirteen. 

Otterbein  Class — The  church  occupied  by  this  class  is 
located  in  the  northeast  part  of  the  county.  It  was  or- 
ganizsd  A.  D.  1856,  by  Rev.  S-  Bussard,  then  a  quar- 
terly conference  sermon  preached  in  the  absence  of  the 
pastor,  Rev.  Jackson. 

Brother  Whitsou  was  elected  leader  and  Brother  Hen- 
dricks  steward.  The  class  then  consisted  of  five  mem- 
bers. Brother  Hendricks  died  some  years  ago.  Brother 
Whitson  still  lives,  and  though  old,  is  still  very  active 
in  church  work.  Their  house  of  worship  was  built  A. 
D.  1864.  It  has  a  membership  of  fifty.  It  stands  con- 
nected with  Hebron  Circuit. 

Centenary  Class. — This  class  was  organized,  A.  D. 
1862,  by  Rev.  Hovis,  with  about  fifteen  members. 
Built  a  house  of  worship  in  the  edge  of  Richland 
county,  A.  D.  1872.  It  is  a  part  of  Olney  Circuit. 

General  Remarks.— About  1860,  these  appointments 
with  others  in  Richland  and  Wabash  counties  were 


made  to  constitute  Lawrence  Circuit.  Various  changes 
were  made  from  time  to  time,  and  at  the  Conference 
held  at  Parkersburg,  Illinois,  September,  1882,  Pleasant 
Hill  Prairie,  Union,  Fairview  and  Summer  classes  were 
made  to  constitute  Summer  Circuit,  and  the  writer  of 
this  sketch  appointed  to  it  as  pastor. 

A  parsonage  was  built  A.  D.  1866,  by  Lawrence  Cir- 
cuit, which  is  now  used  by  Summer  Circuit.     Many  of 

;  the  men  who  gave  their  energies  to  the  work  of  this  church 
in  Lawrence  county,  have  ceased  from  their  labors. 
Among  these  are  Revs.  Stark,  Stotts,  Clark,  Brock,  S. 

;  H.  Ross,  and  William  McGinnis.     The  last  two  named 

i  died  very  recently.  They  were  all  men  of  energy  and 
usefulness,  and  died  triumphantly  at  their  post. 

Revs.  Elwell   and   Butner,  have  been  transferred  to 

j  other  conferences.  Revs.  Brengle,  Bussard,  Zeller  and 
Jones,  are  still  doing  good  work  in  Lower  Wabash 
Conference,  in  the  bounds  of  which  Summer  Circuit  is 

I  located.  The  work  of  this  church  in  this  county,  has 
been  attended  with  much  privation  and  toil,  but  the  men 
named  have  been  equal  to  the  task.  This  church  has  in 
this  county  a  membership  numbering  about  375. 


CITY  AND  PRECINCT  OF  ALBION. 


EDWARDS   COUNTY.* 


JHE  history  of  the  early  settlement  and  subse- 
queut  progress  and  development  of  the  town 
and  precinctof  Albion  is  attended  with  more 
than  ordinary  interest  to  the  reader  of  the 
history  of  the  now  great  commonwealth  of  Illinois.  That 
the  efforts  of  the  founders  were  successful,  the  beautiful 
landscape  of  well-cultivated  farms,  dotted  here  and  there 
with  richly  constructed  farm  buildings,  amply  attest  on 
every  hand. 

Albion  precinct  is  centrally  situated  in  the  county, 
from  north  to  south,  and  extends  itself  entirely  across 
the  county,  from  east  to  west,  comprising  nearly  one- 
third  of  its  entire  territory.  The  precinct  is  bounded 
on  the  north  by  the  base  line  and  Shelby  precinct,  on 
the  east  by  Bonpas  creek,  on  the  south  by  French  creek 
and  Dixon  precincts,  and  west  by  Wayne  county  and 
Shelby  precinct,  and  comprises  a  part  of  townships  1  and 
2  S.  and  ranges  10  and  11  east.  Originally  it  was  divided 
between  prairie  and  timber  land,  the  former  interspersing 
the  latter  in  a  picturesque  manner.  The  surface  of  the 
uplands  is  quite  rolling,  aud  the  soil  is  a. chocolate-colored 
clay  loam,  and  is  very  productive.  The  bottom  land 
along  Bonpas  creek  is  heavily  timbered,  the  land  being 
a  deep  alluvial  soil,  and  especailly  adapted  to  the  culti- 
vation of  maize,  gra  ses,  etc.  The  principal  streams  are 
the  Bonpas  and  Big  creeks.  The  former  constitutes  the 
entire  eastern  boundary, and  the  latter  is  situated  in  the 
southwest,  and  discharges  its  waters  into  the  Little 
Wabash.  Two  lines  of  railroad  extend  through  the 
precinct,  the  Peoria,  Decatur  and  Evansville  passing 
frost  north  to  south,  and  the  Louisville,  Evansville  and 
St.  Louis  road  extending  east  and  west,  forming  a 
junction  with  the  former  at  the  town  of  Browns. 

EARLY   SETTLEMENTS. 

Really  the  first  white  men  to  locate  here  were  emi- 
grants from  the  South,  about  1816  ;  and  as  it  is  due  to 
them  that  the  first  blow  was  struck  toward  civilization 
in  this  once  wild  region,  we  have  given  them  a  place  in 
the  history  of  this  precinct;  but  as  their  stay  was  but 
transitory,  the  larger  portion  of  the  early  settlement 
narration  will  be  devoted  to  the  English  settlers,  as  it 
was  they  who  mostly  developed  this  part  of  the  county, 
and  have  made  it  one  of  the  richest  communities  in  the 
state. 


:  indebted  to  the  notes  prepared  by  Ueorge  Fl,,wer,  ] 


Of  the  former  class  we  find  the  names  of  Jeremiah 
Birk,  Walter  Anderson,  Hugh  Collins,  John  Hunt, 
Rollin  and  Joseph  Lane  and  William  Ham.  These 
were  located  in  a  settlement  in  the  west  part  of  the 
precinct,  a  little  north  of  Big  creek. 

From  the  best  information  at  this  date.  Mr.  Birk,  or 
Captain  Birk,  as  he  was  sometimes  denominated,  was 
the  first  to  locate  in  the  wilds  of  Albion  precinct ;  and 
we  here  take  the  liberty  of  quoting  from  Mr.  George 
Flower's  account  as  given  by  him  on  his  first  approach 
of  Birk's  cabin  :  "  In  my  wanderings,  the  thought  struck 
me  of  finding  out  Captain  Birk,  mentioned  to  me  by  my 
old  friend  Sloo,  of  Cincinnati,  as  being  hereabouts,  the 
oldest  settkr  in  these  parts.     Going  in  the  direction  in 
which  I  thought  he  lived,  I  espied  a  trail,  made  by  the 
dragging  of  a  log.   Following  this,  I  suddenly  came  to  a 
!  worm  fence  inclosing  a  small  field  of  fine  corn,  but  could 
|  see  no  dwelling.     I  wished  to  see  Birk,  but  felt  a  little 
I  diffidence  in  appearing  before   the  captain  in  my  desha- 
bille; for  after  several  days'  travel   and   two   nights' 
I  camping  out,  my  toilette  was  considerably  compromised. 
|  Looking  closely,  I  observed   between  two  rows  of  corn 
a  narrow  path ;  this  I  followed  until  I  came  suddenly 
in  sight  of  a  small  cabin,  within  twenty  steps  of  me,  a 
little  lower  than  the  surrounding  coi*n.    Looking  in  the 
direction  of  a  voice,  calling  back  a  savage  dog  that  had 
rushed  out  to  attack  me,  I  saw  a  naked  man,  quietly 
fanning  himself  with  a  branch  of  a  tree. 

My  first  surprise  over,  finding  his  name  was  Birk,  I 
told  him  who  I  was  and  my  errand,  at  which  he- did  not 
seem  well  pleased.  What  surprised  me  was  the  calm 
self-pos-session  of  the  man.  No  surprise,  no  flutter,  no 
hasty  movements.  He  quietly  said  that  he  had  just 
come  from  mill  at  Princeton,  thirty  miles  distant,  and 
was  cooling  himself  a  bit.  His  cabin,  14x12  feet,  and 
7  feet  high,  with  earth  for  a  floor,  contained  a  four-post 
bedstead  ;  said  posts  driven  into  the  ground,  were  sprout- 
ing with  buds,  branches  and  leaves.  The  rim  of  an  old 
wire  sieve,  furnished  with  a  piece  of  deer-skin  punctured 
with  holes,  for  sifting  meal,  a  skillet  and  a  coffee-pot 
were  all  the  culinary  apparatus  for  a  family  of  seven. 
A  small  three-legged  stool  and  a  rickety  clap  board 
table  was  the  only  furniture.  An  ox  lay  at  the  door 
and  a  rifle  stood  against  the  wall.  Himself  and  boys, 
when  clothed,  wore  buckskin  ;  his  wife  and  three  daugh- 
ters were  dressed  in  flimsy  calico,  sufficiently  soiled,  and 
not  without  rents."  Such  is  part  of  the  description  as 
given  by  Mr.  Flower  of  the  first  pioneer  of  the  precinct. 


2H 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WABASII  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


Mr.  Birk  moved  to  the  "Sangamo"  country  about  1819. 
He  was  a  genuine  hunter  and  backwoodsman,  and  could 
not  bear  the  onward  progress  of  civilization.  To  use 
his  own  language,  he  "did  not  want  to  live  where 
neighbors  were  so  plenty ;  that  to  see  three  neighbors 
within  a  day's  ride  was  sufficient  for  him." 

The  prairie,  near  this  little  improvement,  is  yet  known 
as  Birk's  Prairie. 

Walter  Anderson,  before  mentioned,  cultivated  a 
small  patch  of  ground  in  section  30,  and  it  is  said  that 
he  planted  on  his  place  the  first  orchard  in  the  county. 
This  was  about  1817.  He,  like  Birk,  remained  but 
a  short  time,  when  he  removed  to  a  less  civilized  part  of 
the  country.  Hugh  Collins  settled  in  section  20,  and  in 
a  year  or  two  sold  his  improvement  to  John  Woods; 
Senior.  John  Hunt,  of  the  same  settlement,  died  here  in 
1820,  leaving  quite  a  family  of  children.  But  one 
of  his  descendants,  a  grandson,  James  T.  Hunt,  is  now 
living;  he  resides  about  one  mile  northwest  from  the  old  ; 
farm  of  his  grandfather.  Rollin  and  Joseph  Lane,  and 
William  Ham  moved  away  long  ago,  none  living  now  to 
tell  where  or  whence  they  went. 

In  1817,  a  new  era  opened   to   this  part  of  the  west.  , 
Morris  Birkbeck  and  George  Flower,  both   well-to-do  j 
Englishmen,  came  to  this  country,  the  latter  in  1816,  and  j 
the  former  one  year  later.      They  had  known  each  other 
in  England,  and  on  meeting  in  this  country,  they  mutu- 
ally agreed  to  explore  the  western  country  together,  and 
if  possible  find  the  new  Eldorado  that  was  then  agitating 
the  minds  of  the  people  of  the  south  and  east.   They  had 
heard  of  the  beautiful  prairies  of  the  Illinois  territory, 
and  so  infatuated  were  they  with  the  glowing  accounts 
given,  that  they  determined  to  see  for  themselves ;  and 
if  it  came  up  to  their  expectation,  it  was  their  intention 
to  plant  a  colony  of  their  own  countr3rmen  within  the 
•western  wilds.    They  left  Richmond,  Virginia,  in  the 
springof!817,  party  being  composed  of  Mr.  Birkbeck  and  j 
family,  and  Mr.  Flower.  Mr.  B.  was  a  widower,  but  had 
four   children  with  him,  two  sons  and  two  daughters, 
named  respectively,  Bradford,  Charles,  Eliza,  and  Prud-  ' 
ence.  There  were  also  four  others  in  the  party,  a  servant 
boy  of  Mr.  Birkbeck's  named  James  Gillard,  Miss  Eliza  J. 
Andrews,  Elias  P.  Fordham,  and  Elizabeth  Garton,  an  j 
orphan  girl  adopted  by  Mr.  Birkbeck.     Miss  Andrews 
was  well  acquainted  with  the  Birkbeck  family  in  Eng- 
land, and  desired  to  share  the  adventures  with  them  in  j 
the  new  world.       She   afterwards  became  the   second  ; 
•wife  of  Mr.  Flower. 

The  journey  was  a  long  and  tedious  one,  the  distance 
being  made  by  stage  and  horseback.  At  Princeton  a 
halt  was  made,  and  suitable  quarters  obtained  for  the 
parties  except  those  who  proposed  to  press  forward  and 
find  the  goal  of  their  ambition.  This  trio  was  composed 
of  Mr.  Birkbeck,  and  his  son  Bradford,  and  Mr.  Flower. 
After  several  days'  travel  they  came  in  sight  of  Bolting- 
house  Prairie,  and  the  emotions  it  brought  forth  when  it 
first  met  their  gaze,  I  will  give  in  Mr.  Flower's  own  Ian-  J 
guage.  He  says,  "Bruised  by  the  brush  wood  and  exhausted 


by  the  extreme  heat,  we  almost  despaired,  when  a  small 
cabin  and  a  low  fence  greeted  our  eyes.  A  few  steps 
more,  and  a  beautiful  prairie  suddenly  opened  to  our 
view.  At  first,  we  only  received  the  impressions  of  its 
general  beauty.  With  longer  gaze,  all  its  distinctive 
features  were  revealed,  lying  in  profound  repose  under 
the  warm  light  of  fln  afternoon's  summer  sun.  Its  in- 
dented and  irregular  outline  of  wood,  its  varied  surface 
interspersed  with  clumps  of  oaks  of  centuries  growth,  its 
tall  grass  with  seed  stalks  from  six  to  ten  feet  high,  like 
tall  and  slender  reeds  waving  in  a  gentle  breeze,  the 
whole  presenting  a  magnificence  of  park  scenery,  com- 
plete from  the  hand  of  nature,  and  unrivalled  by  the 
same  sort  of  scenery  of  European  art.  For  once,  the 
reality  came  up  to  the  picture  of  imagination.  Our 
station  was  in  the  wood,  on  rising  ground ;  from  it,  a 
descent  of  about  a  hundred  yards  to  the  valley  of  the 
prairie,  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile  wide,  extending  to  the 
base  of  a  majestic  slope,  rising  upward  for  a  full  half 
mile,  crowned  by  groves  of  noble  oaks.  A  little  to  the 
left,  the  eye  wandered  up  a  long  stretch  of  prairie  for 
three  miles,  into  which  projected  hills  and  slopes,  covered 
with  rich  grass  and  decorated  with  compact  clumps  of 
full-grown  trees,  from  four  to  eight  in  each  clump.  From 
beneath  the  broken  shade  of  the  wood,  with  our  arms 
raised  above  our  brows,  we  gazed  long  and  steadily, 
drinking  in  the  beauties  of  the  scene  which  had  so  long 
been  the  object  of  our  search." 

Their  ideal  of  the  vast  rolling  prairies  of  the  west 
was  fully  realized  and  verified,  and  now  came  their  plans 
for  action.  After  long  and  deliberate  consultation,  it 
was  decided  that  they  should  jointly  put  together  all  the 
means  that  they  could  then  command,  and  Mr.  Birkbeck 
was  to  proceed  at  once  to  Shawneetown,  the  general 
land-office,  and  enter  as  much  land  as  possible  with  his 
means  at  hand,  while  Mr.  Flower  was  to  hasten  to  Eng- 
land for  more  money,  and  also  to  superintend  and  ex- 
pedite the  scheme  of  forwarding  emigrants  to  form  the 
new  colony.  Mr.  Birkbeck,  it  was  understood,  should 
return  to  their  lately  bought  possession,  to  prepare  and 
receive  the  emigrants.  Both  fulfilled  the  part  they  had  to 
perform,  and  the  English  colony  became  a  reality.  Too 
much  cannot  be  said  of  the  indomitable  energy  and 
perseverance  of  these  two  pioneers ;  nay,  more  should  be 
said  ;  they  were  among  the  foremost  philanthropists  of 
their  age.  They  left  a  home  of  plenty,  surrounded  with 
the  comforts  of  life  that  wealth  can  give,  and  took  upon 
themselves  the  hardships,  sufferings  and  dangers  of  the 
pioneer.  Through  their  efforts,  many  of  their  country- 
men were  provided  with  comfortable  homes,  not  having 
means  sufficient,  in  their  own  country,  to  supply 
them.  They  risked  their  all  in  this  mammoth 
enterprise,  and  virtually  speaking,  lost  all,  both  of  them 
dying  comparatively  poor  in  worldly  means.  Both  were 
strong  anti-slavery  men,  and  did  much  to  prevent  the 
slave  system  beiug  planted  in  the  State  of  Illinois. 

Mr.  Birkbeck,  until  his  death,  had  a  large  influenca 
in  matters  of  State  of  the  new  formed  commonwealth, 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


having  the  honor  of  receiving  the  appointment  of  Secre- 
tary of  State  under  the  administration  of  Governor  Coles 
in  1824.  He  was  drowned  in  Fox  river,  near  New 
Harmony,  Indiana,  in  1825.  His  remains  were  found 
and  buried  at  the  same  place.  It  is  but  a  short  time 
since  that  a  friend  of  the  family  received  a  letter  from 
the  Hon.  E.  B.  Washburn,  stating  that  he  would  be  re- 
sponsible for  a  donation  of  five  hundred  dollars  toward 
erecting  a  suitable  monument  to  Mr.  Birkbeck's  memory, 
providing  his  remains  could  be  brought  to  the  State  of 
his  adoption,  and  place  of  his  noble  efforts.  It  is  to  be 
hoped  that  the  future  historian  may  be  able  to  record 
the  epitaph  inscribed  upon  the  proposed  monument. 
After  Mr.  Birkbeck's  death  his  children  scattered  to  the 
four  corners  of  the  earth,  all  of  whom  are  dead,  except 
Eliza,  wife  of  Gilbert  T.  Pell,  who,  at  last  accounts,  was 
residing  in  Australia. 

Mr.  Flower  lived  some  years  after  Mr.  Birkbeck,  and 
aided,  as  well  as  his  crippled  means  would  permit,  to 
build  up  the  little  colony,  being  one  of  the  founders  of 
the  neat  little  city  of  Albion.  He  died  atGrayville  the 
15th  day  of  January,  1862.  We  insert  the  following 
closing  words  of  tribute,  paid  to  Mr.  Flower  by  Dr. 
Barry,  then  librarian  of  the  Chicago  Historical  Society, 
and  which  appeared  in  the  Chicago  Tribune  of  March 
22,  1862:  "On  the  morning  of  the  15th  of  January  last, 
there  lay,  under  the  loving  and  sad  watch  of  dear  friends; 
at  Grayville,  the  sinking  form  of  the  aged  man,  whose 
worth  we  have  poorly  attempted  to  set  forth,  and  the 
partner  of  his  long  and  chequered  life.  But  a  week 
before  they  had  expressed  the  hope,  often  repeated,  that, 
happily  united  in  life,  they  might  not  be  divided  in  their 
death.  While  the  rays  of  the  morning  sun  were  gilding 
the  room  of  the  fond  wife,  she  expired  ;  and  soon  after 
the  going  down  of  the  same  day's  sun,  followed,  to  his 
last  and  welcome  rest,  the  spirit  of  George  Flower." 
Only  three  of  Mr.  Flower's  family  are  living  ;  Camillas 
resides  a  little  south  of  Albion  ;  Alfred  lives  in  Paris, 
Edgar  county,  and  a  daughter  resides  at  Grayville,  Illi- 
nois. 

Another  pioneer  of  1817,  was  Alan  Emmerson,  a  na- 
tive of  Kentucky,  who,  in  an  early  day,  emigrated  to  the 
Territory  of  Indiana.  He  was  then  a  single  man,  but 
subsequently,  in  1810,  he  married  Nancy  Mounce,  and 
in  the  summer  of  1817,  he  moved  with  his  family  to 
Edwards  county,  and  located  in  section  4,  township  2 
south,  range  10  east.  There  were  four  pioneer  children, 
Martha,  Jesse,  Sanford,  and  Indiana.  The  latter  died 
soon  after  their  coming,  and  is  sa'd  to  be  the  first  death 
in  the  precinct.  Mr  Emmerson  entered  a  quarter  sec- 
tion of  laud,  erected  a  log  cabin,  and  commenced  the 
life  of  a  pioneer.  After  many  privations  and  hard 
struggles,  he  improved  a  good  farm  and  enjoyed  the 
fruits  of  his  labors.  Having  the  confidence  of  the  people 
and  extended  acquaintance,  he  was  elected,  several 
times,  to  fill  offices  of  trust  by  their  suffrages.  He  was 
elected  County  Judge  for  a  succession  of  terms,  filled 
the  office  of  County  Treasurer  and  Assessor,  and  served 


205 


<wi*.  terrain  the  State  Legislature.  He  and  his  wife  both 
died  in  1876,  Centennial  year.  They  were  widely  known, 
and  their  loss  to  the  community  was  mourned  by  a 
large  circle  of  friends.  Only  one  of  the  pioneer  children 
is  now  living,  Jesse,  who  resides  in  Albion,  and  is  one 
among  three  of  the  oldest  pioneers  in  the  county. 

Rev  John  Depew  emigrated  from  the  South  in  1817, 
and  located  joining  farms  with  Mr.  Emmerson.  He  was 
the  first  Methodist  preacher  in  this  part  of  the  country, 
and  so  fastidious  with  regard  to  his  religious  views,  that 
upon  one  occasion,  when  invited  to  eat  honey  that  was 
taken  from  a  bee  tree  on  Sunday,  he  utterly  refused  the 
sweet  morsel,  although  very  fond  of  it.  He  remained 
here  but  a  few  years,  moving  to  Marion  county  in  1820. 

j  One  of  the  oldest  settlers  of  this  part  of  the  state  was 
James  Chism,  a  native  of  Virginia,  who  came  to  Il- 
linois Territory — now  Wabash  county— in  1813.  He 
located  at  Bald  Hill  Prairie,  near  the  center  of  the  coun- 
ty. His  family  consisted  of  his  wife  Sarah,  and  three 
children,  Ellen,  Elisha  and  Permelia.  The  father  and 

,  mother  died  more  than  half  a  century  ago.  Elisha  is 
the  only  one  of  the  family  living.  He  resides  in  Albion, 

;  and  is  one  of  the  oldest  surviving  pioneers,  in  either  E>1- 

1  wards  or  Wabash  counties. 

William  and  John  Woodland  were  from  South  Caro- 
lina, and  came  to  the  precinct  in  1817,  and  located  about 
four  miles  west  of  Albion.  They  both  went  off  with  the 

!  Mormons. 

The  heavy  tide  of  immigration  commenced  in  1818. 
It  was  in  this  year  that  Mr.  Flower  sent  from  England 
the  first  ship  load  of  immigrants,  and  this  was  but  the 
precursor  of  what  followed  in  the  way  of  immigration 
until  1820,  and  perhaps  later.  Among  those  who  came 

'  at  that  early  date,  and  who  have  descendants  yet  resi- 
ding in  the  county,  are  the  following:  Joel  Churchill,  John 

1  Wood?,  Sr,  John  Tribe,  Brian  Walker,  William  Nich- 
ols, Hugh  Ronalds,  John  Brissenden,  William  Wood, 
William  Fewkes,  George  Woodham,  William  Harm, 
John  Skeaviugton,  Elias  Weaver,  Henry  Sydney,  and 
John  Spring,  Henry  Birkett,  James  O.  Wattles,  and 
several  others  It  would  be  impossible  in  this  chapter 
to  give  space  to  all  the  numerous  newcomers  of  the  years 
1818,  19,  20, 

Mr.  Churchill,  above  mentioned,  was  one  of  the  im- 
migrants of  1818.  At  his  coming,  he  was  a  single  man. 
He  entered  quite  a  large  tract  of  land  southeast  of  Al- 
bion, where  he  located  and  remained  until  1823,  when 
he  moved  to  Albion.  In  1824",  he  married  Eliza  Simp- 
kins  by  which  union  eleven  children  were  born,  nine  of 
whom  are  living.  Mr.  Churchill  led  a  busy  and  active  life. 
He  died  in  the  spring  of  1872  ,in  the  city  of  Albion.  Mrs. 
Churchill  is  yet  living,  and  is  active  for  one  of  her  age. 
Charles  and  James  Churchill  are  prominent  business 
men  in  Albion.  John  Tribe  came  to  the  precinct  in  1819, 
and  located  at  Wanborough.  He  was  then  a  single 
man,  and  a  carpenter  by  trade.  Some  time  after  coming 
he  married  Jane  Stanley.  A  large  family  were  reared 
by  them,  eight  of  whom  are  now  residents  of  the  coun- 


20(! 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


ty.  William  B.  Tribe,  a  son,  is  the  present  efficient 
Circuit  Clerk  of  Edwards  county.  Mr.  Tribe  was  noted 
for  his  intelligence  and  goodness  of  heart.  He  died  at 
Albiou  in  August,  1880,  his  wife  surviving  him. 

John  Woods,  Sr.,  came  to  Edwards  county  in  the  fall  j 
of  1819,  and  located  in  Wanborough.  His  family  j 
then  consisted  of  his  wife  and  five  children,  William, 
John,  Jr.,  George,  Ann,  and  Elizabeth.  One  son  was 
born  in  the  county,  Thomas  T.  Mr.  Woods  subsequent- 
ly moved  to  Albion,  and  thence  to  Shawaeetown,  where 
he  died.  Two  of  the  pioneer  children  are  living,  John, 
Jr.,  and  George.  The  former  is  a  merchant  in  Albion, 
now  upwards  of  eighty  years  of  age.  In  1829,  he  mar- 
ried Elizabeth  Penfold,  daughter  of  Abraham  Penfold, 
another  pioneer,  who  located  in  Wanborough,  in  1819. 
John,  Jr.  held  the  office  of  County  Treasurer  for  about 
forty  years.  George  Woods  is  residing  in  Wisconsin, 
and  Thomas  T.  is  a  prominent  farmer  in  Albion  precinct. 
Other  settlers  of  about  the  same  date,  were  three  bro- 
thers, Moses,  John,  and  George  Michels,  who  were  na- 
tives rf  the  state  of  Maine.  The  former  was  elected  to 
the  State  Legislature  for  the  term  of  1820-22.  George, 
Jr.,  a  son  of  the  pioneer  George,  is  a  resident  of  Albion. 

A  prominent  accession  to  the  colony  in  1821,  was 
Gen.  William  Pickering,  a  native  of  Yorkshire,  Eng- 
land. He  made  his  first  settlement  in  the  Village  Prai- 
rie, but  subsequently  moved  to  Albion.  He  was  the 
first  to  introduce  blooded  stock  from  England  to  the  new 
colony.  In  1824,  he  married  Martha  Flower,  sister  of 
George  Flower.  Mr.  Pickering  took  a  lively,  interest 
in  all  matters  of  State,  and  became  a  leading  Whig  poli- 
tician. He  .represented  his  constituency  in  the  State 
Legislature  from  18J2  to  1852.  He  was  an  intimate 
friend  of  Abraham  Lincoln ;  on  the  latter's  election  to  the 
presidency,  he  appointed  him  governor  of  Washington 
Territory.  He  died  at  his  son's  residence,  near  Albion,  in 
1875.  Only  one  of  the  family  is  now  living  in  the  county, 
Richard,  who  resides  in  section  2,  a  little  west  of  Albion. 

A  prominent  settler  of  1827,  was  Alexander  Stewart, 
who  was  born  in  Scotland,  and  a  descendant  of  one  of 
the  old  Scotch  fa-nilies.     He  landed  in  New  York  City, 
in  the  fall  of  1818.     On  Christmas  of  the  same  year  he 
reached   Illinois  and  located  in  Carmi,  White  county. 
His  family  then  with  him  consisted  of  five  sons,  and  his 
wife  Mary,  nee  McLaughlin.     Four  daughters  were  left 
in  Scotland;  who  afterwards  came  to  America  in  1824. 
One  of  the  sons,  Alexander,  Jr.,  came  to  Edwards  coun- 
ty in  1827,  and  located  in  Albion,  his  family  then  being 
his  wife  and  one  daughter.     He  commenced  the  business 
of  blacksmithing,  which  occupation  he  followed  for  sev- 
eral years.    Subsequently  he  engaged  in  the  mercantile  I 
and  pork-packing  business,  etc.    He  was  very  success- 
ful in  all  his   transactions,  and  retired  from  active  life 
in  1876,  with  a  good  competency.   He  is  yet  residing  in  : 
Albion  with  a  host  of  friends,  who  feel  that  their  com-  | 
munity  has  been  largely  bettered  by  the  industry  and 
example  of  Mr.  Stewart.     Two  sons,  Charles  and  Ed-  I 
win,  are  extensive  merchants  in  Albion. 


George  Bower,  Sen.,  was  another  early  settler,  and 
came  from  Germany  to  the  United  States  in  1827,  and 
in  1831  he  moved  to  Albion.  He  had  a  family  of  three 
children,  Adam,  John  and  Margaret.  Two  children 
were  born  to  the  family  after  coming — George,  jr.,  and 
Henry.  Mr.  Bower  was  a  potter  by  occupation,  and  was 
one  of  the  first  to  establish  the  business  in  Edwards 
county.  He  was  a  useful  citizen  in  his  day ;  both  he 
and  his  wife  died  some  years  ago.  Only  three  of  the 
family  are  now  living — Adam,  John  and  George,  junr., 
all  of  whom  reside  in  Albion.  Among  other  early  resi- 
dents of  the  precinct  are:  F.  W.  Johnson,  Joseph  Skeav- 
ington,  John  Walker,  Joseph  Mitchels,  Mary  A.  Mor- 
gan, Charles  Nichols,  Mrs.  Sarah  J.  Daver,  nee  Wells, 
George,  Francis,  and  Lucius  Harris,  Dr.  F.  B.  Thomp- 
son, Dr.  H.  L  Dixon,  John  Smith,  S.  N.  Dalby  and  his 
wife  (Sarah  H.,  nee  Skeavington),  George  Gillard, 
George  Bunting,  William  Bowman,  and  others. 

Believing  that  the  lands  first  entered  in  the  several 
townships  of  the  precinct  will  prove  of  interest  to  the 
present  and  future  readers  of  history,  we  here  present 
them  : 

The  following  are  those  for  the  years  1816,  '17,  '18, 
within  twp.  1  south,  range  10  east  of  3d  P.  M. :  Oct. 
1st,  1816,  Henry  Houston  entered  the  southwest  quarter 
of  section  29.  January  27th,  1817,  Alexander  West 
entered  the  east  half  of  the  northeast  quarter  of  section 
31.  Sept.  12th,  1817,  John  Embree  entered  the  south- 
east quarter  of  section  27.  Sept.  26th,  1817,  Benjamin 
Clark  entered  the  east  half  of  the  northeast  quarter  of 
section  19.  Oct.  3d,  1817,  Gorum  A.  Worth  entered  the 
northeast  quarter  of  section  20.  Oct.  13th,  1817,  Wm. 
Embree  entered  the  southwest  quarter  of  section  27. 
Same  day,  Edward  Mitchell  entered  the  southwest  quar- 
ter of  section  38.  Jan.  13, 1818,  James  Emmerson  en- 
tered the  northeast  quarter  of  section  28.  April  14, 
1818,  Henry  Houston  entered  the  east  half  of  the  south- 
east quarter  of  section  19.  May  4,  1818,  John  Houston 
entered  the  west  half  of  the  northwest  quarter  of  section 
20.  July  6,  1818,  Morris  Birkbeck  entered  all  of  sec- 
tion 24.  September  17,  1818,  Kobert  Leslie  entered  the 
northwest  quarter  of  section  20.  Same  day,  William 
Baston  entered  the  southwest  quarter  of  section  32. 
August  16,  1818,  Hugh  Reynolds  entered  the  east  half 
of  the  southeast  quarter  of  section  29.  November  12, 
1818,  James  Green  entered  the  northwest  quarter  of 
section  36.  Sept.  17,  1818,  J.  and  J.  Dunlap  entered 
all  of  section  30  in  twp.  No.  1  south,  range  11  east. 

The  following  entries  are  in  twp.  No.  2  south,  range 
11  east:  Nov.  2,  1814,  J.  G.  Pattson  and  G.  Loftis 
entered  all  of  section  18.  May  15,  1818,  Wm.  Nichols 
entered  all  of  section  6.  June  13,  1818,  George  Nichols 
entered  all  of  section  7.  The  following  entries  are  in 
twp.  1  south,  range  14  west  of  the  2d  P.  M.  :  Morris 
Birkbeck  entered  all  of  sections  4  and  5.  Dec.  8,  1818, 
Richard  Flower  entered  the  southwest  quarter  of  section 
33.  The  following  entries  are  in  twp.  No.  2  south,  range 
14  west  of  the  2d  P.  M. :  May  15,  1818,  J.  Woods  and 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WABASU  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


207 


others  entered  the  east  half  of  the  northeast  quarter  of 
section  6.  July  25,  1818,  J.  Sherrington  and  T.  Brown 
entered  the  west  half  of  the  northwest  quarter  of  section 
7.  Same  day,  John  Brissenden  entered  the  southwest 
quarter  of  section  7.  The  following  are  the  earliest  en- 
tries made  in  twp.  2  south,  range  10  east :  September 
14,  1816,  Walter  Anderson  entered  the  northwest  quar- 
ter of  section  7.  September  28,  1816,  Robert  Anderson 
entered  the  southwest  quarter  of  section  7.  October  7, 

1816,  Hugh  Collins   entered  the  southeast  quarter  of 
section  19.     October  14,   1816,  Sidney  Spring  entered 
the  northeast  quarter  of  section  18.     Same  day,  Samuel 
Anderson  entered  the  northwest  quarter  of  section  18. 
October  23,  Rollin   Lane  entered  the  southeast  quarter 
of  section  18.     October  24,  1816,  Joseph  Lane  entered 
the   northeast  quarter  of  section  19.     October  30,  1816. 
John  Hunt  entered  the  southwest  quarter  of  section  17. 
November  1st,  1816,  Daniel  Grove  entered  the  east  half 
of  the  northeast  quarter  of  section  24.     May  22d,  1816, 
Jeremiah  Birk  entered  the  northwest  quarter  of  section 
29.     October  12,  1816,  Win.  Ham  entered  the  south- 
west quarter  of  section   30.     January  19,  1817,  Uriel 
Emmerson  entered  the  east  half  of  the  southeast  quarter 
of  section  5.     Feb.  18,  1817,  John  Woodland,  senior, 
entered  the  northeast  quarter  of  section  8.     May  12th, 

1817,  Alan  Emmerson  entered  the  northwest  quarter  of 
section  4. 

Several  other  tracts  were  entered  in  1817-'18,  but  are 
too  numerous  to  record. 

One  of  the  customs  of  those  early  days  was  the  re- 
quirement of  every  one  of  lawful  age  to  meet  at  some 
designated  point  and  muster  once  a  year,  or  be  fined  for 
non-attendance.  The  first  muster  was  held  at  Bolting- 
house  prairie  in  the  spring  of  1820.  The  rank  and  file 
not  being  supplied  with  arms,  corn-stalks  and  hoe-han- 
dles were  substituted.  To  get  a  vivid  account  of  these 
trainings,  and  the  consequent  amusements  accruing 
therefrom,  it  is  absolutely  necessary  to  receive  a  descrip- 
tion of  the  same,  first-handed,  from  the  pioneer. 

That  the  present  generation  may  have  some  idea  of 
the  prices  of  general  merchandise,  as  compared  with  the 
price  of  produce,  we  here  give  a  table  of  the  leading 
articles : 

Sugar  per  pound 37^c. 

Coffee       do 62^ 

sli.Tting  per  yard 50 

Prints  do 37H 

Nails  per  pound 25 

Tea-cups  and  saucers  per  Jset 

HMM  do 


All  kind  of  produce  was  very  low,  as  the  following 
will  show : 

Corn  per  bushel 10 

Pork  per  100  Ibs $1.25 

It  is  yet  told  of  Benjamin  Skinner  trading  1800  Ibs.  of 
dressed  pork  for  a  saddle.  It  will  be  seen  from  the 
above  quotations  what  the  first  settlers  were  obliged  to 
undergo  in  order  to  supply  a  living  competency  for  their 
families. 


A  DEPARTED  GLORY. 


The  first  town  laid  out  in  this  precinct  was  by  Morris 
Birkbeck  in  the  month  of  August,  1818,  and  situated  in 
township  two  south,  range  eleven  east,  and  about  two 
miles  due  west  of  Albion.  The  latter  town  came  into 
existence  a  few  months  later,  and  they  thus  bjcims 
rival  villages.  For  a  time  Wanborough  was  in  the 
ascendency,  having  a  population  of  about  153  inhabi- 
tants, while  Albion  had  but  thirty.  Indeed,  Wan- 
borough  had  become  a  place  of  considerable  pioneer  im- 
portance, having  at  the  height  of  its  glory,  a  stocking 
factory,  one  store,  a  flouring  mill  with  two  run  of  stones 
(Hine  and  Knight  proprietors),  besides  other  shops  and 
industries  above  the  average  frontier  town.  It  was  laid 
out  in  five-acre  lots,  Mr.  Birkbeck  believing  that  every 
town  family  should  have  sufficient  ground  to  raise  all 
necessary  vegetables,  etc.,  and  that  it  was  conducive  to 
the  morals  of  the  community  that  the  children  of  neigh- 
bors should  not  be  brought  into  too  close  contact  with 
one  another.  After  the  county  seat  was  established  at 
Albion,  Wanborough  began  to  wane,  and  it  was  but  a 
few  years  when  all  the  business  had  been  removed  to 
Albion,  so  that  to-day,  Wanb>rough  is  only  a  thing  of 
the  past ;  nothing  left  to  mark  the  spot,  that  this  was 
once  the  site  of  a  town  named  after  the  beloved  home  of 
Mr.  Birkbeck  back  in  old  England. 

ALBIOK. 

This  town  was  laid  out  by  George  Flower  &  Co.,  in 
October,  1818,  and  as  already  stated,  only  about  three 
months  after  Wanborough  was  platted.  For  the  details 
of  its  birth  we  are  indebted  to  the  notes  of  Mr.  Flower. 
He  says :  "  As  yet  I  had  done  nothing  in  erecting 
buildings  for  the  public  in  general,  as  there  had  been 
no  time.  One  evening,  Mr.  Lawrence,  Mr.  Ronalds, 
and  I  think,  Mr.  Fordham,  called  at  my  cabin,  when 
we  discussed  the  measures  that  should  be  taken  to  form 
some  village  or  town,  as  a  centre  for  those  useful  arts 
necessary  to  agriculture.  Every  person  wanted  the 
services  of  a  carpenter  and  blacksmith.  But  every 
farmer  could  not  build  workshops  at  his  own  door. 
Daylight  ceased,  darkness  followed.  We  had  no  can- 
dles, nor  any  means  of  making  artificial  light.  On  a 
pallet,  mattress,  or  blanket,  each  one  took  to  his  couch, 
and  carried  on  the  discussion.  After  much  talk,  we 
decided  that  what  we  did  do  should  be  dene  in  order, 
and  with  a  view  to  the  future  settlement,  as  well  as  our 
own  present  conveniences.  The  tract  of  forest  lying  be- 
tween Mr.  Lawrence's  settlement  in  the  Village  Prairie, 
on  its  southern  border,  and  mine  at  the  north  of  the 
Boltinghouse  Prairie,  was  about  three  and  a-half  miles 
through.  Somewhere  in  the  centre  of  this  tract  of 
woodland  seemed  to  be  the  place.  To  the  right  of  this 
spot,  eastward,  lay,  about  a  mile  distant,  several  prairies 
running  north  and  south  for  many  miles,  and  others 
running  east  and  west  to  Bonpas  creek,  from  three  to 
five  miles  distant.  Xortheast  from  Mr.  Lawrence's 
cabin,  prairies  of  every  form  and  size  continued  on  in- 


20S          HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  W ABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


definitely.  About  two  miles  west,  and  beyond  Wan- 
borough,  were  numerous  small  and  fertile  prairies,  ex- 
tending to  the  Little  Wabash,  from  six  to  ten  miles  dis- 
tant. On  the  south  was  my  own  beautiful  prairie.  Thus 
the  spot  for  our  town,  in  a  central  situation,  was 
selected.  Now  for  a  name.  We  were  long  at  a  loss. 
At  last  we  did  what  almost  all  emigrants  do,  pitched  on 
a  name  that  had  its  association  with  the  land  of  our 
birth.  Albion  was  then  and  there  located,  built,  and 
peopled  in  imagination.  We  dropped  off,  one  by  one,  to 
sleep,  to  confirm  in  dreams  the  wanderings  of  our  waking 
fancies."  It  was  agreed  the  next  morning,  before 
separating,  that  they  should  meet  on  the  following  day 
as  follows :  Messrs.  Flower  and  Fordham  were  to  leave 
home  at  a  given  hour  the  morning  following,  and  travel 
due  north  from  Mr.  Flower's  dwelling, and  at  the  same 
hour  in  the  morning,  Mr.  Lawrence  and  Mr.  Ronalds 
were  to  travel  south  from  their  homes  in  the  Village 
Prairie,  and  that  the  place  of  meeting  should  be  the 
place  of  the  imaginary  town.  The  programme  was 
carried  out,  and  the  place  of  meeting  was  in  rather  an 
open  space  of  woodland,  and  the  ground  level.  They 
said,  "  Here  shall  be  the  centre  of  the  town."  The  spot 
of  their  meeting  is  now  the  public  square  of  Albion. 
This  selected  ground  is  situated  in  the  northeast  portion 
of  township  two  south,  and  range  eleven  east  of  the 
third  principal  meridian.  The  surveying  and  platting 
of  the  town  was  entrusted  to  Mr.  Fordham.  One  of  the 
company  went  to  Shawneetown  and  entered  one  section, 
which  was  all  laid  ofT  in  town  lots,  with  a  large  and 
commodious  square  in  the  centre.  The  blocks  imme- 
diately around,  and  on  the  main  streets,  were  divided 
into  quarter-acre  lots.  The  blocks  outside  were  divided 
into  half  acres.  As  the  distance  increased  from  the 
centre,  the  lots  increased  in  size,  until  the  outer  belt  of 
allotments  comprised  five  and  seven  acres.  No  addi- 
tions have  been  made  since  the  laying  off  the  town.  It 
still  remains  one  mile  square.  What  is  somewhat  pe- 
culiar about  the  platting,  is  that  not  a  street  in  the  town 
was  given  a  name.  By  common  consent  of  the  citizens 
the  street  north  of  the  square  is  called  Church  street ; 
that  on  the  east,  Park  street ;  on  the  south,  Main 
street ;  and  the  one  in  the  west,  Depot  street.  No  other 
streets  have  ever  received  adopted  names. 

The  first  house  built  in  the  town  was  a  double  log 
cabin,  and  situated  on  Main  street,  southeast  of  the 
square,  and  was  constructed  for  a  tavern.  John  Pitcher 
was  the  landlord.  Both  have  passed  away  long  ago. 
The  next  building  was  a  double  and  single  log  cabin, 
occupied  for  both  a  dwelling  and  blacksmith  shop. 
John  Peufold  was  the  smith.  In  the  language  of  Mr. 
Flower,  "  There  stood  Albion,  no  longer  a  myth,  but  a  i 
reality,  a  fixed  fact.  A  log  tavern  and  a  blacksmith 
shop." 

Among  the  first  business  houses  was  the  old  market- 
house,  situated  in  the  square,  a  little  south  of  the  court-  j 
house.     It   was  seventy-five  feet   long,   standing  on  a 
stone  foundation,  and  covered  with  a  shingle  roof.     One 


division  of  it  was  fitted  up  for  the  reception  of  books, 
that  were  donated  by  the  friends  in  England  for  the 
purpose  of  a  nucleous  to  establish  a  library.  The  room 
was  also  used  for  public  meetings  and  public  worship. 
When  Albion  became  the  capital  of  the  county  in  1821, 
the  first  courts  were  held  in  the  market-house.  The 
first  goods  were  sold  by  George  Flower,  and  the  store- 
house was  situated  on  the  hillside,  back  of  George  Fer- 
riman's  old  store.  Elias  P.  Fordham  bought  Mr. 
Flower's  little  stock  of  goods,  and  after  conducting  the 
business  for  a  short  time  he  sold  out  to  James  Oliver, 
who  conducted  the  business  for  several  years.  The  first 
postmaster  was  a  man  by  the  name  of  La  Serre,  and  the 
mail  was  kept  in  a  log  building  just  west  of  Frank 
Harris'  present  dwelling.  The  first  school  was  taught 
by  Oswald  Warrington,  near  Edgar  Brandon's  residence. 
The  first  regular  school  was  conducted  by  John  Love,  in 
an  old  building  which  stood  in  the  northeast  corner  of 
Robert  Curdling'?  lot.  The  first  school-house  was 
erected  by  four  citizens  of  Albion,  on  the  lot  where  the 
Cumberland  Presbyterian  church  building  now  stands. 
The  first  church-house  erected  was  in  1840.  It  was 
built  by  the  Christian  denomination  ;  it  was  constructed 
of  brick,  and  is  yet  in  a  good  state  of  preservation.  The 
first  mill  was  built  in  1821,  and  located  on  the  lot 
where  James  Churchill's  present  residence  stands.  It 
was  a  tread  mill  run  by  four  oxen  and  with  no  great 
capacity. 

The  growth  of  the  town  was  very  slow  until  the 
county  seat  was  established  here,  when  it  took  a  new 
impetus,  and  built  up  quite  rapidly.  Its  present  popu- 
lation is  about  one  thousand  inhabitants.  The  precinct, 
according  to  census  of  1880,  contained  3  156  inhabitants. 

Incorporation  — The  town  was  organized  under  a 
general  act  of  the  State  Legislature,  and  the  first  meet- 
ing of  the  Town  Board  was  held  December  3d,  1860, 
the  following  named  persons  being  the  officers  elect  of 
said  board :  Dr.  F.  B.  Thompson,  George  Harris, 
George  Bowman,  Edgar  W.  Brandon  and  Edwin  Dick- 
son.  Dr.  Thompson  was  chosen  president  of  the  board 
and  George  Bower  w»s  appointed  clerk  pro  tern.  At  a 
subsequent  meeting  held  December  6th,  Joseph  Wil- 
liams Sr.,  was  appointed  village  clerk,  John  Bower, 
treasurer,  and  K.  A.  Bowman,  town  constable. 

Re-organization: — At  a  meeting  of  the  Town  Council 
held  November  2d,  1875,  a  petition  was  presented, 
signed  by  thirty-three  legal  voters  of  the  town,  asking 
that  the  question  be  submitted  to  the  legal  voters  of 
the  town  of  Albion,  as  to  whether  such  town  shall  or- 
ganize as  a  village  under  the  act  providing  for  the  incor- 
poration  of  cities  and  villages,  approved  April  10,  1872. 
The  proposition  was  carried,  and  the  fourth  Tuesday 
of  November,  1872,  was  named  as  the  day  for  holding 
said  election.  The  result  of  the  vote  was  as  follows  : 
For  village  organization,  66  votes;  against  organization, 
29  votes.  Whereupon  it  was  decided  at  their  next 
regular  session,  that  the  town  of  Albion  from  henceforth 
should  be  duly  incorporated  as  a  village  under  said  act 


BUSINESS  BLOCK  OF  CHURCHILL  BRO'S.  ALBION,  ILLINOIS. 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS.          209 


The  present  officers  are,  William  Curtis,  president. 
Other  members  of  the  board,  John  Eastham,  George 
Baker,  John  Wilson,  William  Runcie,  Lucius  Harris, 
and  Edward  Craig,  clerk. 

Street  commissioners,  John  W.  Brown;  treasurer- 
Edgar  W.  Brandon ;  city  marshal,  Joseph  Ibbotson  ; 
city  attorney,  J.  M.  Campbell. 

PRESENT   BUSINESS. 

Anchor  Milk,  Steel  &  Harris,  proprietors.  This  in- 
dustry was  established  in  1874,  by  Smith  Bunting  and 
Walker,  and  took  the  present  firm  name  in  December, 
1881.  They  are  situated  on  the  east  side  of  Depot 
street,  near  the  Air  Line  depot.  The  building  is  a 
frame,  three  stories  high,  and  a  basement.  The  main 
building  is  40x50  feet  in  size ;  the  engine-room  is  a 
brick  one  story,  30x40  feet;  a  warehouse  detached 
is  30x60  feet.  The  estimated  value  of  capital  invested 
is  $12,000-  It  contains  four  run  of  stone,  with  a 
capacity  of  manufacturing  125  barrels  daily,  and  gives 
employment  to  seven  men.  It  does  both  merchant  and 
custom  work,  and  ships  mainly  to  New  York,  Phila- 
delphia and  New  Orleans.  The  principal  brands  are, 
"  Level  Best,"  "  Gilt  Edge,"  "  Rosette,"  and  "  Southern 
Belle."  The  mill  is  driven  by  a  fifty  horse-power 
engine. 

Albion  Flouring  Mills,  owned  and  operated  by  Hodg- 
son Brothers,  and  located  in  the  east  part  of  the  town,  on 
out-lot  No.  36.  This  mill  was  built  in  the  summer  of 
1857,  by  John  Hodgson,  and  was  the  first  steam  flouring 
mill  erected  in  Albion.  The  present  firm  have  been  the 
proprietors  since  August,  1863.  It  is  a  three  story 
frame  building,  and  40x53  feet  on  the  ground.  The 
capital  invested  is  about  $9,000.  It  contains  three  run 
of  burrs,  with  a  capacity  .of  grinding  forty  barrels  of 
flour  per  day,  and  furnishes  employment  to  three  men. 
It  does  both  merchant  and  custom  work,  and  ships 
mainly  to  the  south.  The  annual  value  of  manufactured, 
product  is  about  $40,000.  Power  of  engine,  thirty 
horse. 

Packing  House  of  C.  S.  Stewart  &  Co.  This  industry 
was  established  by  Alexander  Stewart  in  1843.  He 
continued  the  business  until  1875,  when  it  passed  wholly 
into  the  hands  of  his  sons.  The  pork  house  is  sit- 
uated in  the  southwestern  part  of  town,  and  is  38x100 
feet  in  siz°,  and  two  stories  high,  the  basement  story  being 
brick.  It  has  the  capacity  of  packing  3,000  hogs  in  the 
season,  and  when  in  full  operation  it  employs  ten  men. 
The  product  is  shipped  mainly  to  Cincinnati.  Other 
packing  houses  have  been  in  operation  at  Albion,  but 
have  recently  gone  out  of  business. 

Wagon  and  Plow  Factory. — This  establishment  is 
conducted  by  Painter  &  Frankland,  and  is  situated  on 
Church  street,  north  of  the  public  square.  The  busi- 
ness was  commenced  in  1868.  The  shops  comprise  the 
wood-working  portion  of  the  buildings,  25x38  feet,  brick, 
one  and  one-half  stories  ;  blacksmith  shop  20x80,  one 
story,  frame  paint  shop  20x70,  two  stories  besides  two 


lumber  sheds,  each  60  feet  in  length.  The  annual 
manufacture  of  wagons  and  plows  will  average  about 
seventy  of  the  former  and  six  hundred  of  the  latter, 
with  a  value  ranging  from  $12,000  to  $15,000.  Ten 
men  are  given  employment.  The  plow  manufactured  is 
a  patent  belonging  to  the  company,  and  is  known  as  the 
"  Stump  Plow."  It  is  sold  both  east  and  west. 

Wagon  and    Carriage  Factory,  George  Bower,   pro- 
prietor.    It  is  situated  on  the  south  side  of  Main  street, 
one  block  east  of  the  square,  and  the  business  was  estab- 
|  lished  in  1860,  by  the  firm  of  Tribe  &  Bower.     It  con- 
I  tains  two  frame  buildings,  the  wood-shop  being  one  and 
i  one-half  stories  high  and  22x60  feet  in  size  ;  the  black- 
j  smith  shop  is  about  40x50  feet.     This  factory  turns  out, 
annually,   about  twelve   buggies  and    twenty   wagons, 
giving  employment  to  four  men.     Furnishes  home  de- 
mand  and   neighboring   counties   with   carriages    and 
wagons. 

Cooper  Shop  of  A.  Bassett  is  situated  on  the  west 
side  of  Depot  street,  near  the  Anchor  Mills.  The  busi- 
ness was  established  by  Mr.  Bassett  in  about  1876.  The 
building  is  a  frame,  one  story,  22x56  feet,  with  store 
room  18x50  feet.  Both  loose  and  tight  work  are  manu- 
factured. Four  men  are  employed.  Value  of  manu- 
factured product  per  year,  about  $5,000. 

Cigar  Manufactory  was  established  in  1875,  by  Frank 
Dalby,  and  came  into  the  hands  of  the  present  pro- 
prietor, J.  C.  Ferriman  in  November,  1882.  It  is  located 
in  the  Craig  Block,  southwest  from  the  square.  Three 
men  are  employed,  and  a  product  of  about  $3,000  manu- 
factured per  annum. 

Brick  Yard  of  Bassett  &  Sons  commenced  operations 
as  early  as  1850.  It  is  located  in  the  south  part  of  town, 
just  across  from  the  Air  Line  railway.  When  in  opera- 
tion it  gives  employment  to  twelve  hands,  and  burns 
about  400,000  bricks  each  season.  Ships  largely  to  the 
southern  parts  of  the  state. 

Carding  Mill,  owned  by  Mrs.  John  Tribe.  This  mill 
was  established  by  John  Tribe,  at  Wanborough  as  early 
as  1827.  In  1836,  it  was  moved  to  Albion,  where  it  was 
conducted  by  Mr.  Tribe  until  his  death.  It  is  yet  in 
running  order  and  located  on  out-lot  number  88,  in  the 
west  part  of  the  town.  In  an  early  day  it  did  all  the 
carding  for  the  citizens  for  many  miles  around. 

Albion  Marble  Works,  B.  F.  Thrall  proprietor,  are 
situated  on  the  south  side  of  Main  street,  two  and  a-half 
blocks  west  of  public  square.  These  works  were  estab- 
lished in  the  spring  of  18^0,  by  Mr.  Thrall.  Two  men 
are  employed,  and  a  product  of  about  $1,800  is  turned 
out  annually. 

Besides  the  above  the  town  contains  a  good  library  ; 

a  well  drilled  cornet  band  with  nineteen  instruments, 

j  the  members  all  uniformed  ;  an  excellent  school  build- 

i  ing;  four  good  church  buildings,  Presbyterian,  Metho- 

j  dist,  Episcopal,  and  Christian ;  also  two  Hotels.     The 

side   walks  are   well   kept,  and  numerous   shade   trees 

abound  in  every  part  of  the  city. 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  W ABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


BUSINESS   HOUSES,   TRADES,  ETC. 

General  Stores.— Churchill  Bros.,  Harris  Bros  ,  C.  S. 
S.  Stewart  &  Co.,  John  Woods,  Frank  M.  Martin  and 
K.  A.  Bowman. 

Groceries,  Queensware,  etc. — Frank  Dalby,  George 
Baker,  Edward  Craig,  John  Hands,  Jacob  Michels. 

Hardware  and  Stoves. — Charles  H.  Mann,  John 
Skeavington. 

Stoves  and   Tinware. — George  Weaver,  Harry  Dalt>y. 

Druggists  a»d  Pharmacists. — B.  F.  Michels,  John  C. 
Ferriman,  H.  F.  Low. 

Dry  Goods.— H.  Wagoner. 

Clothing,  Hats,Caps,  etc.— 13.  Gross  &  Co. 

Merchant  Tailor.— S.  N.  Dalby. 

Harness,  Saddlery  and  Hardware. — James  T.  Craig  & 
Son. 

Harness  and  Saddlery.— H.  P.  Craig,  Richard  Curd- 
ling. 

Furniture  and  Undertaking. — Craig  Bros. 

Furniture  Store. — K.  A.  Bowman. 

Undertaker. — John  Bower. 

Lumber  Merchants.— W.  H.  Brown,  John  Smith,  Eli 
Bunting. 

Agricultural  Implements. — John  Skeavington,  Painter 
&  Frankland,  Eli  Bunting. 

Blacksmiths. —  Robert  Hall,  W.  H.  Johns,  T.  J. 
Chism. 

Bakeries  and  Restaurants. — Frank  Dalby,  George 
Baker. 

Boot  and  Shoe  Stores.— R.  Curdling  and  Son,  John 
Batson. 

Books  and  Stationery. — William  Runcil. 

Florists.— S.  N.  Dalby,  Mrs.  J.  R.  Jacobs. 

Jeweler .— John  W.  Leonard. 

Physicians.— F.  B.  Thompson,  L.  W.  Low,  H.  L 
Dixon,  A.  Low,  H  Walters,  J.  C.  McClurkin,  S.  D. 
Low. 

Grain  Dealers  and  Shippers — Harris  Bros.,  C.  S 
Stewart  &  Co.,  John  Eastham. 

Meat  Market— E.  Chism,  L.  C.  Bond. 

Milliner.— Misses  Williams. 

Milliners  and  Dressmakers — Misses  Smith  and  West. 

-Dressmakers. — Miss  Miller,  Miss  S.  Simpkins. 

Livery  Stables.— John  Sentance,  T.  J.  Killough. 

Barber. — Samuel  Payne. 

Contractors  and  Builders.  —  Elias  Weaver,  J.  C. 
Weaver,  Hall  &  Tribe,  John  Bower. 

Masons,  Bricklayers  and  Plasters. — William  Borrell, 
George  Hortou,  George  Bassett. 

Stone  Mason. — Hugh  Denoon. 

Painter  and  Glazier. — E.  W.  Brandon. 

Photographers.— F.  B.  McConnell,  J.  W.  Belts. 

Postmaster.— J.  Churchill. 

Hotels. — Woods  House,  E.  and  L.  Woods,  proprietors ; 
Bowman  House,  William  Bowman,  proprietor. 

Newspapers.  —  Albion  Journal,  Morris  Emmerson, 
editor  ;  Albion  News,  Walter  Colyer,  editor. 


SOCIETIES.  * 

Hermitage  Lodge,  A.  F.  and  A.  M.,  No  356,  was 
chartered  the  3d  of  October,  1860,  with  eight  charter 
members.  The  present  membership  is  56.  The  whole 
number  of  names  enrolled  on  the  lodge  books  is  98.  The 
lodge  meets  in  its  hall  over  Churchill  Bros,  dry  goods 
store.  Financially  it  is  in  good  standing 

Albion  Lodge,  No.  181,  A.  O.  W.  W.,  was  organized 
and  chartered  April  7th,  1881,  with  38  charter  mem- 
bers ;  it  now  numbers  41.  The  whole  number  enrolled 
is  48.  The  lodge  meets  in  Temperance  Hall  the  first 
and  third  Tuesday  of  each  month.  Its  finances  are  in 
excellent  condition. 

Albion  Division,  No.  157,  S.  of  T.  was  chartered 
November  27th,  1848,  with  11  charter  members,  eight 
of  whom  are  yet  living,  and  four  of  the  same  are  still 
members  of  the  lodge.  Present  membership,  85  ;  whole 
number  enrolled,  840.  The  lodge  meets  at  Division  Hall 
every  Monday  evening.  It  is  out  of  debt,  and  sufficient 
means  in  treasury  to  conduct  the  lodge.  Tradition  says 
that  there  was  an  organization  of  Masons  and  Odd 
Fellows  in  Albion  as  early  as  1819. 

TOWN  OF   FRAZIER   (BROWNS). 

This  town  was  laid  off  and  planted  by  John  Hender- 
son, December  26th,  1880,  and  placed  of  record,  Decem- 
ber 28th,  of  the  same  year,  and  described  as  follows : 
Commencing  at  a  stone  corner  in  the  N.  E.  corn§r  of  the 
N.  W.  J  of  sec.  4,  Tp.  2  S.,  R.  14  W.  of  the  2d  P.  M. 
The  town  takes  its  name  from  the  prairie  in  which  it  is 
situated — Frazier's  prairie. 

BUSINESS   OF  THE  TOWN. 

Tile  Factory,  Boren  &  Beloat,  proprietors.  It  is 
situated  two  blocks  east  of  the  depot,  on  the  south  side 
of  the  Air  Line  railway,  and  was  established  in  the  sum- 
mer of  1882.  The  shed  of  the  works  is  18  by  250  feet 
in  size ;  the  tile  mill  is  Penfield's  patent,  and  has  the 
capacity  of  manufacturing  8,000  feet  of  tile  per  month. 
The  works  give  employment  to  five  men.  The  size  of 
tile  made  is  from  3  to  8  inches,  and  the  estimated  value 
of  manufactured  product  per  year  is  $4,000.  Three 
hundred  cords  of  wood  are  consumed  during  the  season. 

St.  Charles  Hotel.— Milton  Westfall,  proprietor. 

Physician.— J.  H.  Harris. 

Physician,  Druggist,  and  Pharmacist. — A.  W.  Messick. 

Groceries,  Notions,  and  Hardware. — K.  Marriott. 

General  Stores. — Stephens  &  Malone,  Jennings  & 
Mussett. 

Groceries,  Queensware,  etc. — E.  Craig. 

Wagon  and  Repair  Shop. — W.  Biggers. 

Grain  Dealer. — K.  Marriott. 

Shoe  Shop. — Nelson  Jones. 

General  Blacksmith.— Charles  A.  Schwartz. 

Dressmaker  and  Milliner. — Miss  Mills. 

Postmaster. — K.  Marriott. 


•  in,i,-in,-.l  tc.  thu  Secretaries  oft 


-  k.Uges  fn 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


211 


A  coal  shaft  is  being  sunk  near  the  town,  and  at  this 
writing,  a  depth  of  100  feet  has  been  reached.  A  shallow  i 
vein  of  coal  has  already  been  passed  through,  and  the 
present  indications  are  that  a  paying  bed  of  coal  is  not  | 
far  beneath. 

EDWARDS   COUNTY   AGRICULTURAL   BOARD. 

This  society  was  organized  in  April,  1857,  under  the  I 
title  of  the  "  Edwards  County  Agricultural  and  In-  | 
dustrial  Society."  Pursuant  to  the  call  for  organization, 
William  Fewkes  was  called  to  the  chair,  and  M.  W.  \ 
Uttley  was  appointed  secretary,  and  F.  W.  Johnson 
appointed  treasurer  pro  tern.  The  following  named 
persons  were  appointed  a  committee  to  draft  resolutions 
for  the  formation  of  the  society :  John  Brissenden,  Wm. 
Fewkes,  George  May,  F.  B.  Thompson,  and  Joseph 
Skeavington.  As  per  resolutions  adopted,  in  order  to  [ 
become  a  member  of  the  society,  one  dollar  matriculation 
fee  was  required,  besides  the  annual  payment  of  the  same 
amount.  The  following  are  the  names  of  the  first  mem- 
berg  :  Brian  Walker,  Sen.,  F.  W.  Johnson,  F.  B. 
Thompson,  Samuel  Thompson,  S.  N.  Dalby,  Isaac  Smith, 
Edward  Colyer,  Sen.,  Joseph  Skeavington,  Wm.  Fewkes, 
Wm.  Woods,  John  Brissenden,  George  May,  Brian 
Walker,  Jun.,  M.  W.  Uttley,  Thomas  Gill,  Sr.,  John 
Collyer,  Thomas  Marriott,  Gaspard  Trasset,  John 
Skeavington.  Joseph  Wood,  Samuel  Skinner,  and  John 
Pearce-  The  first  officers  elect  were  :  President,  John 
Brissenden  ;  Vice-President,  Joseph  Skeavington  ;  Se- 
cretary, Dr.  Samuel  Thompson  ;  Treasurer,  Gaspard 
Trasset. 

The  first  exhibition  was  commenced  Oct.  22d,  1857, 
and  was  held  in  block  Z,  in  the  southeast  part  of  the 
town.  The  fair  was  a  success,  as  the  records  sho  iv  that 


after  all  liabilities  had  been  paid,  there  was  $103.73  re- 
maining in  the  treasury. 

A  special  meeting  of  the  board  was  called  August  24, 
1872,  to  take  into  consideration  a  re-organization  of  the 
society,  under  an  act  of  the  State  Legislature,  passed 
April  17,  1871.  At  this  meeting  it  was  decided  to  or- 
ganize under  said  act,  and  the  foregoing  name  was 
accepted  by  the  society. 

The  present  fair  ground  was  located  in  the  spring  of 
1859,  and  situated  in  the  north  part  of  town— lots  63 
and  68.  The  society  at  first  purchased  only  six  acres, 
but  subsequently  have  added  81  acres,  making  a  com- 
modious ground  of  14  J  acres,  and  which  contains  an  ex- 
cellent one-third  mile  track.  The  grounds  are  also 
furnished  with  an  amphitheatre,  judges  and  band  stand, 
floral  hall,  agricultural  hall,  eating  house,  about  forty 
horse  stalls,  thirty-five  cattle  sheds,  feed  stable,  and 
upwards  of  forty  sheep  and  hog  pens.  An  excellent 
grove  adorns  the  ground  for  the  comfort  of  visitors, 
while  the  privileges  for  water  are  everything  that  could 
be  desired.  The  society  can  boast  of  paying  all  premi- 
ums in  full,  from  its  first  organization  to  the  present 
time 

The  present  officers  are  :  President,  Joseph  Skeaving- 
ton; Vice-President,  Thomas  J.  Smith  ;  Treasurer,  Geo. 
Weaver ;  Secretary,  Morris  Emmerson ;  General  Supt., 
John  Landrigan  ;  Marshal,  John  Eastham ;  Directors, 
W.  W.  Willis,  H.  B.  Riggs,  John  J.  Wick,  L.  C.  Bond, 
Joseph  Dixon,  and  Thomas  Curtis. 

This  subject  would  be  incomplete  without  the  mention 
of  an  Agricultural  Society  being  established  at  Albion, 
by  Morris  Birkbeck,  George  Flower,  and  a  few  others, 
in  1825.  It  is  said  to  be  the  first  fair  held  in  the  State. 
The  premiums  were  paid  with  medals  and  silver  ware. 


BIOGRAPHIES. 


THE  story  of  the  life's  labors  of  no  man  adds  such  lus- 
tre to  the  pages  of  Edwards  county  history  as  does  that 
of  George  Flower.  An  Englishman  by  birth ;  an  Ameri- 
can by  choice.  Well  calculated  by  natural  gifts,  richly 
set  with  studied  graces,  to  lend  dignity  to  an  English 
mansion,  he  loved  rather  the  air  of  liberty  and  indepen- 
dence, breathed  forth  by  American  institutions,  and 
became  a  child  of  her  adoption .  The  charms  of  England, 
overhung  as  they  were  by  the  darksome  wing  of  monarch- 
ical form  of  government  were  freely  exchanged  by  him, 
for  the  toils  and  privations  incident  to  pioneer  life  in  the 
free  air  of  republican  America.  No  sordid  ends  were  to 
be  subserved  in  seeking  a  home  in  the  then  "  far  west." 
Wealth  he  already  possessed  ;  position  and  power  the 
family  had  already  acquired.  The  stirring,  bold  utter- 
ances of  American  Independence  had  thrilled  him,  and 
the  broad  statesmanship  exhibited  in  our  national  con- 
stitution had  riveted  his  attention  and  gave  being  to  a 
hope  of  becoming  an  American  citizen.  The  ide'a  of  a 
land  where  all  were  sovereigns  engaged  his  profoundest 
sympathies  and  American  representatives  to  the  courts 
212 


of  Europe,  such  as  Jefferson  and  Franklin,  Adams  and 
King,  accepted  by  him  as  representatives  of  the  talent 
and  integrity  of  Americans,  precipitated  a  realization  of 
that  hope.  As  he  declares  in  his  published  history  of 
the  English  colony  of  Edwards  county.it  never  occurred 
to  him  that  the  principles  of  liberty  and  man's  political 
equality  could  be  set  forth,  a  perfect  theory  upon  paper, 
and  be  but  imperfectly  rendered  in  practice.  Possessed 
of  large  wealth  he  transplanted  on  our  prairies  the  art 
and  improvements  of  the  old  mother  country. 

He  was  born  in  Hertfordshire,  England,  in  the  year 
1787.  His  father,  Richard  Flower,  resided  for  many 
years  in  Hertford,  the  county  town,  twenty  miles  north  - 
eastof  London,  where  he  carried  on  an  extensive  brewery. 
Having  acquired  a  competence  he  retired  from  business, 
and  lived  upon  a  beautiful  estate,  called  Marden,  which 
he  purchased,  and  which  was  situated  three  miles  from 
Hertford.  George  Flower,  in  company  with  Morris 
Birkbeck  made  the  tour  of  continental  Europe,  adopting 
a  plan  peculiarly  their  own  and  quite  at  variance  with 
that  of  ordinary  sight  seers.  They  studied  peasant  life 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


213 


in  all  its  rustic  simplicity,  and  graphically  did  Birkbeck 
present  to  the  world  an  account  of  their  experiences  in 
a  work  entitled  "  Notes  of  a  journey  through  France."  j 
Soon  after  their  return  to  England,  they  were  introduced 
to  Mr.  Edward  Coles,  who  was  on  his  return  from  a 
diplomatic  mission  to  Russia,— an  introduction  which  was 
succeeded  by  Mr.  Coles'  visiting  Birkbeck  at  his  home  in 
Wanborough.  An  intimacy  and  friendship  sprang  up 
between  them  which  doubtless  had  much  to  do  in  deter- 
mining the  location  of  an  English  colony  in  Illinois. 
George  Flower  was  the  first  to  come  to  America,  on  a 
tour  of  observation.  Although  disabused  of  many  of 
his  preconceived  ideas  lie  still  recognized  the  fact  that 
here  were  opportunities  for  the  accomplishment  of  vast 
good.  He  sailed  from  Liverpool  in  April,  1816,  in  the  i 
ship  Robert  Burns,  under  command  of  Captain  Parsons 
of  New  York.  Fifty  days  after  starting  he  arrived  hi 
New  York.  From  here  he  wrote  a  letter  to  Ex-Presi- 
dent Jefferson,  to  whome  he  had  a  letter  of  in  reduction, 
from  his  old  friend  General  La  Fayette,  which  resulted 
in  a  kind  invitation  to  go  and  enjoy  the  shades  of  Monti- 
cello.  At  the  time  Mr.  Flower  could  not  comply.  He 
visited  Philadelphia,  where  he  met  with  Le  Seur,  the  j 
French  naturalist,  (who  afterwards  lived  in  Harmony, 
Indiana;)  Dr.  Wistar,  John  Vaughan, a  philanthropist, 
and  others.  Gradually  was  there  being  outlined,  through 
contact  with  such  characters,  the  idea  of  the  establish- 
ment of  a  colony  in  the  west.  On  horseback  he  made 
the  circuit  of  Pennsylvania,  Ohio,  Kentucky  and  Vir-  j 
ginia,  which  in  concise  language,  he  recounts  in  his  pub- 
lished history, — a  history  that  at  times  is  thrilling,  again 
romantic  and  always  instructive.  In  the  autumn  time 
he  reached  the  home  of  Jefferson,  with  whom  he  passed 
much  of  the  winter,  returning  to  Philadelphia  in  the 
latter  part  of  that  season.  Here  he  learned  of  the  arrival 
of  Mr.  Birkbeck  and  family  at  Richmond.  To  meet  and 
greet  his  old  friend  he  hastened,  and  added  another  to 
the  party  of  nine  adventurers, — for  such  they  truly  were. 
The  party  consisted  of  Mr.  Bir  beck,  aged  fifty-four ; 
his  second  son,  Bradford,  a  youth  of  sixteen  ;  his  third 
son,  Charles,  a  lad  of  fourteen  ;  a  little  servant  boy, 
Gillard,  thirteen  years  old  ;  Elias  Pym  Fordham,  (a 
cousin  of  Flower's;)  Miss  Eliza  Birkbeck,  aged  nineteen  ; 
Miss  Prudence  Birkbeck,  aged  sixteen  ;  Miss  Eliza  Julia 
Andrews,  twenty-five;  Elizabeth  Garton,  a  ward  of 
Birkbeck's  and  himself.  After  consultation  they  deci- 
ded to  go  westward  ;  exactly  where,  was  uncertain.  To 
Pittsburg  they  went  in  an  old-fashioned  lumbering  stage- 
coach, which  breaking  down,  necessitated  the  party  to  | 
walk  twelve  miles,  into  the  city.  Determined  to  see  the 
country  they  fitted  themselves  out  with  horses,  blankets; 
saddles  etc.,  and  wended  their  way  to  Cincinnati,  Ohio, 
where  they  were  joined  by  Mr.  Sloo,  the  register  of  the 
newly  opened  laud  office  at  Shawneetown,  in  the  terri- 
tory of  Illinois.  He  piloted  them  the  first  day  to  the 
residence  of  General  Harrison,  thence  across  Indiana  ; 
Mr.  Sloo  taking  a  southwesterly,  and  they  a  direct  west- 
erly course,  from  a  point  of  separation,  when  about  two- 


thirds  of  the  way  across  the  territory.  From  here  they 
went  to  Vincennes,  where  a  halt  was  called.  For  some 
weeks  the  party  remained,  and  here  at  the  house  of 
Colonel  La  Salle,  George  Flower  was  united  in  marriage 
with  Miss  Andrews,  Elihu  Stout,  a  justice  of  the  peace, 
and  editor  of  the  only  paper  there '  published,  being  the 
officiating  magistrate. 

Miss  Andrews  was  the  second  daughter  of  the  Rev. 
Modecas  Andrews  of  Eigeshall,  in  the  county  of  Essex, 
England.  In  his  history  Mr.  Flower  speaks  of  her  as 
being  a  woman  of  rare  intelligence  and  excellent  edu- 
cation, to  which  she  united  an  energetic  character  and  a 
courageous  spirit ;  an  affectionate  wife,  a  devoted  mother, 
a  kind  friend  and  a  good  neighbor,  she  proved  herself  in 
all  the  relations  of  life  a  true  and  noble  woman.  When 
misfortunes  and  poverty  came  to  her  family  in  the  later 
years,  she  met  the  changed  circumstances  with  a  cheerful 
spirit  and  unsubdued  courage.  She  was  of  the  best  type 
of  an  English  countrywoman  and  preserved  to  the  end 
of  her  days,  the  characteristics  of  her  nationality.  With 
her  high  shell  comb  and  her  tasteful  turban,  no  weary 
guest  will  ever  forget  her  cheery  welcome,  or  the  satis- 
factory and  kindly  manner  in  which  he  was  entertained. 
All  the  old  settlers  of  Edwar  Is  county,  who  now  survive 
and  who  shared  her  hospitality  call  her  memory  blessed. 

It  was  determined  on  leaving  the  family  at  Princeton, 
to  enable  Flower  and  Birkbeck  to  reconnoitre. 

They  started  out  in  search  of  prairies,  and  in  Edwards 
county  found  them  in  all  their  luxuriant  growth  of  grass, 
and  enticing  beauty.  In  August  1818,  Wanborough 
was  laid  off  and  in  October  following  Albion.  Soon 
after  the  parents  and  immediate  family  of  Flower,  located 
on  Albion,  where  the  "old  Park  house"  was  upreared 
and  whence  their  hospitality  was  dispensed.  The  mas- 
ter spirit  of  the  colony  ;  the  directing  genius  was  George 
Flower.  He  it  was  who  introduced  improved  methods 
of  husbandry,  imported  fine  cattle  and  sheep  from  the 
best  herds  of  England,  and  when  in  1823  it  was  attempt- 
ed to  legalize  African  slavery  in  Illinois,  no  one  enlisted 
with  a  truer  heroism  than  he.  So  nearly  balanced  were 
the  contending  parties  of  the  state,  that  the  note  of  the 
English  colony,  ever  true  to  the  instincts  of  freedom, 
turned  the  scale,  a  handful  of  sturdy  Britons  being  the 
forlorn  hope  to  stay  the  triumph  of  wrong  and  oppress 
ion,  whose  success  might  have  sealed  forever  the  doom 
of  republican  and  constitutional  liberty  in  America. 
When  the  pro-slavery  advocates  found  themselves 
beaten,  before  the  might  of  right  and  justice  they  sought 
to  harass  and  render  miserable  the  life  of  free  blacks, 
and  this  it  was  that  caused  George  Flower  to  come  forth 
the  champion,  as  he  was  the  originator  of  the  idea  of  col- 
onization of  free  negroes,  in  Hayti.  His  arguments  ar- 
rested the  attention  and  gained  the  co-operation  of  many 
leaders  of  thought  and  molders  of  public  opinion  through- 
out the  north.  Although  the  plan  met  with  but  partial 
success,  its  conception  and  management  reflect  great 
credit  upon  the  originator,  and'  place  him  high  among 
the  ranks  of  human  benefactors. 


214 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


Mr.  Flower's  clear,  philosophic  bent  of  mind  made 
him  the  peer  of  leading  statesmen,  who  sought  his  coun- 
sel, and  exchanged  with  him  views  on  public  polity  that 
present  a  running  commentary  on  the  formative  history  of 
republicanism.  Among  his  correspondents  he  numbered 
Jefferson,  La  Fayette,  Cobbett,  of  England,  Madame 
O'Connor,  of  Ireland  and  the  Counte  de  Lasteyni,  of 
France. 

He  met  with  reverses  which  seem  the  inevitable  lot  of 
all  colonizers.  Financial  embarrassments  surrounded 
him,  and  compelled  his  retirement  from  life's  activities. 
Here  he  lived  again  in  memory  his  eventful  career,  and 
gave  to  literature  a  resume  of  the  hardships  he  had  en- 
dured, the  trials  he  had  encountered,  the  triumphs  he 
had  experienced,  in  the  volume  entitled  "  A  history  of 
the  English  settlement  in  Edwards  county." 

He  was  a  clear,  simple  writer.  His  narrations  are 
straightforward  and  highly  interesting.  The  account  of 
long,  wearisome,  horseback  journeys,  encountering  friends 
and  foes,  of  the  primitive  dismalness  of  Cincinnati  ;  of 
the  period  placed  on  immigration  by  the  waters  of  the 
Wabash  ;  of  the  floods  and  unbridged  rivers ;  of  the  re- 
treating Indians,  painted  as  he  found  them  at  Vincennes, 
as  if  ready  for  war,  when  their  hearts  were  cowed  before 
the  white  man's  might;  of  the  back-woodsman  who 
equally  dreaded  the  advance  of  true  civilization  ;  of  the 
town  of  Albion  pre-arranged  by  two  men,  germinating 
in  a  log  inn,  a  smithy,  followed  by  a  store,  a  meeting- 
house, court-house,  jail  and  newspaper,  are  presented 
with  a  perspicacity  at  once  forcible  and  inviting. 

Of  his  ancestors  George  Flower  wrote  in  the  evening 
of  his  life.  "  They  were  men  of  strong  and  impulsive 
feeling.  One  of  them,  William  Flower,  is  recorded  in 
print  in  Fox's  Book  of  Martyrs,"  where  he  is  represent- 
ed as  tied  to  the  stake,  the  fagots  piled  about  him, 
refusing  to  recant ;  but  offering  his  hand,  which  the  ex- 
ecutioner has  lopped  off,  and  is  holding  on  a  pike,  as  an 
atonement  for  an  act  which  he  acknowledged  to  be  wrong : 
striking  a  priest  with  a  wood-knife  whilst  officiating  at 
an  altar.  His  mother  was  a  Fordham.  a  family  that 
made  their  name  famous  under  Cromwell. 

A  brother,  Edward  Fordham  Flower,  after  a  sojourn 
in  Illinois  of  five  years,  returned  to  England,  where  he 
became  Mayor  of  Stratford  upon  Avon.  To  him  the 
world  is  indebted  for  the  recovery  of  the  Stratford  of 
Shakspeare.  He  preserved  relics  of  the  great  poet ;  put 
his  house  in  perfect  order  ;  erected  a  theatre  ;  opened  a 
Shakspearean  library  and  museum.  Here  he  entertained 
Emmerson  Fields,  "  George  Eliot,"  (Miss  Evans),  and 
others  who  loved  associations  clustering  around  the  mem- 
ory of  the  Bard  of  Avon. 

A  cousin  of  George  Flower,  Sarah  Flower,  by  mai- 
den-name, afterwards  Adams,  wrote  the  world-wide 
words  of  "Nearer  my  God  to  thee,"  and  a  sister 
Eliza  set  the  words  to  music.  The  members  of  the  im- 
mediate family  of  George  Flower  are  scattered.  A  son, 
Alfred,  is  a  very  acceptable  and  popular  preacher  in  the 
Christian  church,  Paris,  Illinois  ;  a  grandson,  Richard, 


is  a  leading  physician  and  scientist  of  Boston  ;  another, 
George  E  ,  is  an  able  proclaimer  of  the  truth  in  the 
Christian  church  in  Paducah,  Ky.,  as  well  as  a'writer  of 
power,  beauty  and  pathos. 

Mr.  Flower  died  ou  the  15th  of  January,  1862,  under 
the  loving  and  sad  watch  of  friends  at  Grayville,  White 
county,  Illinois,  where  death  had  claimed  his  companion 
but  a  few  hours  before.  They  had  often  expressed  a 
hope  that  united  in  life  they  should  not  be  divided  by 
death.  The  hope  was  gratified,  and  together  their 
spirits  winged  their  flight  from  their  clayey  tenements. 


GEORGE  MICHELS 

WAS  born  in  Gallatin  county,  Illinois,  May  18,  1818. 
His  father,  for  whom  he  was  named,  was  a  native  of  the 
State  of  Maine,  as  was  also  his  mother,  whose  maiden 
name  was  Mary  Getchell.  George  Michels,  Sr.  and 
family,  in  company  with  Moses  Michels  and  wife,  John 
Michels,  widow  of  James  Michels,  Permelia  Michels, 
(now  Shepherd  and  the  only  survivor  of  the  company 
among  the  grown  people),  and  a  sister  of  the  wife  of 
(Jeorge  Michels,  left  their  homes  in  Maine  for  the  West 
by  wagons,  in  1817.  In  this  primitive  manner  they 
arrived  at  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  where  they  took  a  flat  boat 
the  following  spring,  which  bore  them  on  to  Shawnee- 
town.  At  Cincinnati  they  made  a  halt,  where  the  men 
improved  the  time  by  gathering  corn,  receiving  for  their 
labor  one  half  the  crop.  This  generosity  (?)  upon  the 
part  of  their  employers  was  due  to  the  fact  that  an  unusu- 
ally severe  cold  spell  was  upon  them,  and  corn  was  needed 
for  stock.  Proprietors  thought  it  too  cold  to  engage  in 
such  labor,  but  these  hardy  sons  of  Maine  thought  differ- 
ently, and  were  glad  of  the  opportunity  afforded  of  re- 
plenishing their  stores.  To  George  Michels,  Sr.  and 
wife,  were  born  ten  children ;  Nancy  Melrose,  Lucy 
Naylor  (dead),  George,  Mary  Naylor,  William,  Cyrene, 
Lambert,  Christopher,  Ezra,  Reuben  and  Sarah  Melrose. 
In  the  fall  of  1818.  the  family  came  to  Edwards  county. 
Here  George,  in  common  with  his  brothers  and  sisters, 
obtained  a  fair  common  school  education.  He  was  mar- 
ried to  Margaret  Spencer,  daughter  of  John  Spencer,  a 
native  of  England,  by  whom  he  had  seven  children, 
namely:  Emily,  Louis  A.,  Frederick  G.,  Jacob  11., 
Isaac  G.  (dec'd\  Joseph  (dec'd),  and  Benjamin. 

Mr.  Michels  is  a  leading  republican,  who  early  espoused 
the  cause  in  the  advocacy  of  which  the  party  was  institut- 
ed. His  first  presidential  vote  was  cast  for  Gen.  William 
H.  Harrison.  In  the  year  1860,  he  was  elected  Sheriff  of 
Edwards  county,  and  upon  the  occasion  of  the  death  of 
Mr.  Morgan,  who  was  then  Sheriff,  he  was  appointed  in 
1873.  In  1874,  and  again  in  1876,  he  was  elected 
to  the  same  position.  Prior  to  his  term  as  Sheriff,  he 
had  been  elected  Treasurer  in  1872,  and  Coroner  in 
1856.  The  many  official  positions  he  has  held  attest 
his  worth  as  a  man  and  citizen. 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WAS  ASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


ELIZA    JULIA    FLOWER. 


MRS.  ELIZA  JULIA  FLOWER,  relict  of  the  late 
Flower.  Among  the  pioneers  of  Edwards  county,  no 
one  is  held  in  dearer  esteem,  because  of  excellent  quali- 
ties of  head  and  heart,  than  Mrs.  George  Flower.  In 
connection  with  her  husband's  sketch  on  the  preceding 
pages,  is  a  brief  presentation  of  her  leading  charac- 
teristics. Her  maiden  name  was  Eliza  Julia  Andrews. 
She  was  the  second  daughter  of  the  Rev.  Mordecai 
Andrews,  of  Eigeshall,  Essex  county,  England.  There 
existed  a  strong  friendship  between  Miss  Andrews  and 
the  family  of  Birkbeck,  and  she  being  on  a  visit  to 
Wanborough  when  Mr.  Birkbeck  decided  on  coming  to 
America,  concluded  to  accompany  them,  and  under 
their  protection  share  the  adventures  of  the  New  World. 
They  arrived  from  England,  and  landed  in  Richmond, 
Virginia,  in  1817,  she  being  at  the  time  twenty-five 
years  of  age.  The  long  horseback  journey  from  thence 
to  Vincennes,  Indiana,  was  made  by  her  in  company 

214-A 


|  with  others.  When  others  grew  despondent  she  was 
cheerful.  Ever  buoyant  in  her  disposition,  the  discour- 

[  agemente  incident  to  such  journeys  never  affected  her. 
After  reaching  Vincennes  she  became  the  wife  of  George 
Flower,  to  whom  she  was  married  at  the  residence  of 
Colonel  La  Salle  in  1818.  The  same  year  found  her 
residing  in  Edwards  county,  where  she  lived  for  forty-one 
years.  Although  all  her  surroundings  were  so  different 
from  those  to  which  she  had  been  in  earlier  life  accus- 
tomed, she  maintained  her  light-heartedness,  and  to  her, 
more  than  to  any  other,  is  due  the  reputation  acquired 
by  Park  Hall  for  its  hospitality.  In  1844  the  family 
moved  to  New  Harmony,  Indiana,  and  in  1860  to  Mt. 
Vernon,  same  State.  In  1862  she  and  her  husband  were 
visiting  a  daughter,  Mrs.  Agniel,  of  Grayville,  when 
on  the  15th  of  January  they  both  died.  She  upon  the 
dawning  of  the  morning,  and  he  in  twilight's  hour.  (See 
sketch  of  George  Flower.) 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


SAMUEL  NELSON  DALBY 

WAS  born  in  Leeds,  Yorkshire,  England,  April  30, 1817 
His  father,  Robert  Dalby,  was  a  surveyor  and  school 
teacher.  In  1834,  father  and  son  came  to  America  on  a 
visit,  promising  the  wife  and  mother  a  speedy  return. 
They  landed  in  New  York,  and,  in  company  with  a 
brother-in-law  of  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  came  on,  in 
1835,  to  Edwards  county.  Once  here  they  determined 
on  making  it  their  home,  and  under  the  shade  of  a  tree, 
standing  out  in  a  prairie,  about  nine  miles  north  of  Al- 
bion cast  lots  as  to  which  of  the  three  should  return  to 
meet  mother  and  family  on  their  way  hither.  The  lot 
fell  to  Mr.  Brooks.  It  was  further  agreed  that  he  should 
purchase  a  stock  of  goods  with  which  to  commence  mer- 
chandising in  Albion,  so  all  their  funds  were  given  to 
his  keeping.  With  light  heart  he  started  on  his  journey. 
No  positive  tidings  were  ever  heard  of  him,  although  it  is 
quite  certain  that  in  a  steamboat  disaster  between  Louis- 
ville and  Cincinnati,  he  was  lost.  Some  time  after  word 
came  that  Mrs.  Dalby  and  children  had  arrived  in  New 
York,  after  enduring  great  hardships,  entailing  loss  of 
money,  furniture  and  other  household  effects.  At  sea 
the  ship  Scotland,  on  which  they  were  aboard,  was  ship- 
wrecked and  their  lives  alone  were  preserved.  Samuel 
and  his  father  were  unable  to  aid  them  in  their  extremity. 
After  stating  the  facts  a  Mr.  Clark,  a  Quaker,  told  them 

2H-B 


they  were  welcome  to  what  money  he  had  in  New  York, 
and  a  draft  was  sent  to  Mrs.  Dalby.  Too  late  it  reached 
its  destination.  Mrs.  Dalby.  worn  out  with  care  and 
anxiety,  had  sickened  and  died.  The  draft  was  returned, 
and  again  sent  on  its  mission  of  mercy,  made  payab'e  to 

.  any  of  the  surviving  children.  A  gentleman  named 
Swales,  saw  the  children  to  Pittsburg,  another  to  Louis- 
ville, thence  to  Mt.  Vernon,  Ind.,  and  here.  The  three 
children  are,  David,  now  of  Kansas;  Sugden.of  Liver- 
pool, England,  and  Sarah  Thompson,  of  Newport,  Ky. 
During  all  this  time  Robert  was  engaged  teaching  a 
school,  and  Samuel,  the  only  child  who  had  learned  a 
trade,  was  engaged  in  tailoring.  Samuel's  grandfather 
was  killed  at  the  age  of  ninety-seven  by  a  fall  on  a  side- 
walk, and  what  is  remarkable,  his  father  was  killed  in 

!  about  the  same  manner,  nine  miles  north  of  Albion. 

I  Samuel  N.  married  Elizabeth  Brisenden,  in  1836,  by 
whom  he  had  three  children,  Mrs.  Agnes  Weaver,  John 
and  Leroy  (dead).  She  died  in  1843.  He  was  again 
married  to  Sarah  C.  Skeavington,  by  whom  he  has  had 
seven  children.  Among  bis  relations  he  is  more  proud 
of  John  Nelson,  the  celebrated  divine  from  whom  he 
was  named,  his  mother's  uncle,  than  any  other. 

Mr.  Dalby  is  a  merchant  tailor.  As  a  citizen  he  is  a 
model  man.  In  the  enjoyment  of  universal  respect,  hb 
is  passing  the  evening  of  life. 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


215 


FOR  many  years  the  merchant  prince  not  only  of  ! 
Edwards,  but  of  adjoining  counties— Joel  Churchill— is 
worthy  of  mention.  He  was  born  in  Exeter,  England, 
December  16, 1792.  His  father,  Samuel  Churchill,  was 
a  manufacturer  of  cloth,  and  a  ship  owner.  A  brother 
was  at  one  time  the  largest  ship-owner  in  Great  Britain. 
Joel  was  ever  active  in  reaching  out  for  trade.  He 
visited  Asia,  the  British  possessions  in  Southern  Africa, 
and  traveled  through  Continental  Europe.  In  1820  he 
came  to  Edwards  county,  where  he  determined  on  farm- 
ing, but  it  proved  too  inactive  for  him,  or,  rather,  was  so 
different  to  the  life  he  had  always  lived,  that  he  soon 
forsook  it,  in  1823,  to  enter  upon  that  career  of  merchan- 
dising that  made  him  well  known  throughout  Southern 
Illinois.  It  is  said  that  for  years  he  was  the  only  mer- 
chant who  paid  cash  for  articles  of  home  production 
brought  to  his  establishment, — the  plan  being  that  of 
exchange,  made  so  largely  through  the  scarcity  of  money- 
He  married  Eliza  Simpkins,  daughter  of  William  Simp 
kins,  a  miller  by  trade,  in  December,  1825.  By  her  he 
had  eleven  children,  nine  of  whom  are  living.  He  had 
been  raised  a  Quaker,  although  he  never  embraced  the 
faith.  It  is  related  that  whenever  he  visited  Philadelphia, 


he  adopted  the  speech  peculiar  to  those  people,  and  for 
several  days  subsequent  to  his  return  it  was  "thee"  and 
"  thou  "  to  everyone — so  much  so,  that  a  citizen  meeting 
him  and  hearing  him  in  conversation  would  say,  Churchill 
has  just  returned  from  Philadelphia.  For  many  years 
he  was  post-master.  He  transacted  much  business  for 
others — his  remittances  by  draft  and  otherwise  reaching 
as  high  as  sixty  or  seventy  thousand  dollars  per  annum, 
a  large  sum  for  the  early  days.  One  method  of  sending 
money  is  worthy  of  remark.  He  would  take  a  bank 
note,  cut  it  in  halves,  and  send  the  parts  separately,  often- 
times by  different  mails,  to  insure  their  safe  transit.  He 
was  an  Old  Line  Whig  of  the  most  emphatic  class,  and 
right  royally  did  he  stand  up  for  the  party's  principles. 
Just  before  the  war,  he  went  to  Washington  and  Phila- 
delphia to  protect  his  interests,  owning  as  he  did  Georgia 
bonds,  and  then  was  a  most  prominent  Union  man.  A 
son,  Charles,  who  together  with  another,  James,  succeed 
him  in  business,  went  out  as  a  Captain.  He  died  March 
16th,  1872.  His  benefactions  to  young  men  struggling 
for  a  start  in  life  are  treasured  in  the  memory  of  many 
who  are  now  among  the  wealthiest  citizens  of  Edwards 
county. 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


JOSEPH  WOOD. 

AMONG  the  dead  of  Edwards  county  whose  memory 
ineii  delight  to  honor,  none  stood  higher  in  their  good- 
will th^an  Joseph  Wood.  He  was  born  in  Wymeswol.l, 
Leicestershire,  England,  Nov.  5,  1807.  At  the  age  of 
eleven  yeans,  in  1819,  he  was  brought  to  Edwards 
county  by  William  Wood,  where  the  family  yet  live,  a 
few  miles  southeast  of  Albion.  Here,  engaged  in  farm- 
ing, he  spent  his  days.  On  the  2d  of  May,  1833,  he  was 
united  in  marriage  to  Elizabeth  Hill  Shepherd,  daugh- 
ter of  Thomas  Shepherd,  who  came  here  as  a  foreman 
for  George  Flower.  He  had  occupied  a  like  position 
with  Mr.  Flower  in  England.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wood 
were  born  eleven  children,  six  of  Whom  are  now  living: 
Thomas,  Rebecca  Rude,  Henry,  Martha  Tribe,  Joseph 
Albert  and  Rosamond  Owen.  Mr.  Wood  was  an  affec- 
tionate husband,  a  loving  father,  and  a  citizen  of  whom  all 
were  proud  He  was  ever  active  in  all  things  calculated 
to  promote  his  country's  welfare,  and  was  recognized  as  a 
representative,  influential  farmer.  He  died  January  6, 
1881.  His  widow,  a  noble  woman,  lives  on  the  old 
homestead,  a  view  of  which  can  be  found  elsewhere  in 
this  work. 


WILLIAM  B.  TRIBE. 

THE  present  popular  circuit  clerk  was  born  in  Wan- 
borough,  two  miles  west  of  Albion,  July  22,  1829.  His 
parents  were  John  Tribe  and  Jane  Statey.  John  was 
born  in  Surrey,  England,  May  16,  1796,  and  came  to 
America  in  1818.  Jane  Statey  who  became  Mrs. 
Tribe  in  1821,  came  by  the  same  vessel,  an  orphan  girl, 
the  ward  of  a  family  named  Pritchard.  They  landed 
in  New  Orleans,  thence  came  to  Shawneetown,  and 
here.  John  Tribe  was  a  carpenter  and  joiner  by  occu- 
pation, and  in  the  new  colony  found  plenty  to  do.  lie 
was  a  hard  working  and  most  excellent  man.  He  had 
the  reputation  of  possessing  one  of  the  most  accurate 
memories  of  any  man  within  the  county.  When  an  old 
man  he  would  rivet  the  closest  attention  of  listening 
crowds  with  his  stories  of  backwoods  life.  When  any 
dates  were  desired  he  was  appealed  to  ;  when  disputes 
arose  with  reference  to  facts  or  dates  he  was  the  arbiter. 
He  received  universal  recognition  as  a  walking  cyclo- 
pedia of  information.  He  died,  much  lamented,  August 
25,1880.  His  widow,  now  eighty  years  old,  survives  him. 
To  them  wereboru  James,  Mary  Bowman,  Emma,  (dead)  ! 
Owen  (dead),  William  B.,  Alfred,  Emily  Pickering,  I 
Harry  (dead),  Thomas  H,  and  George.  The  survivors,  i 
with  the  exception  of  John,  Jr.,  all  reside  in  Edwards 
county.  John  lives  in  the  adjoining  county  of  Wayne. 
William  B.  received  a  common  school  education. 
Much  of  his  earlier  youth  was  passed  aiding  in  opera- 
ting a  carding  machine  which  his  father  bought  in 
1631,  and  which  was  owned  by  the  family  until  1883. 
At  the  age  of  eighteen  he  learned  the  trade  of  wheel- 
wright, which  business  he  pursued  until  twenty-eight 
years  of  age.  On  the  3d  of  February,  1856,  he  was  i 


united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Jane  A.  Spangler,  a  native 
of  York,  Pennsylvania,  whose  earlier  years  were  passed 
in  Philadelphia,  and  who  came  in  company  with  her 
mother  and  sisters  to  Edwards  county  in  1844  To  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Tribe  was  bom  one  daughter,  Annie  E.,  now 
the  wife  of  Horace  J.  Craig.  For  four  or  five  years, 
William  B  ,  in  connection  with  his  brother  John,  car- 
ried on  the  livery  business  in  Albion.  In  1864  he  en- 
tered the  service  of  the  United  States  in  Company  H., 
87th  Regiment  111.  Vol.,  in  which  he  was  commissioned 
as  Lie  utenant.  In  1866  he  was  mustered  out  of  service, 
and  soon  after  entered  the  office  of  the  county  clerk,  W. 
L.  Mayo,  as  deputy.  In  1868  he  was  chosen  circuit 
clerk  of  the  county,  a  position  he  has  held  continuously 
since.  In  this  capacity  he  has  few,  if  any  superiors 
throughout  the  State.  Politically  he  is  an  ardent,  ear- 
nest Republican  ;  religiously  an  active  member  of  the 
Episcopal  church.  The  temperance  cause  finds  in  him  a 
fearless  advocate.  A  true,  patriot,  an  excellent  citizen, 
a  tried  official,  he  has  hosts  of  friends. 

JONATHAN  BRIGGS. 

As  furnishing  an  apt  illustration  of  what  may  be  ac- 
complished by  persistent,  persevering  effort  with  a  pur- 
pose in  life — that  purpose  being  the  acquisition  of  a 
home  surrounded  with  life's  comforts,  Jonathan  Briggs 
may  be  cited.  He  commenced  a  poor  boy,  the  son  of  a 
widow,  and  steadily  has  he  pursued  a  straightforward 
course,  whose  efforts  have  compelled  success.  He  was 
born  in  Edwards  county,  April  27,  1834.  His  father, 
Jonathan  Brings,  when  a  jouth  in  England,  put  to  sea 
as  a  sailor — a  calling  in  which  five  of  his  brothers  were 
engaged — but  losing  his  hearing,  he  was  compelled  to 
abandon  his  first  love  and  seek  other  pursuits.  He 
soon  after  came  to  America,  and  for  a  short  time  fol- 
lowed gardening  near  Cincinnati,  Ohio.  He  married 
Eliza  Naylor,  also  of  England,  in  1833.  At  the  time 
they  both  lived  in  Edwards  county,  he  having  come 
here  in  1831  and  she  the  following  year.  In  September, 
1833,  he  died  at  Terre  Haute,  Indiana,  and  the 
subject  of  this  sketch  was  born  the  following  April. 
Jonathan  Briggs  had  like  opportunities  afforded  youth 
forty  or  fifty  years  ago,  which  consisted  of  a  short  term 
of  school  each  winter  and  much  hard  work — largely 
clearing — at  all  other  times.  Habits  of  economy  and 
industry  were  thus  fixed  upon  him.  The  old  homestead 
selected  by  his  parents  fifty  years  ago  is  now  his ;  noth- 
ing has  ever  tempted  him  to  leave  it.  His  widowed 
mother  married  and  raised  a  family  of  children,  whose 
interests  in  the  home  place  he  acquired  by  purchase. 
He  was  married  to  Sarah  Ann  Curtis  October  1,  1857. 
By  her  he  has  six  living  children,  George,  Eliza,  Ann, 
Nathan,  Lee  and  William,  and  two  dead — both  died  in 
infancy.  Mr.  Briggs  is  a  Republican  politically  ;  a 
member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church  religiously. 
As  a  farmer  he  is  progressive,  and  was  one  of  the  first 
in  this  section  of  the  country  to  adopt  a  system  of  tile 
draining. 


JOSEPH  WOOD    DEC'D. 


OF  THE 


LIBRAS* 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  W ABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS.          217 


WAS  born  in  Litchfield  county,  Connecticut,  March  7, 
1791.  His  parents  were  Ebenezer  and  Abigail  Harris. 
(Maiden  name  Burnham).  Ebeuezer  was  a  farmer. 
Gibson  came  west  in  1818  or  '19,  stopping  at  Vincennes, 
Indiana,  where  he  engaged  in  making  plats  and  maps  of 
the  surrounding  country.  Being  a  practical  surveyor 
he  found  plenty  to  do  in  his  vocation.  He  aided  in  lay- 
ing off  the  town  of  Terre  Haute.  After  a  few  months' 
sojourn  in  Vincennes,  he  came  to  Albion,  where  he  en- 
tered the  employ  of  Francis  Dickson  as  clerk.  In  this 
capacity  he  continued  until  the  time  of  his  purchase  of 
the  stock  of  goods.  In  the  mercantile  trade  he  continued 
until  the  time  of  his  death,  December  5,  1847.  From 
a  humble  beginning  he  established,  by  prudence,  energy 
and  the  exercise  of  an  excellent  judgment,  a  large  and 
lucrative  business.  In  an  early  day  he  took  strong 
grounds  in  favor  of  temperance,  nor  was  it  in  word-* 
28 


alone,  but  in  action  as  well.  It  was  the  custom  of  the 
times  to  have  liquor  on  sale  in  such  establishments.  This 
he  would  not  do.  Years  afterwards  this  was  imputed  to 
him  as  a  virtue,  though  at  the  time  his  customers  thought 
it  a  hardship.  He  was  united  in  marriage  with  Eliza- 
beth Woods,  daughter  of  John  Woods,  one  of  the  hardy 
English  pioneers  of  Edwards  county,  in  1826.  By  her 
he  had  nine  sons,  Gibson  W.,  now  of  Cincinnati; 
George,  Chester,  Francis,  John,  Levinus,  Lucius,  Morris 
and  Bedford  E.  Of  these,  all  are  living,  save  Chester, 
who  died  February  7,  1870,  and  John,  who  died  Febru- 
ary 10, 1850.  Mrs.  Harris  survived  her  husband  several 
years,  during  which  time  she  carried  on,  aided  by  her 
sons,  the  business  he  had  established  until  the  time  of 
her  death,  which  occurred  September  9, 1864.  Gibson 
Harris  was  one  of  nature's  noblemen,  a  true  friend,  a 
wise  counselor,  a  man  of  irreproachable  character. 


218 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


DAVID  S.  RUDE. 

DAVID  S.  RUDE  was  born  in  Worthington,  Massa- 
chusetts, December  11,  1812.  His  parents,  Alpheus 
and  Hannah  Rude  (nee  Taylor),  were  of  the  good 
old  Puritanig  stock  who  have  contributed  so  much  to 
make  all  New  England  revered  for  steadfastness  and 
morality.  The  family  sought  for  and  found  a  new  home 
iu  Lewis  county,  Virginia,  in  1819.  Here  the  subject 
of  this  sketch  was  reared.  In  1835  he  left  his  home  to 
try  his  fortunes  in  Illinois,  and  for  two  years  worked  for 
wages,  receiving  for  his  labor  seven  and  eight  dollars 
per  mouth.  During  the  winter  he  got  out  cord-wood, 
receiving  twenty-five  cents  per  cord  for  cutting.  He 
husbanded  his  resources  and  entered  land.  In  1837  he 
returned  to  Virginia  to  marry  the  girl  of  bis  choice, 
Purtania  Brake,  which  he  did  October  20,  same  year. 
His  bridal  tour  was  a  tedious  journey  back  to  Illinois, 
to  the  broad  acres  he  had  predetermined  should  become 
his  home.  Two  years  after  he  identified  himself  with 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  church,  of  which  he  was -ever 
after  a  most  zealous,  faithful  member.  For  nearly  forty 
years  he  was  the  circuit  steward,  and  .for  much  of  the 
time  he  was  a  class-leader  and  Sunday-school  superin- 
tendent. To  him  were  born  three  sons,  Edwin  L.; 
Albert  and  Handle,  all  living,  and  one  daughter,  who 
died  in  infancy.  Mr.  Rude  did  well  in  life,  being  one 
of  the  best  farmers  of  his  neighborhood.  He  died 
January  28,  1879.  His  widow  lives  on  the  old  home- 
>tead.  She  was  a  native  of  Virginia,  where  she  was 
born  November  8,  1821.  Her  parents  were  John  B. 
and  Rachel  Drake. 

Mr.  Rude  was  an  active  man  of  business,  a  devoted 
husband,  a  fond  father  and  a  model  citizen. 

MAXWELL  W.  MORGAN 

WAS  a  native  of  what  is  now  West  Virginia,  where  he 
was  born  in  Lewis  county,  the  son  of  Theodore  and 
Lydia  Morgan.  His  father  was  a  native  of  Connecticut. 
Mr.  Morgan  first  came  to  Edwards  county  in  1848. 
The  same  year,  November  16,  he  was  married  to  Mary 
Ann  Shurtleff,  daughter  of  Oliver  Shurtleff.  Oliver 
Shurtleff  died  where  he  lived,  in  Virginia.  He  had 
married  Sarah  Kingsley,  a  native  of  New  England. 
His  daughter,  who  became  Mrs.  Morgan,  came  to  Ed- 
wards county  in  1831  with  the  family  of  Ansel  Philips. 
Immediately  after  marriage,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Morgan  re- 
turned to  Virginia,  where  they  resided  five  years,  re- 
turning again  to  Edwards  county.  There  were  born  to 
them  eight  children,  four  of  whom  are  living,  Olive 
Poppele,  now  in  Mr.  Pulaski,  Illinois,  Jennie  Ford, 
George  Cliff,  a  druggist  in  the  village  of  Bone  Gap,  and 
Elmer  Grant.  Mr.  Morgan  was  a  farmer  and  a  justice 
of  the  peace.  He  entered  the  army  in  September,  1802, 
in  Company  K,  124th  Regiment,  111.  Vol.  In  the  charge 
made  upon  Vicksburg  the  following  year  he  was  severely 
wounded,  necessitating  his  return  home  in  November 
following.  In  1870  he  was  by  a  handsome  vote  elected 
Sheriff  of  the  county,  a  position  he  filled  with  marked 


ability,  and  to  which  he  was  re-elected  in  187  2  During 
his  second  term  of  service  he  died,  December  21,  1873. 
By  his  faithful  discharge  of  every  duty  devolving  upon 
him,  and  by  his  recognized  ability,  he  had  endeared 
himself  to  his  fellow  citizens,  so  that  his  death  was  uni- 
versally lamented.  Politically,  he  was  an  active,  out- 
spoken Republican,  a  leader  in  his  party.  He  was  an 
earnest  advocate  for  temperance,  being  for  years  a 
member  of  the  order  of  Sons  of  Temperance.  Reli- 
giously his  faith  was  deep  and  abiding.  In  the  faith  of 
the  M.  E.  Church  he  lived  and  died  triumphantly. 

JOHN  SMITH 

Is  one  of  the  influential  progressive  men  of  Albion, 
where  it  stands  a  synonym  for  honesty  and  integrity. 
Mr.  Smith  was  born  in  Albion  September  9,  1825.  His 
father,  Moses  Smith,  wasanativeof  Dorsetshire,  England, 
where  he  was  born  September  23,  1795.  He  came  to 
this  country  accompanied  by  a  brother  David  in  1820  ;  a 
third  brother  also  started,  but  died  in  New  York  on  the 
way  hither.  David  returned  to  England  after  enduring 
a  siege  of  chills  so  common  in  early  days,  In  1854  he 
again  came  to  America  and  died  here  the  same  year,  on 
the  19th  of  August.  Moses  Smith  was  for  a  brief  time 
in  the  British  army  in  1812.  He  ran  away  from  home 
to  enlist.  His  mother  appealed  to  have  him  discharged, 
and  her  third  appeal  was  successful,  through  her  calling 
the  surgeon's  attention  to  the  fact  that  he  had  an  imper- 
fection in  an  eye.  She  had  promised  her  son  a  watch 
in  the  event  of  success  crowning  her  efforts  in  securing 
his  release.  This,  with  his  name  neatly  engraved  in  the 
case  was  given  him,  and  is  now  owned  by  the  subject  of 
this  sketch.  Moses  was  married  to  Ann  Scudmore — 
maiden  name  Drinkwater — of  Lincolnshire.  She  came 
to  this  country  in  company  with  Mr.  Flower.  They 
had  nine  children ;  names  and  dates  of  birth  as  follows : 
Thomas  Scudmore,  December  4,  1820  ;  Harriet,  October 
2,  1823;  John,  September  9,  1825;  Catharine,  Septem- 
ber 16,  1827  ;  Mary  Catharine,  September  9,  1829 ; 
Mary  A.,  August  1,  1832;  Clara,  July  16,  1837; 
Moses,  December  21,  1839 ;  Eliza  Julia,  November  20, 
1842.  Of  these  Harriet,  Emma  and  Moses  died  respec- 
tively January  12,  1851,  August  31,  1853,  and  Febru- 
ary 9,  1874.  Moses  Smith,  Sr.,  was  a  butcher,  mer- 
chant and  farmer.  He  flat-boated  to  New  Orleans  with 
produce.  He  died  August  21,  1854,  followed  by  his 
wife  December  6,  1859.  John  Smith  remained  with  his 
father  as  a  clerk  until  about  twenty-three  years  of  age, 
when  he  bought  out  the  business  and  followed  it  ten  or 
twelve  years.  During  the  war  he  engaged  in  the  lum- 
ber trade,  which  he  has  since  followed  with  success. 
He  married  Mary  Brown  October  28,  1847,  by  whom 
he  had  five  children,  only  one  of  whom,  Harry,  a  miller 
of  Ashley,  now  lives.  Mary  B.  Smith  died  January  16, 
1862.  Mr.  Smith  was  married  to  his  present  wife, 
Susan  Brown,  June  4,  1863.  He  is  a  man  possessed  of 
fine  business  qualifications,  is  ever  foremost  in  efforts  to 
advance  the  interests  of  Albion.  Politically  he  is  a 
Republican. 


DAVID   S.  RUDE    DEC'D. 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WAR  ASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


219 


Is  one  of  the  leading  physicians  not  only  of  Edwards  i 
county,  but  of  southern  Illinois  ;  he  was  born  in  Shore- 
ham,  Addison  county,  Vermont,  October  4,  1822.  His 
father,  Henry  S.  Low,  was  a  farmer,  belonging  to  that 
class  of  intelligent,  energetic  husbandmen  for  which  New 
England  is  noted.  His  mother,  whose  maiden  name 
was  Rachel  Baldwin,  was  a  native  of  New  Jersey.  Ly- 
man  W.  was  the  last  son  in  a  family  of  seven  children, 
five  sons  and  two  daughters ;  he  obtained  a  good  common 
school  education,  then  entered  the  Academy  in  his  native 
village,  where  the  foundations  of  future  usefulness  were 
laid  broad  and  deep,  and  where,  too,  his  desire  for  schol- 
arly attainments  constantly  increased  until  he  deter- 
mined upon  a  University  course.  To  this  end  he 
entered  the  Connecticut  Literary  Institute  at  Suffield. 
During  his  two  years'  attendance  here,  the  study  of 
medicine  was  commenced ;  a  love  of  it  led  him  to  continue 
its  pursuit,  which  he  did  under  direction  of  an  older  : 


brother,  Dr.  S.  B.  Low,  an  Allopathic  physician  in 
Suffield.  In  1848  he  went  to  Ohio,  when  he  engaged 
in  teaching — that  stepping-stone  to  other  professional 
life,  and  in  which  he  continued  two  years.  Here  he 
marrried  Fai.nie  E.  Bryant,  May  1st,  1851.  One  son, 
now  a  druggist  in  Albion,  was  born  to  them.  His  wife 
died  April  2d,  1858.  Immediately  after  his  first  mar- 
riage he  went  to  Clayton,  Iowa,  where  he  engaged  ac- 
tively in  the  practice  of  medicine.  From  there  he  went 
to  Prairie  Du  Chien,  Wisconsin.  In  1854  he  attended 
lectures  in  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  graduating  from  the  Ameri- 
can Medical  College  in  1855.  On  January  1st,  1856,  he 
located  in  Albion,  where  he  has  since  successfully  prac- 
ticed his  profession.  He  was  married  to  his  present  wife, 
Mary  A.  Smith,  July  27th,  1859.  By  her  he  has  two 
sons — Smith  D.,  a  physician,  and  Lyman  P.,  a  student 
of  law.  The  doctor  is  a  pronounced  Republican.  For 
many  years  he  was  Medical  Examiner  for  pensioners 


220 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


CYRUS  RICE. 

CYRUS  RICE  was  a  lineal  descendant  from  Edmund 
Rice,  who  came  from  Barkhamstead,  Hertfordshire, 
England,  and  settled  in  Sudbury,  Massachusetts,  in  1638. 
From  records  it  appears  that  he  was  a  selectman  in 
1644,  and  made  a  deacon  in  the  church  in  1648.  Of 
his  wife,  Tamazine,  nothing  is  known  save  the  fact  of 
her  death,  in  Sudbury,  June  13,  1654.  He  was  a  man 
of  some  means  for  those  early  days  of  colonial  history, 
an  inventory  of  his  property,  made  out  at  the  time  of 
his  death  showing  £566  personal,  and  £170  real  pro- 
perty. A  son,  Edward,  was  the  father  of  John,  who  was 
the  father  of  Moses,  who  was  killed  by  the  Indians,  at 
the  age  of  sixty-one  years,  when  engaged  in  plowing 
corn.  A  nephew,  Asa,  eight  years  of  age,  who  accom- 
panied him,  was  taken  by  the  Indians  to  Canada.  His 
son,  Sylvanus,  was  a  Revolutionary  soldier,  who  died  in 
March,  1819,  in  the  ninety-first  year  of  his  age,  and  was 
the  father  of  Sylvanus,  who  was  the  first  to  leave  the 
old  Massachusetts  home,  which  he  did  in  1819,  finding 
,  one  in  Virginia  whence  he  came  to  Illinois  in  1832. 
Here  he  died  May  '29, 1847.  The  subject  of  this  sketch, 
Cyrus,  his  son,  was  born  February  28,  1798.  He  was 
married  to  Martha  Gould,  a  lineal  descendant  of  John 
Alden,  who  came  to  this  country  in  the  May  Flower  in 
1620,  January  27,  1824.  By  her  he  had  thirteen  chil- 
dren, five  of  whom  are  now  living.  Cyrus  Rice  was  an 
excellent  citizen.  He  was  an  active  member  of  the 
Presbyterian  church.  For  ten  years,  from  1851  to 
1861,  he  was  a  school  commissioner  for  Edwards  county, 
and  for  more  than  forty  years  he  was  township  treasurer. 
He  died  October  11,  1882. 


JAMES  BEAR 

Is  a  native  of  Ohio,  having  been  born  in  Monroe 
county,  in  the  southeastern  part  of  that  State,  January 
12,  1842.  His  father,  Jacob  Bear,  was  a  Pennsylva- 
nian  of  German  extraction.  His  mother's  maiden  name 
was  Isabelle  Heep.  In  the  year  1850,  the  family  con- 
sisting of  nine  children,  of  whom  James  was  the  sixth  in 
order  of  birth,  moved  to  Richland  county,  to  a  farm 
near  Olney.  After  four  years  they  again  moved  to  a 
place  near  Parkersburg,  the  old  gentleman  assigning  as 
a  reason  that  Olney  was  a  poor  place,  near  which  to 
rear  a  family  of  boys.  On  this  farm  Jacob  Bear  died 
September  30,  1881,  from  a  stroke  of  paralysis.  James 
Bear  married  Mary  Whitaker,  daughter  of  Jacob  Whit- 
aker,  a  native  of  Indiana,  December  24,  1868.  By  her 
he  had  four  children.  She  died  September  9,  1878. 
He  married  his  present  wife,  Martha  Hallam,  widow  of 
Joseph  Hallam.  She  was  a  native  of  West  Virginia, 
having  been  born  in  Wheeling  of  that  State.  Her 
parents  were  Alfred  and  Mary  Day.  They  came  to 
Parkersburg,  Illinois,  in  1853,  and  yet  live  on  the  place 
where  they  originally  located.  In  August,  1879,  Mr. 
Bear  came  to  Edwards  county.  He  has  always  followed 


farming  and  trading  in  cattle.  He  was  a  soldier  during 
the  late  war,  having  enlisted  in  Co.  A,  63rd  Illinois  Regi- 
ment Volunteers,  in  1861,  being  in  the  service  four 
and  a  half  years.  Was  with  Logan  and  Sherman 
to  the  sea.  Veteranized  at  Huntsville,  Alabama. 
Mrs.  Bear  came  to  the  place  where  they  now  live  as  the 
wife  of  Joseph  Hallam,  November  26,  1872.  Joseph 
Hallam  died  December  20,  1877.  James  Bear  is  a 
thorough-going  Republican,  an  active  member  of  the 
United  Brethren  church,  and  has  been  for  years  a  local 
preacher  of  that  faith.  He  is  a  man  of  sound  judgment, 
pleasing  manners  and  strictest  integrity. 


DR.  CHESTERFIELD  FILES. 
TAKING  high  rank  among  physicians  of  Edwards 
county,  is  he  whose  name  appears  above.  Dr.  Files  was 
born  in  White  county,  July  24th,  1841,  as  was  also  his 
father,  John,  who  was  born  August  12,  1818.  His 
mother,  whose  maiden  name  was  Jane  Maracle,  was  a 
native  of  Virginia  where  she  was  born  February  22d, 
1822.  Her  parents  were  German  people.  The  grand- 
father of  the  doctor,  William  E.  Files,  was  a  native  of 
South  Carolina,  whence  he  came  in  an  early  day  to  Ken- 
tucky, thence  to  White  county,  Illinois  in  1816.  His 
father  ill  turn  was  from  England.  Dr.  Files  obtained  a 
good  common  school  education,  taught  school  alter- 
nating it  with  attendance  in  the  Wesleyan  University  at 
Bloomington.  Upon  the  breaking  out  of  the  war  for 
the  Union  he  enlisted  as  a  private  in  Company  D,  40th 
Regiment,  Illinois  Volunteer  Infantry,  August  3d,  1861. 
He  remained  with  his  command  eight  months  when  he 
was  discharged  on  account  of  disability  ;  while  at  home 
he  received  an  appointment  from  Gov.  Richard  Yates 
as  Lieutenant  of  a  company  of  home  militia.  In  1863, 
he  again  entered  the  service  as  a  recruit  in  the  87th 
Regiment  Illinois  Volunteers,  upon  the  disbandment 
of  this  regiment  he  was  transferred  to  the  18th.  Belong- 
ing as  he  did  to  the  mounted  militia  he  did  much  ser- 
vice scouting.  In  1870,  he  entered  the  office  of  Dr.  R.  J. 
Puckett  to  engage  in  the  study  of  medicine,  a  study  he 
had  entered  upon  during  the  interim  in  his  terms  of  ser- 
vice. He  next  attended  lectures  in  the  Physio-Medical 
College  of  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  whence  he  was  graduated 
February  llth,  1873.  He  had  already  been  engaged 
in  practice  six  months  in  his  old  home,  but  upon  gradu- 
ating he  selected  Bone  Gap  as  a  place  of  residence,  and 
here  in  the  enjoyment  of  a  lucrative  practice  he  has 
since  remained.  He  was  united  in  marriage  to  Emeline 
Wilson,  daughter  of  Newton  Wilson,  of  Wayne  county, 
Illinois,  March  9th,  1867.  By  her  he  has  five  children 
living  and  three  dead.  He  is  a  Republican.  On  his 
mother's  side  the  family  was  noted  for  longevity.  His 
grandfather  died  aged  a  hundred  years.  His  parents 
yet  live  in  the  old  home  in  White  county.  As  a  prac- 
titioner the  doctor  is  held  in  high  esteem  ;  as  a  citizen  he 
is  loyal,  progressive  and  ever  awake  to  the  best  interests 
of  his  fellows. 


fc! 


Of  THE 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  W ABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


221 


PERHAPS  none  of  the  prominent  citizens  of  Edwards 
county  has  contributed  more  towards  placing  her  in  the 
rank  she  to-day  holds  among  her  sister  counties  than 
Walter  S.  Mayo.  Through  his  decided  executive  abili- 
ty, his  systematic  efforts  in  her  behalf,  his  untiring 
energy,  coupled  with  his  long  service  as  an  official, 
Edwards  county  possesses  a  record  second  to  none  in 
the  administration  of  her  finance  or  in  the  completeness 
of  her  past  civil  history.  Mr.  Mayo  was  born  in  Albe- 
marle  county,  Virginia,  March  7th,  1810.  His  father, 
Lewis,  was  a  teacher  as  well  as  planter.  To  be  a  planter 
in  the  Old  Dominion  carried  with  it  the  idea  of  being  a 
slave-holder  as  well— and  so  he  was.  A  brother  of  his, 
Joseph,  was  the  father  of  Joseph  Mayo,  mayor  of  the 
city  of  Richmond,  just  before  the  late  civil  war.  The 
father  of  Lewis  was  also  named  Lewis,  and  was  one  of 
three  brothers  who  came  from  England  and  settled,  one 
in  Richmond,  Virginia,  one  in  Albemarle  county,  same 
state,  and  the  third,  after  a  short  sojourn  there,  in  Ken- 
tucky. It  is  thought  that  they  were  of  the  same  family 
with  Rev.  John  Mayo,  who  emigrated  from  England  to 
this  country  about  1639,  and  who  was  one  of  the 
original  settlers  of  the  town  of  Barnstable,  Cape  Cod, 
Massachusetts.  He  was  the  first  pastor  of  the  second 
church  erected  in  the  city  of  Boston,  a  position  he  filled 


from  1655  to  1673.      He  died  at  Yarmouth,  Cape  Cod, 
in  1676. 

To  Lewis  Mayo  and  wife  were  born  Newson,  Walter 
L.,  Samuel  Winston,  three  sons,  and  Carey  Ann  (who 
married  Hiram  Reach)  and  Catharine  Shepherd, 
daughters.  Walter  L.  was  a  young  man  of  ambition, 
great  determination  and  self-reliance.  Having  acquired 
a  fair  education  he  started  out  to  become  the  architect 
of  his  own  fortune  ;  crossing  the  Alleghenies  he  made  a 
brief  stop  with  his  uncle  Harry  in  Tateville,  Kentucky, 
and  thence  came  on  to  Edwards  county,  Illinois,  in 
1828.  A  stranger  among  strangers,  penniless  in  pocket 
but  fertile  in  resources,  he  soon  obtained  employment  as 
teacher,  a  few  miles  southwest  of  Albion,  where  he 
boarded  in  the  family  of  Jones,  one  of  the  commissioners 
of  the  county  court.  His  adeptness  in  figures  soon 
commanded  attention,  and  he  supplemented  his  meagre 
income  as  a  teacher  by  making  calculations  in  behalf 
of  the  county,  and  in  making  out  papers  for  his  host. 
This  it  was  which  afterwards  led  to  his  selection  as 
clerk  of  the  county  court.  Upon  the  breaking  out  of 
the  Black  Hawk  war,  in  1831,  he  was  among  the  first 
to  offer  his  services  in  response  to  the  call  of  the  Ranger 
Governor,  which  were  promptly  accepted.  Being  so 
,  well  fitted  by  nature  for  such  a  position  he  was  made 


222 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


quartermaster  for  the  battalion  from  Edwards  and  ad- 
joining counties.  Just  prior  to  this  he  had  been  ap- 
pointed to  fill  a  vacancy  as  county  clerk.  The  records 
were  found  by  him  to  be  in  a  chaotic  state.  With  a 
will  he  set  to  work  and  brought  system  out  of  disorder. 
So  well  did  he  accomplish  his  ends  that  for  thirty-seven 
years  he  was  maintained  at  his  post  of  duty,  nor  did  the 
respect  for  his  commanding  talents  rest  here;  in  addition 
to  the  duties  of  county  clerk  he  was  called  upon  to  act  as 
circuit  clerk,  probate  judge,  and  treasurer  as  well. 
Pioneers  declared  that  as  long  as  they  had  Mayo  they 
needed  no  other  official.  Into  his  official  relations  with 
the  people  he  brought  that  frankness  and  generosity  so 
characteristic  of  the  Virginians,  and  which  he  possessed 
in  so  remarkable  a  degree  that  he  won  the  confidence, 
esteem  and  friendship  of  all.  During  all  his  long  term 
of  public  service  he  was  constantly  sought  as  an  arbi- 
trator between  fellow-citizens  in  matters  of  dispute,  and 
certain  it  is  he  adjusted  more  difficulties  during  that 
time  than  did  the  courts.  Through  his  skill  in  this  field 
of  usefulness  many  heart-burnings  and  bitter  feelings 
between  neighbors  were  assuaged.  Of  a  warm,  genial 
and  jovial  nature,  his  voice  and  manner  evinced  a  sin- 
cerity of  conviction  and  an  earnestness  of  good  purposes, 
when  giving  advice  or  counselling  harmonious  adjust- 
ments between  disputants,  that  he  seldom  failed  in  his 
efforts  in  this  direction.  No  one  hesitated  to  seek  his 
advice,  and  very  few  ever  had  cause  to  regret  its  adop- 
tion. During  the  years  of  his.official  career  he  amassed 
considerable  property.  Not  a  citizen  of  Edwards 
county  says  aught  else  than  that  it  was  well  earned. 

Mr.  Mayo  was  warm  and  steadfast  in  his  friendships, 
and  confiding  in  his  nature,  yet  he  could  not  overlook  a 
betrayal,  even  in  semblance,  and  while  he  would  go  to 
almost  any  length  for  a  friend — tried  and  true — he  held 
but  little  intercourse  with  those  who  had  incurred  his 
disaproval. 

Mr.  Mayo  was  united  in  marriage  to  Elizabeth  Hall, 
a  native  of  England,  March  3d,  1834.  By  her  he  had 
six  children.  Lewis  Mayo,  now  a  prominent  citizen  of 
Leavenworth,  Kansas.  Florence  the  wife  of  Henry 
Hopkins.  Alfred,  who  died  in  Indian  Territory,  Sept. 
30,  1868.  Rosamond,  Ella  C.,  and  Alice  E  ,  all  living 
together  with  their  widowed  mother  in  Leavenworth, 
Kansas.  The  family  of  Mrs.  Mayo  came  from  England 
to  Edwards  county  early  in  1821.  In  the  year  1871 
Mr.  Mayo's  family  went  to  Leavenworth,  where  they 
have  since  resided.  At  the  time  Mr.  Mayo  was  a  mem- 
ber of  the  State  Legislature,  and  although  he  joined  his 
family,  he  always  considered  Edwards  county  his  home, 
and  here  he  exercised  all  his  rights  of  citizenship.  He 
had,  during  the  last  few  years  of  his  life,  large  banking 
interests  in  Olney,  Richland  county,  to  look  after,  and 
doubtless,  but  for  his  untimely  end,  would,  with  the 
family  have  returned  to  the  old  home  to  have  spent 
life's  evening.  His  sudden  disappearance  from  the 
active  duties  of  a  busy  life,  and  the  manner  of  it,  are 
matters  of  conjecture.  He  was  last  seen  by  acquaint- 


ances boarding  a  train  of  cars  on  the  Ohio  and  Missis- 
sippi Railroad  at  the  Union  Depot,  in  St.  Louis  on  the 
evening  of  the  18th  of  January,  1878.  Among  reso- 
lutions adopted  by  his  fellow-citizens  in  mass  meeting 
assembled  consequent  upon  his  demise,  as  indicating 
their  love  of  him  we  copy: 

Resolved,  That  in  this  sudden  bereavement  our  entire 
community  feels  deeply  the  severe  loss  we  have  sus- 
tained in  the  removal  from  sight  and  knowledge  of  one 
with  whom  we  have  so  long  and  so  intimately  associated 
as  one  of  our  early  settlers. 

Resolved,  That  in  Mr.  Mayo  we  recognize  one,  who, 
through  a  long  and  active  life,  was  highly  esteemed  as 
a  true  citizen,  a  just  and  high  minded  official,  a  kind 
neighbor,  a  warm-hearted  and  faithful  friend,  and  in 
his  late  years  an  active  and  earnest  Christian  worker. 

Resolved,  That  in  this  mysterious  bereavement  we 
realize  the  loss  of  one  of  our  number  whose  place  among 
us  will  be  so  long  and  so  sadly  vacant  in  our  communi- 
ty and  county,  and  while  we  wish  to  yield  to  the  deal- 
ings of  Providence  we  find  it  one  of  the  severest  strokes 
we  have  been  called  to  suffer. 

Resolved,  That  we  realize  that  the  peaceful  and  the 
financially  prosperous  character  now  so  highly  enjoyed 
by  Edwards  county,  is  due  in  a  great  degree  to  the  in- 
fluence of  Walter  L.  Mayo  in  his  official  and  his  social 
relations,  and  in  his  long  and  earnest  active  life. 


JOHN  SENTENCE, 

THE  popular  proprietor  of  the  Albion  livery  stable,  a 
view  of  which  may  be  found  elsewhere  in  this  work,  is  a 
man  of  enterprise  and  energy.  In  common  with  many 
of  his  fellow  citizens  he  is  a  native  of  merry  England, 
having  been  born  in  Lincolnshire  June  25,  1827.  So 
many  citizens  of  Edwards  county  hail  from  the  beautiful 
island  of  the  name,  as  to  give  to  her  the  appellation  of 
"  little  Britain."  He  was  the  son  of  Joseph  Sentence,  a 
farm  laborer.  His  mother's  maiden  name  was  Mary 
Dennis.  In  a  family  of  five  children  he  was  the  eldest. 
Desiring  to  better  his  condition  in  life,  he  took  sail  on 
the  vessel  Excelsior,  and  after  a  tedious  passage  of  five 
weeks  and  two  days  he  landed  in  New  York  harbor 
July  2d,  1850.  He  brought  with  him  as  a  bride  Jane 
Lane,  to  whom  he  was  married  in  May  of  the  same 
year.  By  her  he  has  two  children  living,  Joseph  and 
Eliza  J.  Bower.  She  died  May  3,  1856.  For  thirteen 
years  after  reaching  this  country,  Mr.  Sentence  carried 
on  farming  operations.  In  1869  he  opened  a  livery  sta- 
ble, in  which  business  he  has  since  been  engaged,  asso- 
ciating with  it  blacksmithing  and  carriage  building. 
He  was  married  to  Ann  Brewster  September  19,  1861, 
by  whom  he  has  two  children  living,  and  two  dead. 
He  is  proud  of  the  fact  that  his  first  Presidential  ballot 
cast  in  the  country  was  for  the  martyr  President,  Abra- 
ham Lincoln.  He  has  always  been  an  unswerving,  un- 
compromising Republican.  As  a  business  man  he  is 
noted  for  square,  fair  dealing.  Socially  he  is  held  in 
esteem  by  a  large  circle  of  friends. 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  W ABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


PROMINENT  among  the  pioneer  business  men  of  Albion 
who  are  yet  living,  is  Alexander  Stewart,  who  was  born 
December  7th,  1805,  in  Comrie,  Perthshire,  Scotland. 
His  father,  also  Alexander  by  name,  was  a  physician. 
His  mother's  maiden  name  was  Mary  McLaughlin. 
They  came  to  America  in  1818,  reaching  Carmi,  White  ' 
county,  Christmas  day  of  that  year.  They  first  located 
in  Burnt  Prairie.  In  the  family  were  nine  children — 
David,  James,  Henry,  John  and  Alexander,  being  the 
sons;  and  Jesse,  Christina,  Martha  and  Mary,  the  daugh- 
ters. To  them  was  born  William  in  this  country.  Part 
of  the  family  remained  in  Scotland  with  their  grandfather 
until  1824,  when  they  too  came  thither.  The  family  took 
up  their  residence  in  Albion  in  1827,  where  Alexander 
Stewart,  sr.,  died  May  5th,  1865,  aged  87  years.  During 
the  last  eight  years  of  his  life  he  was  blind.  The  subject 


of  this  sketch,  whose  portrait  is  shown  above,  followed 
farming  until  he  reached  his  majority,  when  he  com- 
menced blacksmithing,  which  he  prosecuted  vigorously 
for  sixteen  years,  when,  his  health  giving  way,  he  entered 
upon  his  career  as  a  merchant.  In  this  vocation  he,  by 
energy  and  straightforwardness,  compelled  success.  He 
was  married  to  Sarah  Miller,  daughter  of  James  Miller, 
a  farmer  of  White  county,  January  19th,  1825.  She  died 
April  20th,  1853.  He  was  married  to  his  present 
wife,  Emma  A.  Senseman,  April  23,  1856.  She  is  the 
daughter  of  John  H.  and  Elizabeth  Senseman,  natives  of 
North  Carolina,  whence  they  came  here,  via  New  York. 
Mr.  Stewart  has  led  an  active,  busy  life.  He  ie  a  man 
of  superior  business  qualifications,  of  unquestioned  integ- 
rity of  character,  and  has  won  the  esteem  of  all  asso- 
ciates. 


224 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  W ABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


WILLIAM  F.  FOSTER, 

A  PROMINENT  'member  of  the  bar  of  Edwards  county, 
was  born  in  Clark  county,  Indiana,  May  3,  1840.  His 
father,  William  Foster,  was  a  native  of  Yorkshire,  Eng- 
land. He  was  educated  at  Ackworth  in  an  institution 
under  the  auspices  of  the  Quakers,  or  Friends.  He 
came  to  America  in  1821,  located  in  Indiana,  where  he 
was  married  to  Lucy  Shirley,  of  the  Kentucky  family 
of  that  name.  Her  father  was  Charles  and  her  grand- 
father Michael  Shirley.  Michael  came  from  Virginia 
to  Kentucky  with  Daniel  Boone,  on  his  second  trip  to 
the  then  western  wilds,  and  was  scalped  by  the  Indians 
near  the  site  of  Harrodsburg.  To  William  and  Susan 
Foster  were  born  six  sons,  Charles,  Blashel,  John  and 
Wm.  F.  are  living.  The  daughters  are  all  dead.  Wil- 
liam followed  the  avocations  of  teacher  and  farmer.  He 
died  August  19,  1868.  His  wife  survives  him.  The 
subject  of  this  sketch  received  a  common  school  educa- 
tion, nine  months' attendance  all  told.  In  1861  he  en- 
tered the  army,  enlisting  in  Company  I,  66th  Illinois 
Volunteers,  generally  known  as  "  Burge's  Western  Sharp 
Shooters."  With  this  command  he  was  at  Forts  Donel- 
son,  Shiloh,  Corinth,  Chickamauga  and  Resaca.  When 
General  Dodge  was  wounded  he  left  Foster  in  charge  of 
two  darkies  and  four  horses — his  rank  was  never  deter- 
mined nor  commission  ever  made  out.  At  the  end  of 
three  years'  service  he  was  discharged.  On  the  20th  of 
June,  1865,  he  was  united  in  marriage  to  Lucy  Y. 
Denny,  of  Charleston,  Indiana,  by  whom  he  has  six 
children.  In  1876,  he  commenced  the  study  of  law, 
having  determined  on  it  as  a  profession.  His  first  read- 
ing was  Walken's  American  Law.  Soon  after  he  read 
regularly  in  the  office  of  F.  A.  Sampson,  Sedalia,  Mis- 
souri, where  he  was  admitted  to  practice.  In  1878,  he 
opened  an  office  in  Albion,  and  in  the  following  year  he 
was  admitted  to  practice  in  the  Illinois  courts.  He  is  a 
member  of  the  Masonic  order,  also  of  the  Christian 
church.  In  the  furtherance  of  church  matters  he  takes 
a  deep  and  abiding  interest.  As  a  soldier  Mr.  Foster 
did  his  duty,  and  served  his  country  faithfully ;  as  a 
lawyer  he  is  possessed  of  great  forensic  power  and  excel- 
lent knowledge ;  as  a  citizen  he  is  respected.  Whatever 
he  has  to  do  he  does  with  enthusiasm  and  earnestness. 


JOHN  HALLAM, 

A  FARMER,  earnest  in  the  calling  and  quite  successful  in 
its  prosecution,  was  born  in  Brassington,  Derbyshire, 
England,  October  2, 1835.  His  father,  Thomas  Hallam, 
was  also  a  farmer,  who,  desiring  to  better  his  condition 
in  life,  came  to  the  United  States,  in  1836,  landing  in 
Philadelphia,  where  he  remained  three  mouths,  thence 
to  a  brother's,  who  had  preceded  him  in  White  county, 
and  from  thence  to  the  English  settlement,  as  that  in  Ed- 
wards county,  was  popularly  termed.  Here  he  became 
one  of  the  most  successful  farmers  on  Boltinghouse 


prairie.  At  first  he  hired  his  services  to  the  noted  Geo. 
Flower,  with  whom  he  lived  three  years,  engaged  in 
tending  sheep.  His  flock  numbered  about  one  thousand 
head.  Of  Flower,  he  rented  land  with  privilege  of  pur- 
chasing at  a  stipulated  price,  and  so  economical  and 
successful  was  he  that  at  the  expiration  of  two  years 
from  time  of  making  such  contract  he  was  the  owner  of 
a  fine  tract  of  land,  which  is  yet  in  the  family's  hands. 
He  was  married  to  Elizabeth  Handley,  by  whom  he  had 
seven  children,  of  whom  two  died  in  England ;  three 
crossed  the  sea  with  him,  and  two  were  added  after  ar- 
rival in  this  country.  He  died  September  6,  1878.  His 
son,  John  Hallam,  obtained  a  fair  common  school  educa- 
tion. He  was  united  in  wedlock  to  Bertha  Rosevelt, 
daughter  of  James  H.  and  Elizabeth  Rosevelt,  October 
28,  1869.  By  her  he  had  one  child.  She  died  October 
28,  1874.  He  was  married  to  his  present  wife,  Sarah 
Vallette,  daughter  of  William  Vallette,  April  12,  1877, 
by  whom  he  has  one  child.  In  the  fall  of  1876,  he  vis- 
ited England,  and  returned  better  satisfied  than  ever 
with  his  father's  choice  of  a  home.  He  is  an  ardent  Re- 
publican politically,  and  an  active  devout  member  of 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  church  religiously. 


DR.  HENRY  L.  DICKSON 

WAS  born  in  the  city  of  Philadelphia,  Pennsylvania. 
His  father  was  William  Dickson,  a  merchant  of  that 
city.  His  mother's  maiden  name  was  Rebecca  Cullo- 
den.  They  were  both  natives  of  Ireland,  and  both  died 
when  Henry  L.,  was  a  small  child.  Together  with  a 
brother  Francis,  now  a  book-keeper  in  Louisville,  Ky., 
he  was  raised  by  his  grandfather  and  an  uncle.  In 
1820  he  was  brought  to  Mt.  Carmel,  thence  taken  to 
Vincennes,  then  again  to  Mt.  Carmel  about  1830. 
From  there  he  came  to  Wanborough  in  this  county. 
He  received  a  good  common  school  education  in  the 
schools  of  Park  county,  Indiana.  His  grandfather  was 
the  first  merchant  to  do  business  in  Albion,  having 
opened  a  store  here  while  yet  living  in  Indiana.  The 
doctor  commenced  the  study  of  medicine  with  Dr.  A.  S. 
Haskell,  of  Hillsboro,  Illinois,  in  1846,  and  attended 
lectures  in  Louisville,  Kentucky,  in  1848-' 9,  graduating 
from  the  institution  in  1849.  He  at  once  thereafter 
commenced  the  practice  of  his  profession  in  Montgomery 
county,  where  he,  for  convenience  of  self  and  neighbors 
had  established  a  post-office  named  Fillmore,  and  where 
he  was  the  first  postmaster.  He  was  married  to  Mrs. 
PhrebeC.  Rugg  in  Fillmore,  May  1,  1850.  She  was  a 
native  of  Orange  county,  New  York.  Her  maiden  name 
was  Doty.  She  died  February  5,  1881.  The  doctor  is 
a  member,  of  the  Cumberland  Presbyterian  church,  in 
whose  success  he  takes  deep  interest.  He  is  an  active, 
earnest  Republican  in  politics,  a  faith  from  which  he  has 
never  swerved  since  casting  his  first  ballot,  which  was 
for  General  William  H.  Harrison.  As  a  physician  he 
is  painstaking,  well  read  and  earnest. 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


The  gentleman,  whose  portrait  appears  above,  is  the 
second  son  of  Alfred  and  Elizabeth  Flower,  and  grand- 
son of  George  Flower.     He  was  born  near  Albion,  in  j 
Edwards  county,  Illinois,  December  16th,  1849.      His  I 
father,  Alfred  Flower,  was  a  minister,  and,  like  many  j 
ministers  in  early  times,  witnessed  the  inconveniences  of  I 
limited  circumstances.     He  made,  however,  an  extraordi- 
nary effort  to  give  his  children,  in  their  early  years,  an  ed- 
ucation. By  great  efforts  and  sacrifices  on  the  part  of  his 
parents  the  best  teachers  of  that  day  were  employed  and 
boarded  in  the  house  that  they  might  devote  their  entire 
time  to  the  education  and  improvement  of  their  children. 
At  the  age  of  thirteen,  R.  C.  Flower,  a  frail  and  delicate 
boy,  desirous  of  obtaining  a  more  thorough  education, 
left  his  prairie  home  and  went  to  Indianapolis,  Indiana.  ' 
His  trials  and  struggles  for  years  in  search  of  knowledge 
were  numerous,  bitter   and  long— indeed  the  events  of 
this  period  of  his  life  would  make  a  long  and  interesting  j 
history  in  itself— two  hundred  miles  from  home,  an  en- 
tire stranger  in  the  city,  he  entered  college  with  three 
dollars  and  seven  cents  in  his  pocket,  which  was  his  ! 

224-A 


entire  capital.  Every  cent  he  spent  he  had,  by  .his  own 
efforts,  to  first  earn.  Fortunately  he  had  settled  in  his 
own  mind  the  precept  "  that  the  man  must  make  the 
circumstances,  rather  than  the  circumstances  the  man." 
In  his  college  course  he  studied  theology,  law,  and  medi- 
cine, and,  being  early  admitted  to  the  bar,  he  had  before 
him  a  most  promising  future.  Owing  to  early  influences 
and  the  advice  of  his  associates  he  was  induced  to  abandon 
the  profession  of  his  choice  and  enter  the  ministry. 
He  belonged  to  the  Disciple  or  Christian  church,  a  de- 
nomination of  great  strength  in  the  west.  He  always 
had  one  of  the  most  desirable  churches  in  the  denomina- 
tion for  his  charge,  and  preached  extensively  in  Indiana, 
Illinois  and  Kentucky.  Within  four  years  he  held 
fourteen  public  discussions,  and,  in  many  instances,  with 
the  leading  and  champion  debaters  of  other  denomina- 
tions. Mr.  Flower's  oratorical  parry  and  thrust  style  of 
argumentation  rendered  him  a  formidable  antagonist  to 
meet  in  debate.  Shrewd,  smart,  quick  and  of  astonish- 
ing self-possession,  he  never  became  excited  yet  never 
failed  to  excite  his  opponent.  By  masterly  eloquence 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS, 


and  irresistible  magnetism  he  would  carry  his  foes  as 
well  as  his  friends,  and  in  the  excitement  of  the  moment 
compel  his  opponents  to  cheer  his  arguments  against 
their  own  belief.  In  wit  he  had  few  equals ;  in  pathos 
and  sarcasm,  none. 

During  all  this  time  R.  C.  Flower  continued  his 
studies  in  medicine,  purely  because  of  his  love  for  the 
science.  In  December,  1875,  he  went  to  Alliance, 
Ohio,  to  take  charge  of  a  large  and  wealthy  church.  As 
usual,  the  crowds  to  hear  him  became  very  great,  so 
that  no  house  in  the  city  could  hold  his  vast  audiences. 
It  was  soon  whispered  round  that  the  eloquent  preacher 
was  not  sound  in  the  faith— that  he  was  not  sound  OQ 
the  questions  of  baptism,  hell,  personal  devil,  hereditary 
depravity  and  many  other  church  doctrines.  This  cre- 
ated an  intense  excitement  in  the  denomination.  Con- 
vention after  convention  was  held  to  try  the  young 
preacher  for  heresy.  But  no  trial  was  ever  held  ;  the 
eloquent  tongue,  shrewd  and  fertile  brain,  defeated  the 
plans  of  his  opponents,  and,  under  all  circumstances, 
would  he  carry  the  conventions  as  he  would  a  public 
audience.  This  done,  R.  C.  Flower  publicly  withdrew 
from  the  denomination,  and  carried  with  him  his  entire 
church,  with  a  few  unimportant  exceptions.  He  or- 
ganized an  Independent  church  upon  a  broad  and  liberal 
basis — a  church  he  claimed  "  should  be  free  from  all 
priestcraft,  popecraft,  bookcraft,  and  all  superstitious 
and  illiberal  doctrines,  and  that  it  should  be  as  broad  as 
the  wants  of  man,  as  deep  as  his  fall,  and  as  high  as  his 
aspirations." 

He  built  a  large  and  magnificent  house  of  worship 
upon  the  highest  point  in  the  center  of  the  city ;  and  to- 
day this  Independent  church  stands  forth  (a  monument 
of  his  success)  as  one  of  the  largest,  wealthiest  and  most 
influential  societies  in  all  the  State. 

About  this  time,  Dr.  R  C.  Flower  went  actively  into 
the  practice  of  medicine.  In  less  than  four  months  (on 
account  of  his  almost  miraculous  success),  his  practice 
became  so  great,  he  was  compelled  to  employ  assistant 
physicians  as  well  as  establish  a  large  health  institute. 
His  success  in  the  practice  of  medicine  more  than  out- 
rivaled all  his  preceding  achievements. 

His  practice  drifted  largely  eastward,  and  the  Doctor 
finally  determined  to  move  to  the  great  cities  of  the 
east  where  he  could  more  successfully  operate  his  al- 
most supernatural  healing  powers.  In  accordance  with 
these  feeling?,  he  sold  out  his  Institute  in  February, 
1880,  and  transferred  his  practice  to  Philadelphia,  and 
New  York.  From  this  on,  his  practice  became  very  great. 
His  cures  were  so  numerous,  and  so  phenomenal,  that  he 
became  a  wonder  in  the  east,  Always  anxious  to  live  in 
Boston,  and  many  attractions  drawing  him  to  the  hub, 
he  gave  up  his  beautiful  residence  on  Fifth  Avenue,  New 
York,  and  transferred  his  practice  in  May,  1882,  to  the 
Athens  of  America.  In  Boston  he  has  built  up  a  prac- 
tice which  is  said  by  many  to  be  the  largest  in  the  world. 

His  offices  are  some  distance  from  his  residence,  and 
under  no  circumstances  will  he  mingle  business  with  the 

224-B 


pleasures  of  his  home.  A  phenomenal  feature  in  his 
practice  is  his  method  of  diagnosing  disease.  He  never 
asks  a  patient  his  trouble,  but  the  instant  he  takes  the 
hand  of  a  sick  person,  he  tells  most  accurately  the  disease 
in  all  its  ramifications.  This  phenomenal  phase  of  his 
practice,  has  brought  to  him  thousands  upon  thousands 
of  patients,  and  it  is  claimed  that  out  of  upwards  of  one 
hundred  thousand  examinations  he  has  never  made  a 
mistake.  In  the  business  world  Dr.  R.  C.  Flower  is  as 
great  a  wonder  as  he  is  in  the  practice  of  medicine.  It 
is  said  by  his  most  intimate  friends,  that  in  all  his  many 
business  enterprises  he  has  never  lost  a  dollar.  His  in- 
tuitional powers  in  detecting  the  actual  condition  of  the 
markets  seem  almost  infallible.  If  he  buys  stocks  they 
go  up,  if  he  sells,  they  go  down.  He  has  made  fortunes 
for  many  of  his  friends,  and  saved  many  from  ruin,  by 
advising  them  when  to  buy,  and  when  to  sell.  He  is 
largely  interested  in  some  of  the  largest  manufacturing 
companies  in  New  England,  also  some  of  the  largest  and 
richest  mining  companies  in  the  world. 

He  is  a  man  of  great  individuality,  a  man  of  methods, 
and  a  man,  who  from  all  appearances,  does  the  work  of 
a  hundred  men. 

He  never  went  into  any  thing  which  did  not  succeed, 
and  some  of  his  friends,  prominent  and  leading  minds  in 
the  business  world,  unhesitatingly  declare  (as  superstitious 
as  the  statement  may  seem  to  some)  that  over  his  every 
movement  is  a  star  of  destiny  which  enables  him  to  evolve 
success  out  of  any  enterprise. 

Within  the  last  few  years  Dr.  Flower  has  made  some 
large  fortunes,  and  fortunes  has  he  given  to  his  friends 
and  the  needy  around  him.  He  gave  away  last  year  to 
his  needy  patients,  over  fifty-nine  thousand  dollars.  No 
patient  was  ever  turned  away  because  he  was  too  poor 
to  pay,  and  no  beggar  ever  left  his  door  hungry  and 
empty  in  pocket.  Regarding  his  religious  views,  we 
have  been  permitted  to  quote  the  following  extract  from 
a  letter  written  by  Dr.  R.  C.  Flower,  in  December, 
1882,  to  an  old  friend  in  Philadelphia,  in  answer  to  these 
three  questions. 

i  "  First.  What  value  has  money  to  you  1  2d.  What  is  your  re- 
ligion? 3d.  What  are  your  ideas  of  good  and  evil?"  "In 
answer  to  your  questions,  I  would  say.  First.  Money  has  no  value 
to  me  except  for  the  pleasure  it  gives  to  others;  according  to  the 
pleasure  you  get  out  of  a  dollar,  is  the  dollar  valuable;  and  a 
dollar  which  never  makes  a  human  being  happy,  is  a  valueless, 
useless  coin. 

"  Second.  I  do  not  hold  to  any  special  church  creed.  I  have 
long  since  given  up  the  sham  of  shadow  and  form.  To  me,  re- 
ligion is  to  do  as  you  would  be  done  by,  to  enjoy  your.-elf,  and  to 

;  give  to  others  all  possible  pleasure.  To  do  something  worthy  of 
a  healthy  brain,  worthy  of  an  existence,  worthy  of  an  infinite  soul, 
and  to  leave  the  world  better  for  having  lived.  I  believe  in  the  ulti- 
mate and  just  punishment  of  all  sin  and  in  the  final  happiness  of 
all  men.  I  believe  that  the  more  lovely,  pure,  gentle  and  beautiful 
you  make  this  life,  you  will  begin  in  correspondingly  beautiful 
conditions  in  the  life  to  come.  I  hold  that  every  man  has  a 
right  to  express  his  honest  thoughts ;  thought  is  like  a  river, 
rather  than  a  stationary  pool,  it  grows  deeper  and  broader  with 
the  birth  of  every  second.  Thought  in  the  loco-power  which  never 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  W ABASH 'COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


exhausts,  tires  nor  wanes,  and  moves  the  ship  of  life  to-day 
through  brighter  seas,  and  beneath  fairer  skies  than  those  of  the 
past;  makes  the  new  a  possibility,  and  generates  every  day  a  bud 
for  to-morrow's  blossom.  Thought  is  the  sun  of  the  harvest,  the 
star  in  darkness,  the  dew  drop  of  all  foliage.  For  me  to  honestly 
and  constantly  think  is  right ;  hence  it  cannot  be  wrong  for  me 
to  express  my  honest  thoughts.  I  believe  in  the  immortality  of 
man,  and  that  no  clouds,  mists,  or  barriers  exist,  or  can  exist, 
between  the  spirit  world  and  the  intuitional  spiritual  minded 
person. 

"Third.— Good  is  pleasure— evil  is  sorrow.  All  sorrow  is  evil, 
all  pleasure  is  good.  To  cause  sorrow,  to  allow  it  to  exist  when 
you  can  prevent  it  is  to  do  evil.  To  create  pleasure,  to  perpetu- 
ate it,  is  to  create  and  perpetuate  the  germ  essence  of  goodness. 
The'  following  verses,  as  they  come  to  me,  still  better  express 
ray  idea  of  good." 

GOOD. 

There  is  no  good  outside  of  that  which  helps  a  human  soul ; 
There  is  no  creed  of  all  the  creeds  that's  worth  a  pence, 
Except  the  creed  of  pure  good  deeds  richly  given  to  those  in  need 
And  ever  from  the  soul  of  love  flowing  hence. 

Good  is  a  deed  or  word  ever  so  small  or  feebly  spoken, 
Designed  to  lift  a  burden,  to  cheer  the  weary  heart  of  struggling 

life. 
Rest  to  the  trudging  form  and  hope  to  blighted  prospects  crushed 

and  riven, 
The  feeblest  effort  to  light  the  lip  with  smiles  in  lieu  of  shadows 

from  disappointments'  night. 

Doing  because  it  is  sweet  to  do  something  to  help  another, 
Conscious  that  the  lowest  human  life  is  my  sister  or  my  brother, 
Defending  the  abused  and  down-trodden,  uplifting  the  fallen  and 

weak, 
Not  ashamed  to  help  the  lowest,  nor  too  proud  to  see  the  poorest, 

nor  afraid  to  the  vilest  to  speak. 

Dissolve  my  life  into  such  a  creation,  that  from  every  step  and 

from  every  pulsation 
Burst  a  ray  of  light  to  guide  some  eye,  a  mountain  spring  some 

soul  to  revive 
A  breast  of  hope  in  which  some  broken  life  may  trust  and  rest  in 

peace, 
A  life  which  will  cast  in  the  human  form,  a  face  that  can  never 

shed  aught  but  a  smile. 

Inspires  the  eye  to  pileously   see   the  homes  of  want,  though 

palaces  are  unobserved. 
The  ear  and  heart  to  hear  and  heed  the  muffled  cry  from  the  vilest 

Boul,  sin  stained  and  crushed, 

Though  cursed  by  the  world  for  plucking  from  the  field  of  thorns 
This  bruised  and  sin  stained  bud  of  heaven. 

Good  is  to  do  to  my  neighbor's  child  as  I  would  have  my  neigh- 
bor do  to  mine. 

224-C 


Never  a  pit  so  deep,  so  dark,  so  wild  and  vile, 
Into  which  if  my  dear  child  should  fall, 

I  would  not  move  the  earth  and  heaven  to  pluck  him  from  the 
burning. 

Thus  should  every  child  be  loved  and  sought  and  saved, 

And  doing  good  is  doing  that  which  does  all  this, 

And  nothing  less  is  doing  good  as  he  would  do  who  said  to  others  do 

As  you  would  have  to  yourself  others  do. 

This  is  my  creed  and  such  shall  be  my  life, 
Nothing  less  can  I  accept — nothing  more  can  I  conceive, 
Thus  will  I  make  the  world  better  for  having  therein  lived, 
And  better  will  I  be  for  having  lived  therein." 

Dr.  R.  C  Flower's  palatial  residence  on  Common- 
wealth avenue  is  one  of  the  finest  in  the  city ;  the  situa- 
tion is  the  choicest  on  what  is  claimed  by  Bostonians  to 
be  the  grandest  and  most  superb  of  all  American  streets. 
Here  the  hand  of  art  and  design  has  played  a  great 
part — the  cost  has  never  been  considered  in  giving  com- 
fort, elegance,  and  beauty  to  this  model  home,  and 
within  these  radiant  rooms  and  granite  walls  live  the 
happiest  hearts  of  earth.  The  Doctor  takes  great  in- 
terest in  his  home,  and  in  every  little  thing  about  the 
place.  He  might  be  considered  a  domestic  man,  for 
when  not  actually  engaged  in  his  business  he  is  at  home, 
or  with  his  family  at  some  place  of  amusement,  or  rid- 
ing with  them  behind  his  prancing  span. 

He  has  been  twice  married.  First  in  December,  1870, 
to  Miss  Ella  Nicholson,  of  Jefiersonville,  Indiana,  a 
most  beautiful,  elegant,  and  highly  accomplished  woman  ; 
she  died  in  18V6  of  quick  consumption.  In  this  mar- 
riage four  sons  were  born,  two  of  whom  preceded  their 
mother  to  the  spirit  world,  the  other  two  are  living. 

In  the  summer  of  1877  Dr.  Flower  was  married  to 
Miss  Mayde  M.  Manfull,  of  Alliance,  Ohio.  This  young, 
loveable  and  gifted  woman  possessing  rare  attainments, 
was  a  great  favorite  with  all  who  knew  her,  and  was 
well  fitted  for  the  position  her  marriage  called  her  to 
fill.  The  Doctor  has  been  remarkably  fortunate  in  his 
marriages,  and  this  he  appreciates,  for  his  devotion  to 
his  home  and  family  is  almost  idolatry.  By  his  second 
marriage  he  has  one  child,  a  daughter. 

We  close  this  biographical  sketch  of  one  of  the  most 
remarkable  of  men.  A  man  who  is  a  thorough  success 
in  every  thing,  who  has  made  for  himself  and  others  a 
heaven  on  earth,  and  has  settled  beyond  doubt  that  by 
study,  industry  and  integrity  you  can  attain  eminence, 
and  realize  and  enjoy  most  fully  your  own  triumphs. 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  W ABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


225 


WILLIAM  H.  MEDLER 

Is  one  of  the  most  industrious  and  successful  farmers 
in  his  neighborhood  ;  in  fact  he  is  spoken  of  as  being  a 
model  farmer.  He  was  born  in  Aylsham,  Norfolk,  Eng- 
land, May  19,  1832.  His  father,  William  Medler,  was 


his  parents  to  Preble  County,  Ohio,  to  live  where  they 
resided  ten  years,  from  whence  they  moved  to  Gib- 
son County,  Indiana,  where  his  father  died  January  12, 
1872,  aged  71  years,  and  where  his  mother  still  lives. 
In  October  1861,  he  of  <v'  rr\  we  write  enlisted  as  a 


by  trade  a  shoemaker,  his  part  of  the  work  being  that  |  private  soldier  in  Co.  F.  >d  Reg.  Indiana  Volunteers, 
of  overseer  or  foreman.  He  was  also  a  dancing  master  j  He  was  with  Sharman  "  to  thtf'fc.  '  nd  took  part  in  all 
and  musician.  His  mother,  whose  maiden  name  was  Mary  I  the  battles  of  that  memorable'ca.upaign.  On  the  5th 
Potter,  was  the  daughter  of  a  Veterinary  Surgeon,  who  of  March,  1863,  he  was  taken  prisoner  after  being  wound- 


had  a  business  worth  a  thousand  pounds  per  annum. 
When  but  nineteen  years  of  age  the  subject  of  this 
sketch,  accompanied  by  his  mother  and  step-father  came 


ed  in  the  battle  of  Columbia,  Tennessee,  and  was  sent  to 
Libby  prison,  at  Richmond.  Just  two  months  after  his 
imprisonment  he  was  exchanged  among  the  last  lot  of 


to  this  country.     They  were  six  weeks  and  four  days  on  ;  unfortunate  inmates  of  that  dread  pen.     He  joined  his 
the  ocean  aboard  the  sailing  vessel    Savannah.     After  i  command  at  Tullahoma  in  the  following  autumn,  after 


reaching  New  York  city  they  got  out  of  funds,  and  were 
compelled  to  remain  there  until  supplied  by  Mr.  E. 
Djball,  of  Madison  county,  New  York.  For  seven  years 
William  H.  remained  in  Madison  county,  New  York, 
when  he  came  to  this  county.  His  mother  and  family 
followed  two  years  thereafter.  While  living  in  New 
York,  he  attended  three  terms  of  school  of  three  months 
each,  thus  obtaining  a  fair  education.  He  was  married 
to  Mary  A.  Rolands,  a  native  of  Oxfordshire,  England, 


having  spent  several  months  in  the  hospitals.  His  term 
of  service  extended  over  three  years  and  eleven  months. 
Upon  being  discharged  from  the  service,  he  entered  the 
State  University  of  Indiana,  at  Blooraington,  which  he 
attended  three  years.  He  next  entered  the  office  of  Dr?. 
Mumford  and  West,  at  Princeton,  Ind.,  as  a  student  of 
medicine.  From  there  he  went  to  Bellevue  Medical 
College,  New  York,  to  further  prosecute  his  studies,  and 
from  this  institution  he  graduated,  March  2nd,  1871. 


March  15,  1856.  By  her  he  had  five  children,  three  He  at  once  in  seeking  a  location  came  to  Albion,  where 
sons  and  two  daughters.  Of  these  the  sons  are  all  living,  he  has  since  resided,  engaging  with  great  success  in  his 
but  both  daughters  are  dead.  Mary  A.  Medler  died  profession.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Illinois  Medical  So- 
Septeraber  29,  1866.  On  the  10th  of  October,  1867,  !  ciety,  and  of  the  A.  O.  U.  W.  also  of  the  Episcopal 
Mr.  Medler  was  married  to  Martha  Ann  Kitchens,  his  Church.  Politically,  he  is  an  active  Republican.  Re- 
present wife.  She  was  the  daughter  of  Joab  Kitchens.  I  cently  he  was"  elected  a  member  of  the  Albion  Board  of 
Both  of  her  parents  died  when  she  was  a  small  child,  so  j  Education,  as  a  mark  of  the  esteem  in  which  his  interest 
that  she  was  reared  by  her  grandmother.  By  her  he  has  iQ  educational  matters  is  held  by  his  fellow  citizens.  He 
had  four  children,  two  of  whom  Alonzo  and  Lily  are  j  was  married  to  Ellen  Churchill,  daughter  of  Joel 
living,  and  two,  Alfred  Charles  and  Ralph  are  dead.  J  Churchill,  December  2nd,  1873.  Three  children,  two 
Mr.  Medler  has  been  a  hard  worker.  His  first  purchase  ;  boysand  one  girl,  bless  the  union, 
of  land  was  only  five  acres,  which  he  sold,  buying  '  


where  he  now  lives,  a  small  tract  to  which  he  has  been 
steadily  adding  until  it  is  now  a  farm  of  one  hundred 
and  sixty  acres.  At  times  he  has  labored  as  a  farm  hand, 
again  at  brick  making  or  as  a  mechanic.  Anything 
his  hand  found  to  do  that  would  earn  for  him  an  honest 
penny  was  his  motto.  Now  that  he  is  quite  independent 
he  blesses  the  day  he  turned  his  back  on  old  England, 


HENRY  GLAUBENSKLEE. 
GERMANY  has  contributed  largely -to  the  ranks  of 
American  citizenship.  Her  sons  are  a  loyal,  freedom- 
loving  class  of  men. 'Many  of  them  come  to  this  country 
for  the  enjoyment  of  a  larger  measure  of  liberty  than  is 
vouchsafed  under  the  institutions  of  the  "  faderland." 


which  by  the  way  he  was  only  enabled  to  do  through     of  the  number  were  the  Glaubensklees.     They  were 


the  aid  of  George  Barber,  and  found  a  home  in  America. 


natives  of  Kersha,  East  Prussia.     Theodore,  a  famous 


When  yet  in  New  York,  he  earned  825  by  chopping  a  |  educator,  at  one  time  candidate  for  State  Superintend- 
hundred  and  fifty  cords  of  wood,  which  money  he  sent 


to  England  to  defray  the  passage  of  a  brother  hither. 
He  is  a  staunch  Republican  and  a  member  of  the  M. 
E.  church.  He  is  determined  that  his  children  shall 
have  better  chances  than  were  his  lot,  and  to  that  end  is 
giving  them  good  facilities  for  gaining  knowledge. 


DR    JOHN  C.  McCLURKIN 


ent  of  P"blic  Instruction  in  the  State  of  New  York,  was 
the  first  to  break  the  ties  of  home,  cross  the  Atlantic 
and  cast  his  lot  with  Americans.  He  became  a  profes- 
sor in  the  Free  Academy  in  New  York  city,  and  accu- 
mulated property.  To  his  duties  as  a  professor  he  added 
banking  operations  which  have  made  him  independent. 
Henry  Glaubensklee,  our  distinguished  subject,  was  born 
in  Prussia,  May  17th,  1821.  In  1850,  he  made  a  visit 
to  his  brother,  Theodore,  in  New  York,  and  from  theiice 


Was  born  in  Union  County,  Indiana,  August  28th,  18  JO.     started  off  on   a   hunting  tour   throughout  the  West. 
His  father,  Joseph  McClurkiu,  a  farmer,  was  a  South  |  After  reaching  Edwards  county  he  was  persuaded  to 


Carolinian  by  birth,  whilst  his  mother,  Nancy  Cook,  was 
an  Ohioan.     At  the  age  of  three  years  he  was  taken  by 
29 


purchase  the  farm  where  he  yet  lives.     This  was  quite 
foreign  to  his  purpose,  but  attractions  were  not  alone  of 


U26 


UISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WABASB  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


farming,  as  on  the  26th  of  March,  1851,  he  was  united 
in  marriage  with  Sarah  Hallam,  daughter  of  Thomas 
and  Elizabeth  Hallam,  natives  of  Derbyshire,  England.  ' 
To  Henry  Glaubensklee  and  wife  there  have  been  born 
eleven   children,  seven  of  whom  are  living  and  four 
dead.     He  is  a  member    of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  j 
church.      Politically  he  is    a  straightforward,  earnest 
Republican.     He  obtained  a  fine  education  in  one  of  | 
the  oldest  institution's  of  learning  in  Prussia.     He  is  a 
man  of  urbane  manners,  happy  disposition,  and   is  a 
good  citizen. 

MORRIS  EMMERSON. 

THE  able  editor  of  that  sterling  paper,  the  Albion 
Journal,  was  born  in  Wanborough,  Edwards  county,  Illi- 
nois, June  7th,  1853.  He  comes  of  one  of  the  pioneer 
families  of  the  county,  being  the  son  of  Jesse  and  Sa- 
niantha  Erumerson.  His  father  was  a  native  of  Indiana, 
while  his  mother,  whose  maiden  name  was  Sperry,  was 
born  in  Connecticut.  His  father  has  held  the  position 
as  county  clerk  and  sheriff  with  great  acceptance.  To 
the  office  of  sheriff  he  was  three  times  elected.  Morris 
obtained  his  education  chiefly  in  the  common  schools  of 
the  county  and  the  high  school  of  Albion.  This  was  sup- 
plemented by  a  commercial  course  in  Bryant  &  Strat- 
um's Commercial  College  of  St.  Louis,  from  which  insti- 
tution he  graduated  in  the  summer  of  1869.  Upon  his 
return  home  he  was  installed  as  book-keeper  for  Church- 
ill &  Dalby,  dealers  in  pork,  grain  and  general  mer- 
chandise, with  whom  he  remained  about  six  years.  In 
September,  1875,  he  went  to  Red  Oak,  Iowa,  where  he 
was  engaged  in  a  similar  capacity,  and  for  a  time  in  the 
Valley  National  Bank.  In  1876,  he  returned  to  Fair- 
field,  Wayne  county,  as  clerk  for  Thomas  W.  Scott,  a 
merchant  of  that  place.  In  connection  with  Ballentine 
he  bought  the  Journal  during  the  same  year,  and  in 
1878,  became  sole  proprietor  He  was  married  to  Ida 
Harris,  daughter  of  George  Harris,  April  10,  1878.  By 
this  union  there  have  been  born  two  bright  children,  a 
boy  and  a  girl.  Mr.  Emmerson  is  an  active  member  of 
the  Cumberland  Presbyterian  Church,  of  the  A.  O.  U. 
W.  and  of  the  Sons  of  Temperance.  In  the  manage- 
ment of  his  paper  he  is  earnest  in  his  advocacy  of  Re- 
publican principles,  fearless  in  upholding  his  ideas  of 
temperance,  and  careful  in  making  his  a  reliable  family 
paper. 

JOSEPH  M.  CAMPBELL, 

THE  present  popular  and  efficient  judge  of  (he  county 
court  of  Edwards  county,  was  born  in  the  neighboring 
county  of  Wayne,  February  20th,  1837.  His  father, 
Alexander  Campbell,  was  a  native  of  Kentucky,  whilst 
his  grandfather,  also  Alexander  by  name,  came  from 
county  Tyrone,  Ireland.  His  mother,  whose  maiden 
name  was  Amelia  Bird,  was  also  of  Kentucky  nativity. 
In  a  family  of  nine  children  Joseph  M.  was  the  fourth  j 
in  order  of  birth.  Of  the  number  six  are  yet  living,  five  ! 


of  whom  are  settled  around  the  parental  home  in  Wayne 
county,  where  his  people  first  located  in  1817.  The 
subject  of  this  biography  obtained  a  fair  common  school 
education,  and  when  twenty  years  of  age  entered  the 
school-room  as  teacher.  During  the  war  for  the  Union 
he  enlisted  in  Company  G  18th  Regiment  Illinois  Vol- 
unteers, of  which  he  was  made  Orderly  Sergeant,  and  in 
the  fall  of  1861,  was  promoted  to  Lieutenant,  after  a 
year's  service  he  resigned  and  returned  home.  In  1864, 
he  entered  the  law  office  of  W.  H.  Robinson,  of  Fair- 
field,  as  a  student  of  law  and  in  186-3,  was  admitted  to 
practice.  The  following  year  in  the  month  of  Novem- 
ber he  came  to  Albion  to  prosecute  his  profession. 
Here  he  soon  acquired  a  fine  practice,  and  what  was  of 
greater  value,  the  esteem  of  his  fellow-citizens  as  being 
a  man  of  unquestioned  integrity  of  character.  Although, 
politically  a  Democrat,  in  a  county  recognized  as  one  of 
the  Republican  strongholds  he  was  because  of  his  re- 
cognized fitness  for  discharging  the  duties  of  the  office 
elected  judge  of  the  county  court  in  1873,  a  position  he 
has  since  held.  In  the  discharge  of  his  official  duties 
his  work  is  marked  by  judicial  ability  and  fairness  in 
all  dealings.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  frater- 
nity, in  the  workings  of  which  order  he  takes  great  in- 
terest. On  the  17th  of  December,  1878,  he  was  united 
in  marriage  to  Annabelle  Thompson,  daughter  of  Dr. 
Francis  Burdette  Thompson,  one  of  the  pioneer  physi- 
cians of  the  county. 

WALTER  COLYER, 

THE  editor  of  the  News,  is  a  young  man  of 
unexceptionable  habits,  of  good  business  qualifications . 
and  determination  that  knows  no  failure.  He  is  a 
native  of  this  county,  having  been  born  in  Village 
Prairie,  July  19.  1856.  He  came  of  good  old  English 
stock.  John  Colyer  and  Ann  Withall,  of  Surrey,  Eng- 
land, were  married  in  the  year  1775.  They  raised  a 
large  family,  and  of  the  number,  four  sons  found  their 
way  to  America;  first  James  and  Edward,  who  came  to 
Illinois  in  1818,  followed  by  their  brothers,  John  and 
William,  who  came  across  the  ocean,  a  few  years  after, 
John  locating  in  Pittsburg,  Pennsylvania,  and  William 
in  Louisiana  where  he  was  murdered.  Edward  Colyer 
and  Jane  Thread  traveled  fourteen  miles  from  their 
homes,  on  Village  Prairie,  to  the  nearest  squire,  two 
miles  south  of  Grayville,  and  were  married  in  September, 
1818.  Their  union  was  blessed  by  a  family  of  twelve 
children,  namely  :  Eliza,  John,  William,  James,  Ann, 
Jane,  Elizabeth,  Edward,  Mary,  George,  Henry,  and 
Robert ;  all  but  James  and  Elizabeth  reached  man  and 
womanhood's  estate.  John  died  in  August,  1858,  and 
Robert  died  in  the  service  of  his  country  in  1863.  Ed- 
ward served  in  the  army,  during  the  Rebelion,  as  lieu- 
tenant-colonel of  the  87th  Illinois  Volunteers,  and  after 
the  close  of  the  war  moved  to  Kansas,  whither  Henry, 
who  had  lived  a  few  years  in  Minnesota,  followed  him. 
The  others,  with  the  exception  of  Mary,  now  in  Marshall 


OF  THE 


mSTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS.         227 


county  Illinois,  are  all  in  this  county.  William  Colyer 
and  Sarah  Hunton  Hardy,  daughter  of  Jonas  Hard/, 
and  native  of  Pennsylvania,  were  married  May  10, 1849. 
To  them  were  born  two  sons,  Morris  and  Walter.  Mor- 
ris is  a  thrifty  farmer.  On  the  27th  of  December,  1876, 
he  was  married  to  Etta  Peters.  Jonas  Hardy  was  a  na- 
tive of  Yorkshire,  England;  came  to  America  in  1819, 
and  to  Edwards  county  in  1838,  locating  in  Frazier 
prairie,  near  the  site  of  the  present  village  of  Browns. 
He  died  in  Albion  in  August,  1871.  The  Colyer  family 
were  generally  industrious,  saving  and  prosperous  farm- 
ers. Most  of  their  numbsr  were,  and  are,  members  of 
the  Christian  or  Disciples  church. 

ELD.  CALEB  EDWARDS, 

WAS  born  in  Brighton,  England,  February  25th,  1832. 
His  father,  Henry  Edwards,  was  an  architect  and 
builder.  His  mother's  maiden  name  was  Elizabeth 
Hollingham.  In  the  year  1840,  the  family  came  to  the 
United  States,  locating  at  first  in  Dearborn  county,  In- 
diana, whence  they  moved  to  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  in  1842. 
Here  Caleb,  who  was  the  eighth  in  order  of  birth,  together 
with  his  brothers  and  sister,  obtained  a  common  school 
education.  Here,  too,  he  served  an  apprenticeship  as  a 
carpenter.  In  1848,  the  family  found  a  home  among 
people  of  like  nationality  with  themselves  in  Edwards 
county,  locating  on  Boltinghouse  prairie,  where  they 
engaged  in  farming.  On  the  21st  February,  1855, 
Caleb  Edwards  was  united  in  marriage  with  Mary 
Hannah  Orange,  daughter  of  Eld.  Daniel  Orange,  one 
of  the  pioneer  settlers  in  the  county,  and  one  of  the  active 
members  of  the  Christian  faith.  By  this  union  there 
have  been  born  six  children  :  Caleb  Henry  (died  in 
November,  1864),  Elizabeth  (now  the  wife  of— 
Hodson)  Orange,  Thomas  Albert  (died  April  17th, 
1881),  Mollie  and  Naomi.  Mr.  Edwards  has  pursued 
the  vocation  of  farming  ever  since  coming  to  this  county. 
With  this  he  has  combined  preaching  since  1868,  A  most 
faithful  and  zealous  Christian ;  a  constant  student  of  the 
word  of  God,  he  accomplished  much  in  behalf  of  primi- 
tive Christianity.  True  to  his  professions,  his  daily 
walk  and  conversation  made  him  a  teacher  by  example 
as  well  as  precept.  He  is  a  representative  temperance 
advocate,  whose  boast  it  is,  that  he  never  tasted  ardent 
spirits.  As  a  Prohibitionist,  he  was  the  party's  standard 
bearer  for  legislative  honors  in  1882.  Of  pleasing 
address,  cheerful  disposition,  earnest  in  his  enthusiasm, 
he  has  made  hosts  of  friends. 

ROBERT  W.  CURDLING. 

AMONG  the  enterprising  tradesmen  of  Albion  is  Robert 
W-  Curdling,  who  was  born  in  Bridport,  Dorsetshire, 
England,  April  16th,  1854.  His  father,  Robert  by  name, 
was  born  in  the  same  village  July  25th,  1835.  Here  he 
was  early  apprenticed  to  a  shoemaker,  and  followed  the 
trade,  first  at  home,  then  for  ten  years  in  London  and 


again  in  Bridport,  and  since  1857  in  Albion.  His  father 
in  turn  was  Richard  Curdling,  a  baker  by  trade.  The 
mother  of  Robert  W.  Curdling  was  Harriet  White.  A 
i  brother  of  hers  had  located  in  Albion  several  years  prior 
to  the  coming  of  Mr.  Curdling,  and  in  fact  his  letters, 
directed  Robert  Curdling's  attention  particularly  to 
Albion  and  determined  him  upon  coming  here.  la  1857 
he  bid  adieu  to  his  native  land,  crossed  the  ocean,  land- 
ing in  New  Y»rk  city,  July  3d  of  that  year.  Early  the 
next  morning,  it  being  the  natal  day  of  American  Inde- 
pendence, his  vision  was  greeted  with  tri-colored  bunt- 
ing and  flags  in  great  profusion  every  where.  He 
sought  work  in  the  city  and  promptly  obtained  it.  On 
Saturday  night  after  the  end  of  his  first  week's  employ- 
ment he  was  astonished  to  find  a  fellow  workman  chat- 
ting pleasantly  and  smoking  with  his  employer.  This 
was  new  to  him  who  had  bein  accustomed  to  recognizing 
a  wide  breach  between  master  and  laborer — but,  he 
reflected— this  is  America,  the  land  of  liberty.  In  the 
fall  of  1857«he  was  in  Albion  and  opened  the  shop  which 
has  since  been  in  his  hands,  until  transferred  to  his  son, 
Robert  W.  In  the  family  were  five  children,  all  living. 
Robert  W.,  Richard  G  ,  Martha  W.now  the  wife  of  Mr. 
Johnson,  William  H.  and  Mary  H. 

Robert  W.  Curdling,  who  inherits  the  characteristic 
stiek-to-itive-ness  of  his  father  learned  his  father's  trade 
early  in  life,  and  with  commendable  energy  pursues  it. 
He  was  united  in  marriage  with  Madelina  R.,  daughter 
of  James  Tribe  (of  one  of  the  leading  families  of  Edwards 
county)  Oct.  31st,  1880.  One  child,  a  daughter,  Leeta  V. 
by  name,  blessed  the  union.  Mr.  Curdling  is  a  pronounced 
Republican  politically.  He  is  a  member  of  the  A.  O. 
U.  W.  in  which  order  he  is  an  officer,  and  in  the  work- 
ings of  which  he  takes  great  interest.  He  is  a  member 
of  the  Cumberland  Presbyterian  church.  As  a  business 
man  he  is  energetic,  thoroughly  honest  in  his  dealings 
and  has  established  a  fine  trade. 


THOMAS  T.  WOODS, 

ONE  of  the  most  successful  farmers  in  Edwards 
county,  was  born  April  16th,  1822.  His  parents,  John 
and  Elizabeth,  were  both  English  by  birth.  His  father 
located  in  Edwards  county  in  1819,  hence  was  among 
the  old  pioneer  settlers.  Here  he  kept  hotel,  or  as  it 
was  termed  public  house,  several  years.  In  1827,  he 
moved  to  Shawneetowu  where  he  died  in  1829.  His 
widow  returned  with  the  family  to  Albion,  and  again 
took  charge  of  the  hotel,  which  she  kept  aided  by  her 
family  until  1858.  Thomas  T.  Woods  remained  with 
his  mother  until  1845.  He  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Georgiana  W.  Spangler,  daughter  of  Emanuel  and  Jane 
Spangler,  September  8th,  1843.  The  Spanglers  were 
from  York,  Pennsylvania,  and  were  of  Irish  and  Ger- 
man descent.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Woods  have  been  born 
ten  children,  eight  of  whom  Maurice,  Charles,  Alfred, 
Harry,  Edgar,  Spangler,  Elmer  and.  Katie  are  living, 
and  Mary  Jane  and  Lewis  are  dead.  All  the  children 


228 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  W ABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


are  residents  of  the  county,  and  all  are  agriculturists 
save  Edgar,  a  shoemaker  by  trade.  Mr.  Woods'  first 
venture  in  his  own  behalf  was  the  purchase  of  a  tract 
of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  in  1845,  on  which  he 
yet  lives,  and  to  which  he  has  added  over  forty  acres. 
The  original  cost  of  the  tract  was  $600.  Year  by  year 
by  constant  toil  he  has  made  it  one  of  the  best  farms  in 
the  county.  He  takes  an  active  interest  in  everything 
calculated  to  enhance  the  prosperity  of  his  county.  He 
is  a  member  of  the  Episcopal  Church.  An  excellent 
citizen,  an  obliging  neighbor,  a  man  of  fine  judgment,  he 
possesses  the  esteem  and  love  of  a  large  circle  of  friends 
and  acquaintances. 

GEORGE  BOWER. 

THE  present  popular  treasurer  of  Edwards  county 
was  born  in  Albion,  January  22d,  1832.  His  father, 
George  Bower,  was  a  native  of  Germany,  where  he  was 
born  January  30th,  1788,  a  potter  by  trade.  He  worked 
some  time  at  his  trade  in  the  city  of  Pafis,  France, 
where  he  located  August,  1818,  hence  acquired  the 
French  language,  which  was  spoken  in  the  family. 
After  coming  to  America  on  board  the  Louis  from 
Havre  de  Grace  en  route  thirty-one  days  in  October, 
1826,  he  located  first  in  New  York,  thence  to  Vevay, 
Switzerland  county,  Indiana,  and  from  there  he  was  led, 
through  the  solicitations  of  George  Flower,  to  come  to 
Albion,  where  he  prosecuted  his  trade  a  number  of 
years.  He  died,  or  rather  was  killed  by  a  fall  from  a 
wagon,  breaking  his  neck,  September  20th,  1848.  His 


wife,  whose  maiden  name  was  Catharine  Kophfel,  was 
born  in  Germany  July  9th,  1794.  To  them  were  born 
five  children  in  Europe,  two  of  whom  died  there,  and 
three  in  this  country,  eight  in  all.  Mrs.  Bower  died 
April  12th,  1858.  Mr.  George  Bower  obtained  a  very 
fair  common-school  education.  In  1848,  then  sixteen 
years  of  age  he  went  south  to  work  with  an  older 
brother,  Adam  Bower,  as  gin-wright.  Two  years  after 
he  returned  and  followed  the  avocation  of  carpenter 
three  years,  when  he  associated  himself  with  William  B. 
Tribe  in  wagon-making,  combining  therewith  the  work 
of  blacksmithing  and  wheelwright.  In  1854,  he  be- 
came sole  proprietor  of  the  establishment,  remaining  so 
until  1867,  when  he  formed  a  co-partnership  with  Messrs. 
Painter  and  Frankland,  which  arrangement  continued 
until  1871,  since  which  time  he  has  continued  business 
alone  as  before.  He  was  married  to  Mary  Frankland, 
daughter  of  Robert  Frankland,  of  English  birth,  No- 
vember 19th,  1856,  by  whom  he  has  ten  children,  six 
boys  and  four  girls.  Mr.  Bower  is  a  working  member 
of  the  Cumberland  Presbyterian  Church.  He  is  a 
Republican  in  politics,  and  has  for  many  years  held  po- 
sitions of  profit  and  trust.  His  first  public  office  was 
that  of  police  magistrate,  which  was  followed  by  his 
election  as  county  treasurer  in  1875,  an  office  he  has 
since  continuously  held.  He  takes  great  interest  in 
educational  affairs,  which  received  recognition  at  the 
hands  of  his  fellow  citizens  by  his  being  maintained  as 
member  of  the  board  of  education.  Mr.  Bower  is  a 
man  of  enterprise,  industry  and  high  social  qualties. 


LAWRENCE. 


LAWRENCE  COUNTY. 


HIS  township  deserves  favorable  mention 
from  the  fact  that  it  contains  the  capital  of 
the  county,  and  is  among  the  first-settled 
precincts  of  Lawrence  county,  and  bears  the 
same  name.  It  is  centrally  situated,  and  includes  the 
fractional  part  of  four  congressional  townships,  to  wit ; 
townships  three  and  four,  ranges  eleven  and  twelve.  It 
has  an  area  of  forty-two  sections,  or  about  26  880  acres 
of -land,  nearly  three-fourths  of  which  is  under  cultiva- 
tion. It  is  bounded  on  the  north  by  Bond  township,  east 
by  Allison,  south  by  Dennison,  and  west  by  Bridgeport 
and  Petty  townships.  The  surface  is  generally  undula- 
ting, and  in  places  along  theEmbarras  river  quite  prom- 
inent bluffs  appear.  In  the  south  and  west  the  surface 
is  mainly  level,  and  the  soil  is  a  dark  loam  and  specially  ! 
adapted  to  the  raising  of  corn.  The  land  in  this  part  of  j 
the  township  is  considered  the  most  valuable  from  the  > 


act  of  its  extreme  productiveness.  In  the  east  the  soil  is 
sandy  and  not  so  productive.  Along  the  state  road) 
leading  west,  there  are  many  fine  farms,  the  soil  being  a 
chocolate- colored  clay,  and  is  the  best  wheat-producing 
soil  in  the  county.  On  either  side  of  the  Embarras  river 
there  are  quite  extensive  bottoms,  especially  on  the  north- 
east. These  are  mainly  covered  with  heavy  timber,  and 
are  subject  to  overflow. 

The  natural  drainage  is  good,  but  tiling  would  pay  an 
hundredfold.  The  Embarras  enters  the  township  in  sec- 
22,  township  4,  range  12,  and  flows  in  a  southeasterly 
course,  diagonally  through  the  precinct,  and  passes  out  in 
section  17,  township  3,  range  11.  Brushy  Fork  and 
Muddy  creed  constitute  its  northwestern  tributaries,  and 
Indian  creek  is  its  west  and  southern  tributary.  The 
Ohio  and  Mississippi  railroad  extends  from  east  to  west 
through  its  entire  territory,  entering  from  the  east  in  sec- 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  W ABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


229 


tion  4,  township  3,  range  11,  and  crosses  the  boundary 
line  into  Bridgeport  in  section  9,  same  township  and 
range.  The  Wabash,  St.  Louis  and  Pacific  railway  crosses 
the  precinct  from  north  to  south,  entering  from  the 
north  between  sections  19  and  20,  township  4,  range  11, 
and  passes  out  at  the  corner  of  sections  17  and  18,  same 
township  and  range. 

EARLY   SETTLEMENTS. 

One  of  the  first  to  brave  the  wilds  of  the  western  fron- 
tier was  John  Me  Cleave,  a  native  of  Maryland,  born  in 
1778.  When  a  mere  boy  his  parents  moved  to  the  state 
of  Ohio,  where  he  grew  to  manhood.  In  1801,  he  mar- 
ried Mary  Benefiel,  and  remained  in  Ohio  until  1814, 
when  he  moved  to  Illinois  (then  Territory)  and  first 
stopped  in  the  north  part  of  Allison's  Prairie,  not  far 
from  the  present  site  of  Centerville.  The  Indians  then 
being  on  the  war-path,  he  was  obliged  to  move  his  fami- 
ly into  the  fort  (Fort  Allison)  for  protection,  where  they 
remained  until  the  spring  of  1814.  After  the  conclusion 
of  the  treaty  with  England  relating  to  the  war  of  1812, 
the  Indians  became  peaceable,  and  the  people  left  the  fort. 
Mr.  Me  Cleave  located  across  the  river  from  Vincennes, 
where  he  remained  until  the  following  spring,  when  he 
moved  over  the  river  and  stayed  one  year.  In  the  spring 
of  1817,  he  again  came  to  the  Illinois  side  and  perma- 
nently located  in  section  3,  township  3,  range  11  west, 
then  Edwards  county.  At  this  time  his  family  consist- 
ed of  his  wife  and  five  children,  William,  John,  Rebec- 
ca,  George  and  Lucinda.  He  threw  up  a  small  camp, 
made  of  puncheons,  and  commenced  the  life  of  a  pioneer. 
He  entered  quite  a  tract  of  land,  which  he  subsequently 
improved.  Mr.  McCleave  was  an  unassuming  man,  a 
good  citizen  and  a  kind  neighbor.  He  died  at  the  old 
home  in  1846.  Mrs.  McCleave  survived  him  until  1860. 
Two  children  were  born  to  them  after  their  settlement, 
Robert  B.,  and  Mary.  Only  three  of  the  family  are  now 
living,  George,  Robert  and  Lucinda.  The  former  resides 
on  the  old  farm,  and  has  filled  the  office  of  justice  of  the 
peace  for  twenty-two  years,  and  is  still  acting  in  that  ca- 
pacity. A  son,  J.  W.  is  the  present  county  treasurer. 
George  is  also  living  at  the  old  farm.  Lucinda,  now 
widow  of  Thomas  Dickerson,  resides  in  section  33,  town- 
ship 4,  range  12 

The  first  permanent  English  immigration  and  settle- 
ments were  made  in  1816-'17  after  the  Indian  troubles 
had  ceased,  at  which  time  there  was  quite  an  active  in- 
flux of  emigrants,  who  were  mainly  families  from  some 
portion  of  the  South.  Among  these  was  Geo.  W.  Kin- 
kaid  who  came  with  his  family  from  Kentucky  in  the 
above  year  and  settled  in  section  28,  township  4,  range 
11.  He  had  one  son,  Albert,  and  three  daughters.  Mr. 
K.  resided  on  his  farm  for  some  years,  when  his  wife  died, 
and  he  moved  into  Lawrenceville.  He  was  one  of  the 
early  postmasters  of  the  town.  He  remained  here  until 
his  death,  which  occurred  in  1848.  Albert,  his  son,  is  a 
citizen  of  Richland  county. 

A  prominent  pioneer  was  Col.  Willam  Spencer,  who 
permanently  located  in  section  2,  township  3,  range  12. 


He  had  been  here  several  years  prior  to  this  settlement 
He  improved  a  good  farm,  and  was  very  popular  with 
his  neighbors.  In  early  times  all  male  citizens  of  certain 
ages,  were  required  to  -muster,  and  devote  a  portion  of 
time  each  year  to  train  as  militiamen.  Mr.  Spencer  was 
elected  a  colonel  of  a  regiment,  hence  his  title,  and  he 
was  ever  afterward  known,  by  his  acquaintances,  as  Col- 
onel Spencer.  He  was  also  elected  County  Commision- 
er  for  some  years.  He  died  nearly  half  a  century  ago. 
At  his  coming  there  were  three  pioneer  childre^i,  Jane, 
Fannie,  and  William,  all  of  whom  are  dead.  One  son, 
George,  who  was  born  in  the  precinct,  is  now  living  in 
Macoupin  county. 

David  Grove  came  from  Pennsylvania,  in  1816,  and  lo- 
cated in  section  10,  township  3,  range  12.  He  had  a 
family  of  three  children,  Michael,  John,  and  Eliza.  He 
was  of  German  descent,  and  thus  a  very  industrious  and 
thrifty  farmer,  cultivating  a  good  farm,  on  which  he  lived 
until  his  death,  which  occurred  in  1842.  His  remains 
were  interred  on  his  own  land.  His  widow  survived  him 
but  a  few  years.  Washington  Grove,  residing  in  Petty 
township,  is  one  of  his  sons,  and  the  only  one  of  the  fam- 
ily now  living. 

Another  pioneer  of  1816,  was  Isaiah  Lewis,  who  migra- 
ted from  Kentucky  with  a  large  family.  He  settled  in 
section  3,  township  3,  range  12,  where  he  cleared  and  im- 
proved a  good  farm.  He  resided  here  until  about  1830, 
when  he  moved  to  some  point  north  in  the  state.  He 
was  school  teacher,  and  in  the  pioneer  times  was  one  of 
the  first  teachers  in  this  part  of  the  country.  But  one 
of  the  family  is  living  in  the  county,  Jacob,  who  is  a 
resident  of  Petty  township. 

Larkin  Ryle  came  to  the  state  as  early  as  1813  or  '14, 
entered  land  and  returned  to  Kentucky  from  whence  he 
came.  He  owned  several  slaves- in  that  state,  and  when 
the  emigration  excitement  for  Illinois,  commenced  he  sold 
them  and  came  to  the  land  he  had  entered,  it  being  the 
south  half  of  section  11,  township  3,  range  12.  He  was 
then  quite  an  old  man  and  feeble  in  constitution.  He 
brought  no  family  with  him,  having  left  them  in  KeiJ 
tucky.  He  taught  school  for  several  years,  and  lived 
around  among  the  settlers.  It  is  said  that  he  was  the 
first  teacher  in  this  precinct,  having  taught  the  children 
of  the  pioneers  as  early  as  1817  or  '18.  He  continued 
teaching  as  long  as  his  health  would  permit,  and  finally 
died  with  lingering  consumption  at  the  house  of  one  of 
the  early  settlers.  This  was  more  than  half  a  century 
ago. 

John  Buchanan  was  also  from  the  South,  and  as  early 
as  1816  he  came  to  the  State  and  settled  in  section  12, 
township  3,  range  12.  He  was  a  man  of  family,  several 
of  his  children  being  old  enough  to  aid  him  in  his  pio- 
neer efforts.  He  improved  a  farm,  where  he  resided  until 
his  children  had  grown  up  and  married.  He  then  moved 
to  Lawrenceville,  where  he  resided  until  his  death, 
which  occurred  long  ago.  Some  of  his  descendants  are 
yet  living  in  the  county. 

The  Rawlings  family  were  from  Kentucky,  and  located 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


in  the  county  in  1816.  The  old  gentleman  was  very 
aged  when  he  made  his  advent  here,  and  lived  but  a  few 
years.  His  sons,  James,  Nathan,  Scott,  and  Michael, 
were 'citizens  of  the  county  for  many  years,  all  of  whom 
have  passed  away.  N.  D.  Rawlings,  who  resides  a  mile 
east  of  Lawrenceville,  is  a  son  of  James.  N.  D.  is  the 
present  supervisor  of  the  precinct,  and  has  represented 
it  as  such  since  1879.  Several  other  descendants  of  the 
family  are  citizens  of  the  county. 

Thongs  Fyffd  and  family  came  from  Kentucky  in 
1814,  and,  upon  their  arrival  in  the  territory,  they  were 
obliged  to  take  refuge  in  Fort  Allison.  With  the  rest, 
after  peace  was  declared,  he  left  the  Fort  and  located 
temporarily  in  the  eastern  part  of  the  county.  In  1817, 
he  entered  land  in  section  34,  township  4,  range  12, 
where  he  made  a  permanent  settlement.  This  was  his 
home  until  his  death,  which  occurred  about  1830.  But 
one  of  the  family  is  now  living  (Albert),  who  is  residing 
at  the  old  homestead.  It  is  said  that  Edward  P.,  a  de- 
ceased son,  was  the  first  child  born  of  English  parents  in 
Lawrence  county. 

Another  pioneer  of  1817  was  John  Brigman,  a  native 
of  South  Carolina.  On  coming  to  Illinois,  he  first  stopped 
upon  the  site  where  Lawrenceville  now  stands.  His 
family  consisted  of  his  wife,  two  children  and  two  brothers. 
The  names  of  the  latter  were,  Solomon  and  Isaac.  He 
built  him  a  small  house,  or  rather  hut,  but  remained 
here  only  a  short  time,  moving  to  what  is  known  as 
Brigman's  Island.  He  located  in  section  22,  township 
4,  range  12,  on  the  farm  now  owned  and  occupied  by 
Joseph  Griggs.  This  was  a  sickly  locality,  and  nearly 
all  the  family  soon  died.  Mr.  B.  also  died  here,  and  was 
buried  on  his  own  land. 

Robert  Benefiel  came  from  Ohio  in  1818,  and  settled 
in  section  34,  township  4,  range  12.  He  had  a  family, 
consisting  of  his  wife  and  one  daughter,  Ruhama.  His 
first  domicil  was  a  covered  rail-pen.  It  was  in  this  pen 
that  one  of  the  first  children  war  born  in  this  precinct, 
the  event  occurring  in  1818,  not  long  after  Mr.  Bene- 
fiel's  advent  to  the  State.  He  remained  here  improving 
a  little  farm  until  1830,  when  his  wife  died.  He,  with 
his  family,  then  moved  to  the  State  of  Indiana. 

Joseph  Lamott  was  of  French  descent,  and  came  over 
from  Vincennes  in  1818,  and  located  in  section  9,  twp.  3, 
range  12.  It  is  said  of  him  that  he  was  a  most  excellent 
citizen  and  an  obliging  neighbor.  He  died  at  his  farm 
about  fifteen  years  ago.  His  second  wife  survives  him, 
and  is  residing  at  the  old  homestead.  One  son  and  two 
daughters  are  residents  of  the  county— James,  Caroline, 
and  Angeline.  The  latter  is  the  wife  of  James  Dunlap. 

Another  settler  of  1818  was  Benjamin  McCleave,  who 
was  born  in  Maryland,  and  was  a  brother  of  James  Mc- 
Cleave, before  mentioned.  He  emigrated  from  Ohio 
with  his  family  to  this  State,  and  settled  in  section  3, 
township  3,  range  12,  on  land  that  he  had  entered  two 
years  before.  Prior  to  his  coming  he  had  been  twice 
married,  and  the  family  consisted  of  four  of  his  own 
children  and  five  step-children.  The  names  of  the  for- 


mer were — Polly,  Sally,  Betsy  and  Benjamin ;  those  of 
the  latter  were— Polly,  Helen,  Martha,  Betsy  and  Mar- 
garet. He  died  about  1845.  But  one  of  the  family  is  a 
resident  of  the  county  (John),  who  is  a  native  born. 

John  Gillespie  came  from  Virginia,  near  Wheeling, 

in  1820,  with  a  family  of  children,  viz:  Jane,  Robert, 

William,  Mary  Ann,  Elizabeth,  Walter,  Ellen  and  Sa- 

i  muel,  and  settled  on  the  southeast  quarter  of  section  15, 

I  township  3,  range   12,  where  he  resided  permanently, 

and  died  about  1846,  at  the  age  of  sixty-eight  years. 

Elizabeth  and  Samuel  are  yet  living, — the  latter  on  the 

!  old  place. 

A  prominent  settler  of  1821  was  James  McLean.  He, 
with  his  brother  John,  came  from  Kentucky  in  1817, 
and  located  at  Shawneetown,  Illinois.  The  latter  subse- 
quently became  United  States  Senator.  James  came  to 
Lawrence  county  in  1821,  and  on  the  organization  of 
the  county  he  was  appointed  the  first  circuit  clerk  by 
Judge  Wilson.  This  office  he  held  until  the  breaking 
out  of  the  Black  Hawk  war,  when  he  resigned  his  office 
and  volunteered  for  that  campaign.  While  in  service, 
his  successor  died,  upon  which  the  people  of  the  county 
signed  a  petition  to  have  Mr.  McLean  re-appointed, 
which  was  speedily  done.  This  was  in  1832.  He  held 
|  the  office  until  1836.  In  1838  he  was  elected  clerk  of 
|  the  council  of  revision.  In  1840  he  was  in  the  legisla- 
i  ture  and  drew  up  the  bill  for  the  organization  of  Rich- 
land  county.  In  1842  he  was  appointed  registrar  of  the 
land  office  at  Palestine,  which  position  he  filled  until 
1854.  He  then  returned  to  Lawrence  county  and  be- 
came county  judge,  which  office  he  held  until  his  death, 
in  1859. 

A  family  by  the  name  of  McCall  settled  two  miles 
north  of  Lawreuceville  about  1817  or  '18.  McCall  was 
killed  by  a  Delaware  Indian  in  1820.  A  band  of  the 
Delawares  was  encamped  at  the  time  on  Brushy  Fork. 
Several  of  them  went  over  to  McCall's  cabin  and  de- 
manded whisky.  He  refused  them,  and  a  conflict  was 
brought  on,  and  in  the  fracas  McCall  was  killed  by  their 
leader,  Killbuck.  The  family  subsequently  moved  to 
some  other  point. 

About  1819,  Toussaint  and  Loire  Dubois  located  on 
the  claim  made  by  their  father,  Toussaint  Dubois,  Sen. 
This  tract  comprised  1020  acrts,  and  included  nearly  all 
of  section  1,  township  3,  range  11.  They  built  a  water- 
mill  on  the  Embarras,  which  was  situated  where  the  pres- 
ent mill  now  stands.  They  were  also  active  in  building 
up  the  town  of  Lawrenceville,  having  at  one  time  an 
interest  in  a  large  distillery,  besides  conducting  quite  an 
extensive  mercantile  business.  Toussaint  died  in  Law- 
renceville a  half  century  ago.  Loire  returned  to  Vin- 
cennes, where  he  remained  until  his  death. 

Among  other  pioneers  were  Cornelius  Taylor,  Abra- 
ham Carnes,  Scott  Riggs,  Moses  Petty,  Henry  Gillham, 
Daniel  Robinson,  Joshua  Alexander,  William  M.  Small, 
Jonathan  Leach  and  others.  The  former  kept  a  ferry 
across  the  Embarras,  just  above  the  bridge  at  Lawrence- 
ville, as  early  as  1816. 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  W ABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


Among  those  who  have  been   prominent  of  a  later 
date  is  Daniel  L.  Gold,  a  native  of  Virginia.     He  came 
to  Lawrenceville  in  1844,  and  engaged  as  a  clerk  in  a 
mercantile  house.    Four  years  later  he  became  a  partner. 
In  the  early  part  of  the  rebellion  he  was  appointed  by  j 
Governor  Yates  Assistant  Adjutant-General  of  the  State.  I 
As  a  citizen  of  the  county,  he  was  always  among  the  J 
foremost  in  the  advocacy  of  public  improvements,  and  | 
that  which  would  enure  for  the  public  good.     At  this 
writing  he  is  in  Washington  city,  an  appointee  of  the 
Government  in  the  pension  department. 

Other  old  citizens  who  are  yet  living  in  the  precinct 
may  be  mentioned  as  follows:  William  Richardson 
was  born  in  Hardy  county,  Virginia,  and  came  to  the  j 
county  in  1828.  He  resides  in  section  29,  township  3, 
range  11.  James  A.  Crews  came  from  Crawford 
county,  Illinois,  in  1829.  His  residence  is  near  Law- 
renceville,  in  section  6,  township  3,  range  11.  W.  S. 
Kennessey  was  born  in  Baltimore,  and  came  to  the 
couuty  in  1839  ;  resides  in  section  1,  township  3,  range  12. 
James  N.  Musgrave  came  from  Ohio  to  the  county  in 
1839  He  is  the  proprietor  of  the  Junction  Hotel  at  the 
O.  &  M.  Junction.  William  Musgrave  is  also  from 
Ohio,  came  in  1840,  and  is  the  station  agent  at  the  junc- 
tion. Lafayette  Barnes,  Circuit  Clerk,  is  a  native  of 
the  county,  born  in  1840.  Nancy  A.  Smith,  nee  Wright, 
came  from  Ohio  to  the  county  in  1840:  George  W. 
Green  was  born  in  the  county  in  1841.  He  resides  in 
section  6,  township  3,  range  11.  W.  H.  H.  Mieure  is 
also  a  native  of  the  county,  born  in  1841,  and  resides  in 
section  19,  township  3,  range  11.  His  father  was  among 
the  early  settlers.  John  G.  Fritchy  came  from  Penn- 
sylvania in  1841,  and  is  located  in  section  5,  township 
3,  range  11.  Capt.  Henry  A.  Clubb,  Deputy  County 
Clerk,  was  born  in  the  county  in  1843.  He  is  a  descen- 
dant of  one  of  the  pioneers  of  the  county.  An  early 
settler,  yet  living,  is  William  Tanquary,  who  resides 
about  two  miles  west  of  Lawrenceville.  He  was  one 
.of  the  first  blacksmiths  in  the  town.  He  subsequently 
moved  to  the  county,  and  is  among  the  prosperous  farm- 
ers of  the  precinct.  A  little  northeast  of  Lawrence- 
ville is  a  settlement  known  as  Robinson's  Row.  It  re- 
ceives its  name  from  several  families  settling  there  by 
the  name  of  Robinson.  This  settlement  was  made  from 
about  1824  to  18-8. 

LAND  ENTRIES. 

Believing  that  the  first  land  entries  will  prove  of 
interest  to  the  readers  of  this  history,  we  here  append 
them  as  shown  by  the  record  :  January  24,  1816,  John 
McCleave  entered  the  S.  W.  }  of  sec.  20.  George  W. 
Kiukaid  entered  October  i,  1816,  the  N.  E.  i  of  sec. 
28.  William  Huston  entered  on  the  same  day,  the  N. 
W.  \  of  same  sec.  Samuel  Gaston  entered  July  21, 
1815,  the  N.  E.  i  of  sec  32.  On  the  same  day,  Abra- 
ham Carnes  entered  the  S  E.  i  of  same  section.  Scott 
Riggs  entered,  January  26,  1816,  the  S.  W.  i  of  sec. 
33.  The  above  are  all  in  township  4,  range  11.  The 
following  are  in  township  3,  range  12 :  William  Smith 


entered,  November  6,  1816,  the  south  J  of  sec.  1.  Wil- 
liam Spencer  entered,  October  29,  1816,  the  S.  W.  t  of 
sec.  2.  John  Benefiel  entered,  Oct.  3,  1816,  the  N  E.  i 
of  sec.  3.  Peter  Lewis  entered,  May  6,  1816,  the  N. 
W.  1  of  the  same  section.  Benjamin  McCleave  entered, 
September  30,  1816,  the  8.  W.  i  of  same  section.  John 
Richardson  entered ,  October  2,  1816,  the  N.  E.  J  of  sec. 
9.  Elijah  Athertou  entered,  September  30,  1816,  the 
E.  J  of  the  N.  W.  i  of  the  same  section.  Daniel  Grove 
entered,  October  29,  1816,  the  N.  E.  i  of  sec.  10.  Lar- 
kin  Ryle  entered,  September  9, 1813,  the  S.  J  of  sec.  11. 
John  Buchanan  entered,  November  6,  1816,  the  S  J  of 
sec.  12. 

The  following  entries  are  in  township  4,  range  12: 
George  Weston  entered,  May  19,  1817,  the  E.  J  of  the 
S  E.  1  of  sec.  24.  Thomas  Landon  entered,  December 
3,  1816,  the  S.  W.  1  of  sec.  34.  John  JBeuefiel  entered, 
September  30,  1816,  the  N.  E  i  of  sec.  33.  Joseph  P. 
Badollett  entered,  March  25,  1817,  the  S.  E.  1  of  sec. 
27.  Robert  Benefiel  entered,  March  9,  1817,  the  N.  E. 
I  of  sec.  28.  C.  White  and  D.  Cummings  entered, 
November  9,  1817,  the  N.  W.  i  of  the  same  section. 
Thomas  Fyffe  entered,  October  14,  1817,  the  N.  W.  \  of 
sec.  34. 

From  best  authority,  Col.  William  Spencer  was  the 
.first  white  man  to  locate  in  this  precinct.  He  had  built 
a  double  log  cabin  on  the  Embarras,  at  a  point  where 
the  "  old  trace "  crossed  the  river.  This  was  about 
1806.  With  the  exception  of  one  or  two  cabins  further 
west,  there  was  no  other  habitation  between  Vincennes 
and  the  old  French  town  of  Cahokia.  In  1816,  we  find 
Mr.  Spencer  located  in  section  2,  township  3,  range  12, 
a  brief  sketch  of  whom  is  given  in  this  chapter. 

So  far  as  can  be  ascertained,  the  first  couple  married 
in  the  township,  was  William  McCleave  and  Nancy 
Benefiel,  in  the  spring  of  1820.  The  ceremony  was 
performed  at  Vincennes,  by  the  Reverend  Elihu  Stout. 
Appropos  of  the  foregoing  it  might  not  be  out  of  place 
to  relate  a  rather  ludicrous  as  well  as,  perhaps,  painful 
affair  to  the  parties  most  interested,  that  occurred  in 
1819.  Our  informant  says  that,  "  I  was  then  a  mere 
boy,  but  it  smacked  so  much  of  the  ridiculous  that  I 
have  always  remembered  it."  It  seems  that  a  couple 
from  Indiana  had  determined  to  marry,  and  the  parents 
of  the  girl  were  very  much  oppossed  to  the  match. 
They  clandestinely  fled  to  this  side  of  the  river  with  the 
intention  of  procuring  license  for  the  marital  bonds. 
j  The  young  man  left  his  intended  bride  at  the  cabin  of 
one  of  the  settlers,  when  he  went  post  haste  to  Palmyra 
(then  the  county  seat  of  Edwards  county)  to  obtain  the 
necessary  papers.  In  his  absence  the  friends  of  the 
girl,  who  had  been  following  them,  appeared  upon  the 
scene,  made  a  raid  on  the  cabin,  and  took  the  girl  by 
force,  carrying  her  back  to  her  home.  Imagine  if  you 
can,  the  young  man's  feelings,  when  he  returned  but  a 
short  time  afterwards,  and  found  that  his  dear  one  had 
been  spirited  away.  Our  informant  says,  that  he  sat 
down  upon  the  ground  and  blubbered  like  a  school-boy. 


232 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


The  first  public  place  of  interment  is  situated  in  sec- 
tion 3,  township  3,  range  12,  and  the  first  person  buried 
here  was  a  child  of  Jonathan  Leach,  in  1820.  It  has 
been  abandoned  as  a  place  of  burial  for  more  than 
twenty  years. 

Larkin  Ryle  taught  the  first  school,  in  1818.  The 
school  was  taught  in  a  log  cabin  situated  in  section  34, 
township  4,  range  12.  It  was  built  by  John  Bray  for  a 
dwelling,  but  his  wife  dying  soon  after  his  advent  here, 
he  returned  to  Indiana,  leaving  the  cabin  vacant.  It  is 
said  that  Mr.  Ryle  was  not  much  addicted  to  the  use  of 
the  rod,  but  did  all  his  lashing  with  his  tongue.  He 
was  very  particular  about  keeping  the  sexes  apart,  and 
would  throw  up  long  rows  of  brush  to  separate  their 
play  grounds.  The  first  house  built  for  school  purposes 
was  iu  1822,  and  was  situated  in  section  3,  township  3, 
range  12  It  wa3  constructed  of  round  hickory  logs, 
and  roofed  with  rived  clapboards,  which  were  held  to 
their  places  by  weight  poles.  It  contained  a  fire-place, 
stick  chimney,  puncheon  floor,  puncheon  seats  and  pun- 
cheon desks.  Two  logs  were  scutched  down  at  a  con- 
venient distance  from  the  floor  to  form  a  window,  and 
over  this  crevice  was  pasted  greased  paper  through 
which  the  light  could  penetrate.  Let  the  .young  readers 
of  this  history  compare  then  with  now. 

The  first  to  conduct  religious  services  among  the 
pioneers,  were  Eldeis  B  McCorckle  and  William  Kin- 
kaid,  both  belonging  to  the  New  Light  persuasion,  now 
commonly  known  as  Campbellites  or  Christians,  The 
services  were  held  in  the  groves  or  the  houses  of  the 
settlers. 

The  first  house  built  for  public  worship  was  about 
1840.  It  was  constructed  by  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
denomination,  and  is  situated  in  Lawrenceville. 
It  is  now  used  by  the  M.  E  colored  church  society. 

The  first  magistrates  were  Henry  Gillham,  Benjamin 
McCleave  and  John  McCleave.  For  the  first  medical 
attendance  I  he  pioneers  were  obliged  to  send  over  to 
Vincennes.  The  first  resident  physicans  were  Gabriel 
Cochran,  Dr.  Barton  and  William  Anderson.  They 
res-ided  at  Lawrenceville. 

No  post-office  was  established  until  about  1821  or 
1822,  when  Lawrenceville  was  located.  Prior  to  this, 
mail  was  obtained  at  Viucennes.  At  this  time  it  re- 
quired twenty-five  cents  to  get  a  letter  from  distant 
friends.  Valentine  J.  Bradley  was  one  of  the  first  post- 
masters at  Lawrenceville. 

Mr.  Galbreth  was  the  first  smith  to  shoe  the  horses 
and  mend  the  linchpins  of  the  early  settlers.  His  shop 
was  situated  a  little  south  of  where  the  court-house  now 
stands.  This  ground  was  then  a  wilderness  of  sugar 
maple,  extending  from  his  shop  north  to  the  river.  It 
is  needless  to  say  that  both  shop  and  smith  have  passed  j 
away  long  ago. 

The  early  milling  was  had  at  Vincennes.  In  1817 
or  '18,  John  Brigman  attempted  to  construct  a  water 
mill  on  the  Embarras,  near  where  the  present  water  mill 
stands,  but  his  efforts  proved  abortive.  A  little  later, 


Cornelius  Taylor  also  made  the  attempt,  but  failed.  In 
1819  or  1820,  Toussaint  and  Loire  Dubois,  with  the  aid 
of  the  settlers,  succeeded  in  constructing  a  dam,  and  a 
mill  was  soon  erected.  One  of  the  pioneers,  now  dead, 
writing  to  a  friend  says  :  "  We  succeeded  in  constructing 
a  feeble  affair,  which  was  familiarly  known  as  a  '  corn- 
cracker,'  but  poor  as  it  was,  we  were  proud  of  it.  It 
would  grind  nothing  but  corn,  but  corn  was  all  we  had, 

]  and   little   of  that."     Subsequently  a  saw  mill  was  at- 

i  tached,  and  they  did  good  service  for  the  settlers  for 
several  years,  when  they  went  to  decay.  It  is  said 
that  after  the  mill  was  abandoned,  the  boys  would  go 

j  down,  hoist  the  gate,  and  grind  pebbles  in  it  for  a  pas- 

!  time. 

The  first  blooded  stock  introduced  in  the  precinct  was 

I  in  1830,  by  James  Nabb,  it  being  a  celebrated  breed  of 
horses  which  were  imported  from  the  State  of  Kentucky. 
About  1845,  a  serious  malady  prevailed  here,  known 
as  the  "  black  tongue  " — it  proved  very  fatal,  and  many 
were  swept  away  by  this  much-dreaded  disease.  With 
this  exception,  the  township  has  been  one  of  the  most 
healthy  and  prosperous  in  the  county.  The  roads  and 
bridges  are  kept  in  fair  condition,  and  good  farms  and 
farm  improvements  are  to  be  seen  throughout  its  ter- 
ritory. 

Supervisors. — The  following  is  a  list  of  the  names  of 
those  who  have  represented  the  precinct  in  the  county 
board  since  township  organization :  W.  M.  Edmondson 
was  elected  in  1857,  and  served  one  term.  Daniel  L. 
Gold  was  elected  in  1858,  and  served  one  term.  George 
M.  Whittaker  was  elected  in  1859,  served  two  terms. 
John  Seed  was  elected  in  1861,  served  one  term,  and  was 
chairman  of  the  board.  Daniel  Feagans  was  elected  in 
1862,  and  served  until  1867.  George  M.  Whittaker  was 
re-elected  in  1867,  and  served  until  1870,  and  was  chair- 
man of  the  board  for  the  year  1868.  Perry  Lewis  was 
elected  in  1870,  and  served  two  terms.  George  M.  Whit- 
taker was  re-elected  in  1872,  served  one  term.  H.  C. 
McCleave  was  elected  iu  1873,  served  one  term.  Thomas 
Kirkwood  was  elected  in  1874,  and  served  until  1879, 
being  chairman  of  the  board  for  the  year  1877.  N.  D. 
Rawlings  was  elected  in  1879,  and  served  till  1883,  when 
William  N.  Tanquary,  the  present  incumbent,  was 
chosen. 

LAWRENCEVILLE. 

At  the  special  May  meeting  of  the  county  commis- 
sioners' court,  after  the  county  was  organized  in  1821,  a 
committee  of  two  was  appointed  to  select  a  site  for  a 
county  seat.  Thtse  committee  men  were  Moses  Thomp- 
son and  William  Wilson.  The  following  is  their  report, 
made  the  16th  day  of  May,  1821  :  "The  location  is 
selected  on  the  twenty  acres  on  the  west  side  ot  the  Em- 
barras river,  three  hundred  yards  south  of  the  Dubois" 
mills,  on  a  ridge  to  the  left  of  the  St.  Louis  trail,  laid 
off  in  a  square  and  designated  as  the  centre  of  said  tract 
by  a  white  oak  stump  with  a  peeled  stake  sticking  by  its 
side,  as  the  seat  of  justice." 

This  ground  is  situated  on  the  old  French  claim  of 


WK 


IBLIG  BUILDINGS,    /.AL/RENCEV/LLE,  LAURENCE  CO-,!LL 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WAS  ASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


233 


Toussaint  Dubois,  sen.,  a  tract  containing  1020  acres. 
The  site  for  the  capital  of  the  county  was  selected'nearly 
central  within  the  claim,  being  a  part  of  the  northwest 
quarter  of  northwest  quarter  of  section  6,  township  3, 
range  11  west  of  the  second  principal,  meridian.  It  was 
surveyed  and  platted  by  John  Dunlap,  the  27th  and 
28th  days  of  June,  1821,  and  placed  on  record  April  24, 
1823.  The  deed  for  the  twenty  acres  was  executed  Sep- 
tember 15th,  1821,  by  Jane  Dubois,  executrix,  widow  of 
Toussaint  Dubois,  sen.,  and  Toussaint,  jr.  and  H.  Dubois, 
executors,  in  and  for  the  sum  of  $300.  It  was  executed 
to  John  Dunlap,  James  Lanterman  and  William  Mar- 
tin, county  commissioners  of  Lawrence  county.  The 
town  was  laid  off  three  blocks  square,  with  the  block  for 
the  county  buildings  arranged  in  the  center.  The  streets 
were  82  feet  wide,  and  named  as  follows :  Those  extend  - 
ing  north  and  south  were  called  Main  and  Market ; 
those  east  and  west,  Jones  and  Sugar  streets.  It  is  the 
oldest  town  in  the  county.  Several  additions  have  been 
made  since  its  formation.  Bradley's  addition  was  made 
in  1826  ;  Badollet  and  Eaton's  in  1828 ;  Clubb's  in  1829  ; 
Baker's  in  1839,  and  Jones'  in  1853. 

The  first  house  built  within  the  present  village  limits 
was  the  house  or  hut  of  John  Brigman,  about  1816.  It 
was  situated  at  the  bluff,  not  far  from  the  Hydraulic 
mills.  The  first  merchandise  was  sold  by  the  Dubois 
Brothers  in  1821.  The  storehouse  was  a  small  frame 
building  situated  north  of  the  court-house  square.  The 
lumber  for  its  construction  was  hauled  from  Vincennes. 
The  mill  before  mentioned  had  then  been  in  operation 
for  nearly  two  years,  and  a  few  houses  were  scattered 
about  the  timber.  Large  maple  trees  then  covered  the 
present  site  of  the  town  ;  in  short,  it  was  but  a  little 
hamlet  within  a  sugar  camp.  About  1827  the  Dubois 
Brothers  erected  quite  an  extensive  distillery.  It  was 
located  a  little  east  of  Price's  steam  flouring  mill,  up 
against  the  bluff,  and  extended  across  what  is  now  Can- 
thorn  street.  It  subsequently  passed  into  the  hands  of 
Riley  Brothers,  who  enlarged  the  building  and  the  capa- 
city of  the  works.  For  a  time  this  industry  furnished  a 
market  for  all  the  corn  for  many  miles  around.  The 
product  was  shipped  to  New  Orleans  in  flat-boats  via  the 
Embarras,  Wabash,  Ohio  and  Mississippi  rivers.  This 
establishment  was  in  running  order  until  about  1843, 
when  it  was  abandoned  and  went  to  decay.  The  writer 
was  upon  the  ground  only  a  short  time  since,  but  nothing 
is  left  to  show  that  all  was  life  and  activity  here 
"  some  forty  years  ago."  A  carding  and  fulling  mill 
were  also  a  part  of  the  business  of  the  town  at  thai 
time.  Quite  an  extensive  slaughtering  and  packing 
house  was  then  under  the  supervision  of  Henry  Shep- 
herd, which  furnished  a  good  market  for  the  pork  raisec 
in  this  region  of  the  State.  Indeed,  the  town  of  Law- 
renceville  was  a  lively,  busy  point  until  about  1848,  it 
having  a  large  trade  with  the  South  by  means  of  flat- 
boats.  Its  backward  tendency  is,  no  doubt,  owing  to  the 
building  of  the  Ohio  and  Mississippi  railroad,  leaving 
the  town  about  a  mile  to  the  north  of  this  great  thorough: 


fare,  since  which  time  it  has  rather  gone  backward  than 
otherwise. 

Incorporation — The  act  incorporating  the  town  of 
Lawrenceville  was  approved  Feb.  12th,  1835.  The  fol- 
lowing are  the  boundaries  of  the  same,  as  provided  by 
he  charter :  "  One  square  mile,  laid  out  by  lines  run- 
ning due  north  and  south,  east  and  west,  and  the  center 
of  the  public  square  to  be  the  center  of  said  square 
mile."  The  corporate  powers  and  duties  were  vested  in 
D  trustees,  who  were  authorized  to  appoint  their 
presiding  officer  and  all  other  officers  of  the  board.  The 
charter  also  provided  that  the  trustees  should  have  the 
prerogative  to  divide  the  town  into  two  wards  or  more. 
All  east  of  Main  street  to  compose  one  ward,  and  all 
west  of  said  street  to  compose  another.  If  more  were 
made,  the  trustees  were  required  to  make  record  of  the 
same. 

Unfortunately,  the  records  of  the  first  action  of  the 
board  have  been  lost,  and  we  are  unable  to  give  a  synop- 
sis of  its  doings  or  the  names  of  the  first  officers  elect. 
Since  first  incorporation  by  an  Act  of  the  Legislature, 
the  limits  of  the  town  have  been  considerably  extended. 

Village  Organization- — A  vote  was  had  by  the  citi- 
zens of  the  town,  March  12th,  1879,  to  determine  if  the 
people  desired  to  organize  under  a  general  provision  of 
the  statute  relating  to  villages,  etc.  Upon  canvassing 
the  vote,  it  was  found  that  there  were  fifty-one  votes  for 
village  organization  and  none  against  it.  An  election 
was  held  on  the  19th  of  April  following  to  elect  officers 
under  the  new  regime,  when  the  following  officers  were 
elected  :  C.  Cole,  Clinton  Abernathy,  Silas  Hall,  Robert 
W.  Musgrave,  T.  A.  Curry  and  John  H.  Roberts  were 
elected  as  trustees.  Daniel  L.  Gold  was  elected  village 
clerk,  and  William  Robinson  magistrate.  The  present 
village  officers  are :  Trustees— C.  Cole,  T.  W.  Roberts, 
J.  K.  Dickerson,  A.  L.  Irwin,  F.  W.  Weyl  and  E.  B. 
Price ;  clerk — Frank  C.  Meserve ;  treasurer — E.  Schmal- 
hausen ;  magistrate — William  Robinson  ;  street  commis- 
sioner—  J.  A.  Organ;  constable — Lafayette.  Currie. 
Treasurer,  street  commissioner  and  constable  are  ap- 
pointive offices. 

PRESENT    BUSINESS,    ETC. 

Hydraulic  Mills,  Cyrenus  Cole,  proprietor.— This  mill 
is  situated  on  or  near  the  site  of  the  old  Dubois  mill 
which  went  to  decay  more  than  half  a  century  ago,  it 
being  on  the  Embarras  river  just  north  of  the  town. 
The  present  mill  was  built  by  Daniel  Payne  about  1833. 
When  first  constructed  it  contained  two  run  of  burrs, 
and  subsequently  was  attached  a  carding  mill  and  a  saw 
mill.  These  latter  attachments  were  destroyed  by  fire  in 
1855.  Later,  it  was  owned  by  the  firm  of  Ryan  &  Mc- 
Lean, who  conducted  the  business  for  a  time,  when  it 
went  down,  and  for  some  years  remained  silent.  Mr. 
Cole  took  possession  of  it  in  the  fall  of  1880.  Its  power 
was  what  is  known  as  the  re-active  system,  but  at  this 
time  it  has  the  turban  wheel  with  nine  feet  head  of  wa- 
ter. The  building  is  a  frame,  three  stories  high,  and 
50x60  feet  on  the  ground.  It  contains  two  run  of  stone, 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


with  a  capacity  of  65  barrels  of  flour  daily,  and  when  in 
operation  gives  employment  to  two  men. 

Price  Steam  Flouring  Mills. — This  industry  was  estab- 
lished by  W.  C.  Price  in  the  fall  of  1880,  and  is  situated 
on  the  west  side  of  Canthorn  street,  in  the  north  part  of 
town  near  the  river.  The  building  is  a  frame  38x40  ft., 
with  stone  basement,  and  three  stories  high,  and  cost, 
including  machinery,  about  $6,000.  It  contains  three 
run  of  burrs,  with  a  capacity  of  grinding  daily  65  bbls. 
of  flour  and  250  bushels  of  meal,  and  gives  employment 
to  three  men.  The  annual  value  of  manufactured  pro- 
duct is  estimated  at  840,000.  The  machinery  is  driven 
by  a  40-horse  power  engine.  The  mill  is  now  owned  by 
W.  C.  Price  &  Sons. 

School  Building. — This  is  situated  on  the  west  side  of 
Market  street,  one  block  south  of  the  court-house  square. 
A  granite  slab  in  the  front  gable  bears  the  inscription, 
"  Lawreuceville  Public  School,  1874."  It  is  constructed 
of  brick,  two  stories  high,  and  is  60x41  feet  on  the 
ground,  and  cost  about  $5000.  The  building  is  adorned 
with  a  cupola  containing  a  bell,  and  each  window  is 
supplied  with  Venitian  shutters.  It  is  arranged  into 
four  rooms,  two  above  and  two  below,  and  is  seated  with 
the  latest  improved  desks,  and  contains  other  furniture 
to  match.  Two  teachers  and  an  assistant  are  employed, 
Prof.  P.  J.  Anderson,  principal.  The  maximum  at- 
tendance is  about  160  pupils.  The  school  grounds  are 
enclosed  by  a  good  fence,  and  excellently  shaded  with 
forest  trees. 

Hotels. — Union  House,  Lawrence  Roby,  Pi  oprietor ; 
Watts  House,  Mrs.  E.  Watts,  Proprietor. 

Newspapers. — Democratic  Herald,  F.  C.  Meserve,  Ed- 
itor ;  Rural  Republican,  S.  B.  Day,  Editor. 

Physicians.— W.  M.  Garrard,  C.  M.  Carter,  Silas  Ha'l, 
E  Robinson. 

General  Merchandise— T.  W.  Roberts,  Robertson 
Brothers. 

Groceries,  Hardware,  Queensware,  etc. — Ed.  Tracy,  F. 
R.  Watts,  Cole  &  Barnhouse,  John  H.  Roberts,  G.  W. 
Carr. 

Druggist  and  Pharmacist.— Edward  Schmalhausen. 

Grain  and  Lumber  Merchant. — S.  P.  Barton. 

Lumber,  Grain  and  Agricultural  Implements. — Hard- 
acre  &  Musgrove. 

Furniture  Dealer  and  Undertaker. — B.  H.  Popes  and 
Son. 

Milliner  and  Dressmaker.— Mrs.  J.  Aydelotte. 

Dressmaker. — Mrs.  Jas  K.  Dickirsoii. 

Meat  Market.— John  B.  Evans. 

Real  Estate  Agent  aud  Abstractor.— A..  I.  Judy. 

Insurance' Agent. — Charles  Teschmacher. 

Blacksmiths.— W.  C.  Gilbert,  Fred  Pierce. 

Wagon  and  Repair  Shop. — Joseph  White. 

Barber. — Logan  Harmon. 

Gun,  and  Locksmith.— John  Tromley. 

Carpenters    and    Builders.— I,.   Selby,    James   Stru-  j 
ble,  J.  B.  Hiskey,  John  Johnson,  Daniel  Swinehart  & 
Son. 


Stone  Mason,  Cutter  and  Layer. —  Michael  O'Rourk. 
Plasterers  —  George  Clark,  John  Simms. 
Shoe  Makers  —William  Walton,  Isaac  Hall. 
Tailor.— Philip  Shafer. 
Painter  and  Glazier.— Osmon  &  Son. 
Postmaster. — John  H.  Roberts. 

Thereare  three  church  buildings  in  the  town,  the  Chris- 
tian, Methodist  Episcopal,  and  the  M.  E.  Colored-church. 

SOCIETIES.* 

Edward  Doling  Lodge,  No.  164,  A.  F.  and  A.  M.  was 
organized  under  the  name  of  Lawrenceville  Lodge,  No- 
vember 3rd,  1864, but  subsequently  changed  its  name  to 
the  above  in  honor  of  its  first  master,  Edward  Dobins. 
The  first  meeting  was  held,  under  dispensation,  Decem- 
ber llth,  1854.  The  charter  was  granted  October  3rd, 
1855.  There  were  seven  charter  members,  Edward  Dob. 
ins,  Jesse  K.  Dubois,  George  P.  Sherwood,  G.  C.  Cros- 
seu,  Joseph  Gibson,  Henry  I.  Walters,  and  William  M. 
Mills.  It  now  has  a  membership  of  forty,  is  out  of  debt, 
owns  its  own  hall  and  real  estate  to  the  value  of  $1,000. 
The  lodge  meets  every  second  and  fourth  Saturday  nights 
in  each  month. 

Lam-enceville  Lodge,  No.  2536,  K.  of  H. 

This  lodge  was  chartered  August  17th,  1881,  with  twen- 
ty charter  members.  The  present  membership  is  forty- 
eight,  and  the  whole  number  enrolled  since  organization, 
is  fifty-two.  The  lodge  meets  in  its  hall  every  Wednes- 
day night.  With  the  exception  of  the  indebtedness  in- 
curred in  constructing  their  new  hall,  the  lodge  is  out  of 
debt,  and  is  in  good  working  order. 

At  this  writing,  the  town  contains  about  five  hundred 
inhabitants.  The  streets  are  well  kept,  and  there  is  a 
fair  sprinkling  of  shade  trees.  In  the  summer  of  1830, 
the  town  was  visited  with  a  severe  wind-storm  or  cyclone, 
which  was  known  for  many  years  afterward  as  "  Dow's 
storm."  It  received  this  cognomen  from  the  fact  that 
Lorenzo  Dow,  the  cosmopolite,  preached  to  the  people 
of  Lawrenceville  on  that  day.  There  was  a  large  con- 
course of  people  present,  some  of  whom  came  the 
distance  of  forty  miles  to  hear  the  famous  preacher.  The 
platform  on  which  he  stood  was  arranged  at  the  old 
court-house  door.  The  greater  portion  of  his  sermon 
was  delivered  while  he  was  sitting  in  a  chair.  At  times, 
for  dramatic  effect,  he  would  get  down  and  grope  about 
upon  the  platform.  He  had  only  fairly  finished  his  ser- 
mon, when  the  storm  broke  forth.  Houses  and  trees 
were  blown  down,  crops  were  destroyed,  and  fences  were 
scattered  to  the  four  winds.  It  is  said  that  a  French 
cart  was  blown  across  the  Wabash  to  the  Indiana  side  of 
the  river. 

A  sad  calamity  occurred  in  the  town  in  the  summer 
of  1870,  which  threw  the  whole  community  in  mourn- 
ing, while  but  a  few  moments  before  there  were  loud  hur- 
rahs of  jollification  and  rejoicing.  It  was  at  the  time  of 
the  prospective  building  of  the  railroad  which  now  passes 
through  the  town.  A  railroad  meeting  was  being  con- 

*For  this  data  we  are  indebted  to  the  secretaries  of  the  societies. 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  W ABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS.         235 


ducted  in  the  village,  speakers  were  at  hand,  and  the 
crowd  became  very  enthusiastic.  As  is  usual  on  such 
occasions,  powder  had  to  be  burned  in  order  to  give  due 
eclat  to  the  same.  An  old  iron  gudgeon,  with  a  hole 
drilled  in  it,  was  used  as  a  substitute  for  a  cannon. 
Through  some  unknown  cause,  while  loading  it,  it  burst 
into  hundreds  of  pieces,  dealing  death  to  one,  and  badly 
maiming  two  others.  The  sudden  joy  turned  to  sadness, 
and  every  heart  bled  for  the  poor  sufferers  and  the  friends 
of  the  deceased. 

Oriswold  is  a  small  town  of  about  fifty  inhabitants,  sit- 
uated at  the  O.  &  M.  junction,  one  mile  south  of  Law- 
renceville,  on  the  N.  E.  }  of  section  12,  township  3, 
range  12.  It  was  laid  out  August  21st,  1866,  by  Jesse 
K.  Dubois,  and  received  its  name  in  honor  of  William 
D.  Griswold,  then  general  superintendent  of  the  Ohio 
and  Mississippi  railway.  The  only  business  is  one  hotel, 
kept  by  James  N.  Musgrave. 

Bridgeport  lies  partly  in  Lawrence  precinct,  but  as  the 
larger  and  business  portion  is  in  Bridgeport  township, 
the  history  of  it  will  be  found  in  that  chapter. 


LAWRENCE  COUNTY   AGRICULTURAL   BOARD 

Was  organized  in  1858.  The  society  purchased  five  acres 
of  ground,  located  about  one-half  mile  southwest  of  town, 
for  which  they  gave  $200.  Subsequently  they  added  about 
four  acr33  m)r3  to  it,  miking  nearly  nine  acres  in  all. 
A  fine  third-mile  track  was  prepared,  besides  good  com- 


i  fortable  buildings  were  built  for  the  convenience  of  ex- 
!  hibiting  the  wares  of  its  patrons.  For  a  time,  the  enter- 
prise was  prosperous,  proving  beneficial  to  the  public 
and  paying  to  the  society.  A  few  years  ago  the  town  of 
i  Bridgeport  became  ambitious,  and  it  also  organized  a 
I  society  and  opened  a  fair  ground.  The  result  was,  that 
with  a  season  or  two  of  rainy  weather  and  too  much 
fair  in  the  county,  both  societies  became  swamped  for 
funds,  which  subsequently  proved  their  overthrow.  The 
members  of  the  societies  at  Lawrenceville,  in  order  to 
keep  faith  with  their  patrons,  borrowed  a  sufficient  sum 
of  money  to  pay  their  premiums  in  full.  To  obtain  this 
they  mortgaged  their  ground  as  security  for  the  amount 
of  the  loan.  They  struggled  along  for  a  time  with  this 
load  upon  them,  but  the  income  from  the  exhibitions 
was  insufficient  to  cancel  any  part  of  the  debt.  Becoming 
discouraged  about  ever  being  able  to  discharge  the  debt, 
they  concluded  to  sell  the  ground  for  what  it  would 
bring,  and  go  down  into  their  individual  pockets  for  the 
remainder.  This  was  done,  and  thus  passed  away  one  of 
the  finest  little  fair  grounds  in  southern  Illinois.  The 
last  exhibition  was  held  in  the  fall  of  1878,  but  the  so- 
ciety did  not  become  defunct  until  the  winter  of  1882. 
The  enclosure  and  buildings  may  yet  be  seen  a  little 
southwest  of  Lawrenceville. 

Prior  to  this  organization,  in  1855,  the  first  fair  was 
somewhat  impromptu,  and  was  held  in  the  court-room. 
These  impromptu  exhibitions  were  kept  up  until  the  or- 
ganizing of  the  foregoing  society. 


CITY  AND  PRECINCT  OF  MOUNT  CARMEL 


WABASH    COUNTY. 


[HE  early  history  of  Mt.  Carmel  Precinct 
dates  back  nearly  three-fourths  of  a  century. 
The  first  settlers  were  mainly  hardy  pioneers 
from  the  State  of  Ohio,  and  it  is  owing  to  their 
indomitable  energy  and  perseverance  that  the  present 
generation  are  now  enjoying  the  fruits  of  a  cultivated 
society  and  a  land  of  plenty.  It  was  they  who  cleared 
the  forest,  faced  the  wild  Indian,  and  prepared  the  way 
for  the  incoming  tide  of  immigration  and  civilization 
that  now  marks  our  border,  extending  to  the  Pacific 
coast.  We  say,  blessings  on  their  noble  efforts,  for  they 
will  surely  reap  a  rich  reward  in  the  unknown  beyond- 
Mt.  Carmel  precinct  has  the  honor  of  containing  the 
capital  of  the  county,  and  receives  its  name  from  the  fine 
little  city  of  Mt.  Carmel.  The  precinct  extends  along 
the  west  side  of  the  Wabash  river,  and  is  bounded  on  the 


north  by  the  Base  Line,  east  by  the  Wabash,  south  by 
Coffee  precinct,  and  west  by  Bellmont  and  Lick  Prairie 
precincts.  The  surface  is  mainly  level,  and  was  origi- 
nally covered  with  heavy  timbers  of  walnut,  oak,  syca- 
more, elm,  hickory,  poplar,  and  many  other  varieties 
which  may  be  found  mentioned  in  the  chapter  on  Flora. 
Two  small  prairies  are  located  in  the  north  of  the  pre- 
cinct, Bald  Hill  prairie  and  English  prairie.  The  soil 
is  mainly  the  dark  alluvial  loam  of  the  Wabash  bottom, 
and  the  terrace  lands  are  what  are  familiarly  known  as 
second  bottom  land.  The  latter  is  lighter  in  color,  and 
not  so  deep  as  the  former,  but  is  better  adapted  to  the 
cultivation  of  wheat ;  while  the  soil  of  the  first  bottom  is 
unexcelled  for  the  culture  of  maize  and  the  grasses.  The 
transportation  facilities  are  excellent,  the  Wabash,  St. 
Louis  and  Pacific  railway  extending  northeast  and  south- 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LA  WRENCE  AND  WABA8H  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


west  through  the  precinct ;  while  the  Louisville,  Evans-  ,  linois.  They  reached  the  wilds  of  the  Prairie  State  in 
ville  and  St.  Louis  road  passes  from-east  to  west  through  1817,  and  Beauchamp  was  detailed  to  survey  and  plat 
its  territory,  forming  a  junction  with  the  former  road  at  ,  the  town.  Several  emigrants  came  with  them,  and  the 
the  county  seat,  Mt.  Carmel.  Besides  the  railroads,  it  |  nucleus  for  a  settlement  was  founded.  Messrs.  Hinde  and 
has  the  advantage  of  the  river  facilities,  which  at  certain  [  Beauchamp  located  with  the  other  settlers  in  their  new- 
seasons  of  the  year  are  of  no  small  importance.  found  home.  Subsequently  the  former  returned  to  Ohio, 

I  where  he  remained  until  the  decease  of  his  wife,  when 
EARLY  SETTLERS.  j  he  marrje(j  again  and  returne(]  to  jnt.  Carmel.    He  did 

The  first  to  make  a  home  in  Mt.  Carmel  precinct  was  j  much  good  for  h'is  fellow-man  in  his  time,  and  died  re- 
Enoch  Greathouse,  a  native  of  Germany,  who  emigrated  gretted,  Feb.  — ,  1846.  His  remains  repose  by  the  side 
to  the  United  States  in  a  very  early  day  and  first  located  of  his  second  wife  in  the  city  cemetery  of  Mt.  Carmel. 
in  Pennsylvania.  He  subsequently  removed  to  Ken-  |  Mr.  Beauchamp,  for  many  years,  followed  his  chosen 
tucky,  and  in  1803  or  '4  came  to  Illinois,  and  located 
•ft lure  the  city  of  Mt.  Cam  el  now  slaiids.  His  family 
counted  if  his  wife,  four  children  and  one  grandchild. 
The  children  were — Enoch,  jr. ;  Rachel,  nee  Beatton  ; 
Leah,  nee  Woods  ;  and  Isaac.  The  grandson  was  Elias 
yGreathouse,  father  of  Sylvester  Greathouse,  who  now 
lives  in  the  city.  Mr.  G.  sold  his  possessions  to  Messrs. 
Hinde  &  McDowell,  and  located  at  the  now  extinct  town 
of  Centerville,  where  he  died  many  years  ago  at  the  ad- 
vanced age  of  110. years.  Several  of  his  descendants  are 
living  in  this  and  Edwards  county.  Mrs.  Sylvester  Great- 
house  is  a  great-grand-daughter. 

One  of  the  early  settlers  to  locate  in  this  precinct  was 
William  Mclntosh,  about  1814.  He  had  come  into 
possession  of  a  large  tract  of  land  in  the  Illinois  terri- 


ion,  that  of  the  ministry,  and  died  suddenly  in  the 
State  of  Indiana,  wlyle  conducting  a  camp-meeting. 
He  was  a  noted  Methodist  preacher,  and  a  writer  of  more 
than  local  repu'.ation. 

Hiram  Bell  was  born  in  Virginia,  and,  when  a  young 
man,  migrated  to  Illinois  in  the  fall  of  1817.  He  first 
located  in  Friendsville  precinct.  In  1824,  he  married 
Elizabeth  Buchanan,  by  which  union  several  children 
were  born.  When  the  county  of  Wabash  was  organized 
in  1824,  he  was  elected  circuit  clerk,  which  office  he 
filled  for  twenty-six  years.  The  county  seat  was  first 
established  at  Centerville.  When  it  was  removed  to  Mt. 
Carmel,  in  1829,  he  moved  thither,  where  he  remained 
until  his  death,  which  occurred  in  1867.  Having  the 
confidence  of  the  people,  his  life  was  spent  mainly  in 


tory,  which  was  known  in  an  early  day  as  the  "  Mcln-     their  service.   He  filled  the  office  of  county  clerk  twenty- 
tosh  Reserve."     His  house,  which  was  quite  pretentious  j  five  years,  besides  being  elected  probate  judge  for  a  time. 


for  that  day,  was  situated  near  the  Wabash,  at  the  foot 
of  the  Grand  Rapids,  about  two  miles  north  of  the 
present  city  of  Mt  Carmel.  He  was  a  single  man,  but 
tradition  says  that  his  serving- woman  (colored)  bore  him 
several  children.  But  all  have  passed  away,  and  none 
are  left  to  bear  the  name  or  to  give  a  history  of  the  pro- 
prietor of  Mclntosh  manor.  Jarvis  Deal  and  Seth  Gard 
were  here  about  as  early  as  Mclutosh.  The  former  was 
among  the  first  to  locate  in  the  now  extinct  town  of  Pal- 
myra, and  the  latter,  with  Gard  and  a  few  others,  were 
the  projectors  of  the  town. 

Gervase  Hazleton  was  one  of  the  first  settlers  of  old 
Palmyra,  having  come  here  as  early  as  1814.  The  first 
courts  were  held  at  his  house.  He  was  appointed  clerk 
of  the  county  in  1821  and  served  until  1823. 

A  prominent  settler  of  1817,  and  one  of  the  founders 
of  Mt.  Carmel,  was  the  Rev.  Thomas  S.  Hinde,  a  native 
of  Virginia.  His  father  was  the  well-known  Dr.  Hiude 
of  Virginia,  who,  during  the  French  and  Indian  War, 
was  a  surgeon  in  the  British  navy,  and  was  present  when 
the  gallant  Gen.  Wolf  fell  storming  the  Heights  of  Abra- 
ham. He  subsequently  located  in  Kentucky,  and  it  was 
here  that  Thomas  S.  grew  to  manhood.  When  Ohio  was 
organized  as  a  State,  Thomas  was  among  the  first  pio- 
neers. He  had  the  honor,  for  several  years,  to  be  a 
member  of  the  legislature  in  the  new-formed  State.  In 
1817  he  associated  himself  with  the  Rev.  William  Beau- 
champ  and  Dr.  William  McDowell  of  Chillicothe,  Ohio, 
to  form  a  settlement  or  colony  on  ^the  Wabash  river,  II- 


Mrs.  Bell  is  yet  living,  and  is  a  resident  of  Mt  Carmel. 
Four  of  the  children  are  living,  two  of  whom  reside  in 
the  city:  Judge  Robert  Bell  is  a  prominent  attorney, 
and  James  H.  is  a  book-keeper  for  a  firm  in  the  town. 

Joshua  and  James  Beall,  brothers,  were  born  in  Ma- 
ryland, but  subsequently  moved  to  Ohio;  and  in  1818 
came  with  other  emigrants  to  the  new- formed  colony. 
They  were  both  single  men,  and  blacksmiths  by  trade. 
Iu  1819,  Joshua  married  Judith  Russell,  and  a  few  years 
later,  abandoned  blacksmithing,  and  embarked  in  the 
mercantile  business,  which  occupation  he  followed  until 
1840,  when  he  retired  from  active  life.  He  died 
in  Mt.  Carmel  in  1865.  The  only  one  of  the  family  now 
living  is  Mrs.  Wilson,  widow  of  William  Wilson,  who 
resides  in  the  above  named  city.  James  married  a  sister 
of  Joshua's  first  wife,  and  reared  a  family.  He  also  re- 
tired from  blacksmithing,  and  subsequently  held  various 
county  offices,  besides  serving  one  term  in  the  State 
Legislature.  He  was  twice  married,  his  second  wife 
being  Caroline  Cook.  He  died  in  Mt.  Carmel  in  1862, , 
his  wife  surviving  him;  she  is  now  a  resident  of  Indian- 
apolis. None  of  the  children  are  living  in  the  county. 

Others  who  were  among  the  first  emigrants  from  Ohio, 
were:  Isaac  Ingersoll,  Edward  Ulni,  Joseph  Jones, 
James  Townsend,  William  Simonds,  Aaron  Gould^ 
Abraham  Russell,  Scoby  Stewart,  James  Black,  and 
several  others,  of  whom,  at  this  late  date,  it  is  impossible 
to  get  any  record. 

The  former,  Mr.  Ingersoll,  came  when  he  was  a  mere 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


237 


boy.  He  died  in  Mt  Carmel  but  a  few  months  ago, 
being  at  his  death  the  oldest  pioneer  in  the  precinct.  A 
daughter  of  Mr.  Ulm,  wife  of  William  Stone,  is  a  resi- 
dent of  this  precinct.  Mr.  Stone  is  also  one  of  the  early 
settlers.  John  D.,  a  son  of  Andrew  Dyar,  is  a  resident 
of  the  precinct,  and  has  had  the  honor  of  being  twice 
elected  to  the  office  of  shei  iff  of  the  county.  Two  of  the 
family  of  the  pioneer,  Joseph  Jones,  live  in  Mt.  Carmel, 
Frank  and  Caroline,— the  latter  is  the  widow  of  Hiram 
Bedell.  Two  of  James  Townshend's  children  are  yet 
living :  John,  who  is  in  Mt.  Carmel,  and  a  daughter  who 
resides  in  Indiana.  Aaron  Gould  remained  here  for 
some  years,  when  he  removed  to  another  part  of 
the  State ;  several  of  his  representatives  are  residents  of 
the  county.  Scoby  Stewart  was  one  of  the  first  merchants 
and  justices  of  the  peace  in  the  city.  He  died  many 
years  ago. 

William  Simonds  came  from  Ohio,  and  located  about 
one  and  a-half  miles  northwest  of  Mt.  Camel,  and  was 
one  of  the  first  to  cultivate  a  farm  in  the  precinct.  He 
had  a  family  of  five  children:  Stephen,  Elijah,  William, 
junr.,  David,  and  Lydia  (now  the  »idow  of  George  Le-  | 
gier).  The  latter  re.-ides  in  Mt.  Carmel,  and  David  lives 
at  the  old  homestead.  Mr.  Simonds  and  wife  died  some 
vears  ago. 

A  pioneer  of  1819  was  Beauchamp  Harvey,  a  native  of 
Maryland,   who  in  an  early  day  went    to   Ohio.      It 
was  here  that  he  enlisted  in  the  service  of  the  war  of 
1812,  and  was  with  General  Hull's  troops  at  the  memo- 
rable surrender  of  Detroit.     At  the  close  of  the  war  he 
returned  to  Ohio,  where  he  married  Esther  Saylor,  in 
1816.     In  1819  he  migrated  to  Illinois,  and  located  in 
Mt.  Carmel.    At  this  time  the  family  consisted  of  two 
daughters,  Jane  and  Sally.     Five  other  children  were 
born  to  the  family  :     James,  Mary,  Judith,  William  P., 
and  David,  four  of  whom  are  living — James,  and  Judith  I 
(wife  of  Daniel  Titus)  reside  in  Mt.  Carmel ;  David  is  in  ! 
Coffee  precinct ;  and  Mary  (wife  of  Thomas  J.  Ray)  re-  , 
sides  in  Lawrence  county.     Mr.  Harvey  died  at  the  old 
homestead  in  1859  ;  his  wife  survived  him  until  1873. 

John  Tilton  was  another  emigrant  of  1819,  and  was 
from  New  Jersey.  He  first  located  at  Bald  Hill  prairie, 
in  Friendsville  precinct,  but  soon  afterward  moved  to 
Mt.  Carmel.  He  was  one  of  the  first  hotel  keepers  of 
the  town,  and  subsequently  engaged  in  the  mercantile 
business.  He  died  here  long  ago.  Several  of  his  de- 
scendants are  residents  of  Mt.  Carmel  and  vicinity. 

Samuel  and  Robert  Rigg  (brothers)  came  from  Ohio 
in  the  same  year  as  Mr.  Tilton.  Both  of  them  had  fami- 
lies. F.  M.  Rigg,  a  son  of  Samuel,  resides  at  the  home- 
stead of  his  father,  about  three  miles  west  of  Mt.  Carmel ; 
and  James,  another  son,  lives  near  him.  Dr.  Rigg,  of 
Mt.  Carmel,  is  a  descendant  of  the  Rigg  pioneers.  The 
county  is  largely  sprinkled  with  those  springing  from 
these  old  families. 

One  of  the  oldest  living  settlers  in  the  precinct  is  Cap- 
tain James  M.  Sharp,  a  citizen  of  Mt.  Carmel.  He  was 
born  in  Kentucky,  and  with  his  parents,  moved  to  Indi- 


ana  in  1814.  He  came  to  Mt.  Carmel  a  eingle  man,  in 
1825.  He  learned  the  trade  of  blacksmithing  with 
Joshua  Beall,  with  whom  he  remained  until  1830.  In 
1836,  he  married  Rebecca  Tongas,  from  which  union 
four  children  were  born.  Mrs.  S.  died  in  1849.  He  sub- 
sequently married  a  sister  (Julia)  of  his  first  wife.  Only 
one  of  the  children  is  living,  Thomas  P  ,  who  resides  in 
Mt.  Carmel.  In  1832,  Mr.  Sharp  engaged  as  engineer 
on  the  river,  which  occupation  he  followed  until  1844. 
He  subsequently  became  a  river  pilot  on  the  Wabash 
and  Ohio  rivers,  and  continued  in  this  service  until  1856, 
when  he  retired  from  the  business  and  engaged  in  farm- 
ing. •  He  was  elected  to  the  State  Legislature  three 
terms,  1861,  1863,  and  1867,  and  was  a  member  of  the 
Constitutional  Convention  in  18"0.  He  has  now  retired 
from  active  life,  and  is  enjoying  his  old  age  with  his 
wife  in  peace  and  plenty. 

Isaac  Hoskinson  also  came  in  1825.  He  was  a  native 
of  Virginia.  His  family  then  consisted  of  his  wife  and 
four  children.  He  established  the  first  foundry  in 
the  town,  which  was  one  of  the  first  in  the  West- 
He  died  in  1828.  Two  of  his  sons  reside  in  Mt.  Carmel, 
F.  A.,  and  Isaac,  Jr.  O.  B.  Ficklin,  now  of  Charleston, 
Coles  county,  111.,  was  a  settler  of  1830,  and  was  once 
editor  of  the  Mt.  Carmel  Register.  He  is  now  practicing 
law,  and  is  among  the  oldest  practitioners  in  the  stale. 
We  glean  the  following  from  a  speech  made  by  him  at 
an  old  settler's  meeting  a  few  years  ago,  in_  the  city  of 
Olney.  In  speaking  of  the  traffic  of  those  early  times, 
he  says:  "  The  '  possum' and  the  coon  were  important 
factors  in  the  stock  and  trade.  The  meat  was  used  for 
food  and  the  furs  for  commerce.  Deer  skins,  beeswax, 
and  wild  honey  were  a  medium  of  traffic  for  the  flat 
boats  between  Mt.  Carmel  and  New  Orleans,  and  in  re- 
turn they  brought  sugar,  molasses,  and  other  products 
of  the  South  Bees  were  so  numerous  that  they  were 
hunted  by  saint  and  sinner."  He  relates  of  one  of  the 
pioneer  preachers,  when  giving  out  his  appointment  du- 
ring the  bee-hunting  season,  as  saying, ''  That  he  would 

preach  at church  on  the  next  Sunday  if  it  was 

not  a  good  bee  day."  This  smacks  of  ye  olden  time,  and 
conveys  to  the  reader  a  glimpse  of  the  customs  of  the 
pioneers. 

Isaac  N.  Jaquess  was  born  in  Kentucky,  and  when  a 
mere  boy  migrated  with  his  mother  to  Missouri.  He 
came  to  Mt.  Carmel  a  single  man,  in  1831.  Three  years 
later  he  married  Jane  Tilton.  She  died  in  1863,  and  in 
1867,  he  married  Katherine  McClintock.  Ten  children 
have  been  born  to  him,  four  of  whom  are  yet  living ;  I. 
W.,  James  H.,  Laura  J.,  wife  of  Dr.  Rigg,  and  Ellen  S., 
wife  of  Richard  Weaver ;  all  of  whom  reside  in  Mt.  Car- 
mel and  vicinity.  Mr  Jaquess  is  one  of  the  BlackHawk 
soldiers,  aud  served  as  Chaplain  in  the  War  of  the  Re- 
bellion. He  has  filled  the  office  of  Justice  of  the  Peace 
for  many  years,  and  has  had  the  honor  of  representing 
the  people  in  the  State  Legislature  one  term,  1872-3. 
He  is  now  72  years  of  age,  and  hale  and  hearty  for  one 
of  his  years.  Is  engaged  in  the  lumber  trade  in  Mt. 


238 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  W ABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


Carmel,  besides  he  owns  considerable  real  estate  both  in 
Illinois  and  Indiana. 

Other  early  settlers  were  Elijah  Harris,  Robert  Lucas, 
Curtis  Ivy,  Jacob  Tombs,  A.  L.  Hobbs,  P  H.  Bagwell 
and  others  who  have  probably  passed  out  of  mind  of  those 
now  living. 

The  first  medical  practitioner  in  this  part  of  the  county 
was  Dr.  Reuben  Baker,  who  located  in  Mt.  Carmel  sev- 
eral years  before  the  county  was  formed.  Other  early 
physicians  were,  Drs.  Allison,  Fithian,  Trail,  Anderson, 
Harvey  and  Rigg.  Dr.  Fithian  left  Mt.  Carmel  in  the 
spring  of  18:33.  Dr.  James  Harvey  has  retired  from 
practice.  Drs.  T.  J.  Rigg  and  Paul  Sears  are  yet  prac- 
ticing in  the  city. 

First  Land  Entries.— Believing  that  the  early  land  en- 
tries will  be  of  interest  to  the  reader,  we  here  record  the 
first  made  in  the  precinct.  The  following  are  in  Tp.  1 
S.,  R.  12  W.:  October  24th,  1814,  John  Marshall  en- 
tered the  N.  W.  J  of  fractional  sec.  28.  Nov.  1st,  1814, 
Enoch  Greathouse  entered  all  of  fractional  sec.  No.  20 
that  lies  within  the  limits  of  the  state.  April  25th,  1817, 
Thos.  S.  Hinde  entered  480  acres  of  the  east  part  of  sec. 
29.  The  following  entries  are  in  Tp.  1  S.,  R.  13  W.: 
June  12th,  1816,  James  Majors  entered  the  S.  W.  }  of 
sec.  1.  April  12th,  1817,  Enoch  Greathouse  entered 
the  N.  W.  }  of  same  section.  Jan.  7th,  1817,  Henry  At- 
ter  entered  the  S.  E.  k  of  sec.  3.  June  16th,  1817,  A. 
Vauderveer  &  Smook  entered  the  N.  E.  i  of  sec.  11. 
Maudove  Beauchamp  entered,  Aug.  5th,  1817,  all  of  sec 
14,  except  58  acres  in  the  northeast.  James  English, 
Apr.  25th,  1817,  entered  all  of  sec.  24.  The  same  date, 
John  Collins  entered  the  N.  t  of  sec.  25.  Same  date, 
Joshua  Beall  entered  the  E.  J  of  the  S.  E.  i  of  sec.  25. 
Same  date,  Cornelius  McCallen  entered  the  S.  W.  t  of 
sec.  26.  Jan.  22nd,  1818,  David  Beauchamp  entered 
the  S.  E.  t  of  sec  26  March  18th,  1818,  John  Russell 
entered  the  W.  i  of  the  S.  W.  }  of  sec.  12.  June  15th, 
1818,  Henry  Christy  entered  the  W.  i  of  the  N.  E.  i  of 
sec.  12  Juni  10th,  1818,  Win.  Beauchamp  entered  the 
E.  J  of  the  S.  W.  i  of  sec.  23.  Sept.  17th,  1818,  J.  & 
J.  Dunlop  entered  the  S.  W.  i  of  sec.  15.  June  26th, 
1818,  Scoby  Stewart  entered  the  N.  E.  i  of  sec.  1.  The 
following  entries  are  in  Tp.  2  S.,  R.  13  W :  Dec. 
13th,  1815,  A.  Lavulette  entered  the  S.  E.  i  of  sec.  3. 
Jan.  3rd,  1817,  John  Nestler  entered  the  S.  W.  i  of  sec. 
March  20th,  1817,  Thos.  S.  Hinde  entered  the  S.  i  of 
sec.  2. 

EARLY  NAVIGATION   OF   THE   WABASH. 

The  first  navigation  of  the  Wabash  river  was  by  means 
of  rudely  constructed  flat  and  keel  boats,  which  were 
propelled  by  poles  or  sweeps.  So  unwieldy  were  they, 
that  after  propelling  them  to  the  markets  below,  they 
were  left,  and  the  navigators  usually  walked  back  to 
their  homes.  Ye  of  the  Iron  Age,  where  steam  power 
has  virtually  wiped  out  distance,  imagine,  if  you  can,  a 
tramp  on  foot  from  New  Orleans  to  Mt  Carmel,  and  with 
the  small  amount  of  money  obtained  by  traffic  safely 
stowed  in  a  side  pocket. 


The  first  steamboat  that  came  up  the  Wabash  as  far 
as  Mt.  Carmel  was  the  Commerce,  commanded  by  Jacob 
Strades,  in  1819.  It  came  from  Cincinnati,  and 
passed  up  the  river  as  far  as  Terre  Haute.  It  was  not 
until  about  1832,  that  steam-boating  on  the  Wabash 
commenced  with  much  regularity.  Prior  to  this,  one 
boat  within  the  year  was  about  the  extent  of  steam  nav- 
igation. From  1832  to  1856,  the  business  was  quite 
active,  but  soon  afterward  the  railroads  came  into  vogue, 
and  the  steamboat  traffic  became  almost  a  dead  letter, 
so  that  to-day  there  is  scarcely  a  boat  on  the  river.  Now 
and  then  a  tug-boat  makes  its  appearance,  but  this  is 
only  at  long  intervals. 

OLD    PALMYRA. 

This  extinct  town  was  the  first  county  seat  of  Edwards 
county  when  said  county  embraced  about  one-third  of 
the  present  state  of  Illinois,  and  quite  a  portion  of  the 
states  of  Michigan  and  Wisconsin,  its  northern  bound- 
ary extending  north  to  Upper  Canada.  The  town  was 
laid  off  by  Seth  Gard  &  Company,  April  22nd,  1815,  and 
is  described  as  follows :  Lying  on  the  Wabash  river  on 
part  of  the  two  fractional  lots  or  sections,  numbers  4  and 
5,  in  township  one  south  of  Base  Line,  and  range  twelve 
west  of  the  second  principal  meridian.  In  its  palmiest 
days  it  was  a  town  of  considerable  pretensions,  contain- 
ing several  stores,  hotels,  banks,  etc.,  beside  the  county 
buildings.  The  buildings  were  constructed  mainly  of 
hewed  logs,  many  of  them  being  double  in  proportions 
It  seems  that  it  was  a  great  oversight  by  the  County 
Commissioners  in  selecting  this  point  for  the  capital  of 
the  county,  as  it  is  at  a  sluggish  bend  in  the  river,  on 
a  sand  ridge,  and  was  nearly  surroundedjwith  low  marshes 
and  sloughs.  The  Indians  warned  the  people  by  saying, 
"  Indian  die  here,  squaw  die  here,  pappoose  die  here,  and 
white  man  die  here."  It  proved  too  true,  for  the  town 
became  noted  as  one  of  the  most  sickly  localities  in  the 
West.  The  inhabitants  died  by  the  hundreds  and  were 
buried  in  the  sand  ridge  below  the  town.  Nothing  but 
a  cornfield  now  marks  the  spot  of  either  the  town  or 
cemetery ;  not  even  a  head-stone  exists  to  inform  the 
passer-by  that  hundreds  of  Palmyra's  dead  lie  here. 

It  would  be  needless  to  add  that  in  a  few  years  a  vote 
was  submitted  to  the  people  to  re-locate  the  county  seat. 
Albion  and  Mt.  Carmel  were  rival  towns  for  said  honor, 
the  former  town  being  the  choice  of  the  people- 
This  was  in  1821,  only  a  few  years  after  the  close  of  the 
war  of  1812.  Albion  being  an  English  settled  town,  the 
people  east  of  Bonpas  creek  felt  very  much  aggrieved 
over  the  county  business  passing  into  the  hands  of  the 
British,  as  they  somewhat  jealously  termed  the  citizens 
of  Albion  and  vicinity.  Four  companies  of  militia-men 
were  enrolled  and  drilled  in  and  about  Mt.  Carmel,  and 
made  ready,  at  a  moment's  notice,  to  march  upon  Albion 
and  secure  the  records.  The  crisis  arrived,  and  the 
companies  of  militia  met  at  Bald  Hill  Prairie,  where 
they  encamped  for  the  night,  preparatory  to  marching 
on  to  Albion  early  the  next  morning.  Before  reaching 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


the  town  they  were  met  by  a  committee,  sent  from  Al- 
bion to  make  terms  of  peace.  A  compromise  was  effected 
and  the  militia  disbanded.  Three  years  1  ater,  Wabash 
became  a  county,  and  had  the  privilege  of  managing  its 
own  domestic  affairs. 

CITY   OF   MT.    CAKMEL. 

This  fine  little  city  is  situated  on  a  prominent  bluff 
overlooking  the  Wabash,  nearly  a  half  mile  distant  to 
the  southward.  Intervening  is  a  large  common  belong- 
ing to  the  city,  and  by  its  side  the  river  silently  wends 
its  way  to  mingle  its  waters  with  the  Ohio.  It  is  the 
capital  of  Wabash  county,  and  geographically,  is  located 
in  the  central  eastern  part  of  the  precinct,  township  one, 
range  twelve  west  of  the  second  principal  meridian,  and 
now  comprises  about  three  square  miles.  The  founders, 
Rev.  Thos.  S.  Hinde  and  William  McDowell,  in  1817, 
conceived  the  idea  of  establishing  and  populating  a  town 
on  the  Wabash — then  the  Western  frontier— that  should 
have  a  civil  and  moral  code  peculiar  to  their  views  of 
right  and  justice.  Some  time  in  1818  the  site  was  se- 
lected, surveyed  and  platted.  The  town  was  laid  out  on 
a  large  scale — and,  to  induce  immigration,  lots  were  do' 
nated  to  those  who  would  improve  the  same  within  a 
given  time.  Articles  of  association  were  drafted  for  the 
government  of  the  town  and  placed  of  record,  Sept.  21, 
1818.  These  articles  made  liberal  provision  for  the 
building  of  a  seminary,  and  instituting  a  bank,  all  of 
which  should  be  under  the  joint  control  of  the  law- 
abiding  citizens  of  the  town.  Article  18  of  the  associa- 
tion has,  in  later  years,  been  denominated  "  blue  laws," 
on  account  of  their  Puritanic  significance.  We  will 
here  give  a  synopsis  of  the  aforesaid  Articles :  "  No 
theatre  or  playhouse  shall  ever  be  built  within  the 
bounds  of  the  city.  No  person  shall  be  guilty  of  drun- 
kenness, profane  swearing  or  cursing,  Sabbath-breaking, 
or  who  shall  keep  a  disorderly  house,  shall  gamble,  or 
suffer  gambling  in  his  house,  or  raise  a  riot  in  the  city, 
or  be  guilty  of  any  other  crime  of  greater  magnitude, 
etc.,  he  shall  be  subject  to  trial  by  the  court  or  mayor." 
On  conviction,  the  culprit  was  disqualified  from  holding' 
any  office  in  the  city,  or  the  bank,  and  was  also  disquali- 
fied to  vote  for  any  bank  or  city  officers.  This  ostracism 
was  to  continue  for  three  years  after  the  commission  of 
the  so-called  crime. 

One  of  the  first  houses  in  the  town  was  constructed  by 
Francis  Dixon  in  1818,  and  was  situated  in  what  is  now 
an  alley  between  Third  and  Fourth  streets.  It  was  a 
double  log-cabin,  and  Mr.  Dixon  resided  in  one  part  of 
it,  and  sold  goods  in  the  other.  This  was  the  first  store 
in  the  town.  The  first  frame  house  was  built  by  Scoby 
Stewart,  and  located  on  Fifth  street  between  Main  and 
Chestnut  streets.  The  two  next  were  the  old  Townshend 
property  and  the  Judge  Shannon  place.  The  former  is 
yet  standing,  and  is  now  the  residence  of  Mrs.  Stillwdl, 
on  Second  street ;  the  latter  is  on  Main  street.  A  foun 
dry  was  established  in  1823  by  Joseph  L.Wilson,  and  lo- 
cated on  the  lot  now  occupied  by  G.  C.  Turner.  The  first 


tavern  was  built  about  1819,  and  situated  on  Mulberry 
street.  It  was  long  known  as  "  The  Old  Red  Tavern,"" 
and  was  kept  in  an  early  day  by  Reuben  Baker.  It  ia 
yet  standing,  and  is  now  utilized  for  a  dwelling. 

Russell  &  Stewart  constructed  the  first  flouring  mill. 
This  was  in  about  1822.  It  was  built  on  the  old  tread- 
wheel  power  of  action,  and  situated  on  the  premises  now 
owned  by  A.  C.  Edgar,  on  Second  street.  Opposite  this 
mill,  John  Buntiu  established  the  first  tan-yard.  He 
was  a  colored  man,  and  subsequently  removed  to  Libe- 
ria, Africa.  The  first  ferry  was  conducted  by  R.  Bal- 
lentine  in  1817  or  '18.  The  crossing  was  made  at  the 
same  point  on  the  river  as  the  present  ferry.  The  means 
of  crossing  was  a  flat-boat,  operated  by  poles  or  sweeps. 
The  first  steam  flouring-mill  was  built  in  1833  by  J.  L. 
Wilson,  and  located  on  the  lot  now  occupied  by  Mrs. 
Parkinson.  The  first  justices  of  the  peace  were  Scoby 
Stewart,  Beauchamp  Harvey  and  Joseph  Jones.  The 
first  school-house  was  built  about  1823,  and  was  situated 
on  the  lot  now  occupied  by  Charles  Russell.  It  was  a 
log  building  of  no  great  pretensions.  The  first  person 
to  teach  in  it  was  a  man  by  the  name  of  Curry.  He  was 
succeeded  by  Mr.  Schofield,  and  later  Mrs.  Joy  became 
the  teacher.  The  early  town  market  was  conducted 
under  a  locust  tree  where  the  school-house  now  stands. 
This  was  in  1836,  and  at  that  time  there  were  not  more 
than  a  dozen  houses  in  that  part  of  the  town  east  of 
Mulberry  street,  and  they  were  nearly  all  log  buildings. 
The  business  then  was  wholly  confined  to  Main  street, 
between  First  and  Second  streets. 

The  first  brick  church  built  in  the  state  of  Illinois 
was  constructed  in  Mt.  Carmel  by  the  Methodist  Epis- 
copal Society  in  1824.  It  was  situated  on  the  corner  of 
Fourth  and  Mulberry  streets.  At  the  time  of  its  build- 
ing church  bells  had  not  been  introduced  in  this  part  of 
the  West,  and  the  congregation  was  notified  of  the  time 
for  church  services  by  hideous  resounding  blasts  from  a 
cow's  horn  sent  forth  from  the  church  door.  For  many 
years  the  walls  of  this  sacred  building  only  echoed  to 
the  divine  Word,  and  the  songs  of  praise  and  thanksgiv- 
ing ;  but  a  change  came,  the  house  was  gold,  and  the 
sacrilegious  John  Baumgartner  transformed  its  conse- 
crated walls  into  a  brewery.  Subsequently  it  was  used 
for  a  dwelling,  and  was  finally  destroyed  by  the  cyclone 
of  1877. 

The  first  to  conduct  church  services  in  the  town  and 
for  quite  a  distance  around,  was  the  Rev.  Charles  Slo- 
cumb.  His  circuit  embraced  all  that  part  of  Illinois 
and  ludiana  lying  on  the  Wabash  river,  between  its 
mouth  and  Terre  Haute,  extending  some  distance  into 
the  interior  of  either  state.  Among  other  early  divines 
were,  I.  Stewart,  Robert  Delop,  Samuel  Hull,  William 
McReynolds,  and  others. 

Incorporation. — Mt.  Carmel  was  incorporated  as  a 
village  under  an  act  passed  by  the  state  legislature, 
and  approved  January  10,  1825.  The  first  trustees 
were,  Nathan  Fry,  Scoby  Stewart,  Joshua  Beall, 
Abraham  Russell,  James  Townshend,  William  Si- 


240 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


monds,  and  Edward  Ulra.  Mt.  Carmel  was  incor- 
porated as  a  city  under  a  special  act  of  the  legislature, 
approved  February  loth,  1865,  and  the  first  election 
for  officers  was"  held  May  1,  following.  The  officers 
elect  were,  Mayor,  James  M.  Sharp ;  Alderman,  1st 
ward,  4.  Schmalhausen  and  George  Bedell ;  2d  ward, 
P.  Rosignol,  and  J.  S.  Johnston  ;  3d  ward,  Richard  H. 
Hudson  and  James  Higbee.  Clerk,  Chas.  E.  McClin- 
tock.  The  appointed  officers  were,  Marshal,  Michael  I 
Willman ;  Street  Commissioner,  Richard  Adams ;  Sur-  I 
veyor,  William  Koser;  Treasurer  and  Assessor,  William 
McDowell;  Police  Magistrate,  David  Martin.  The 
following  are  the  present  city  officers :  Mayor,  John 
Sites ;  Aldermen,  1st  ward,  Louis  Rees  and  Louis  Kamp  ; 
2d  ward,  Sebastian  Seller  and  John  Olendorf ;  3d  ward, 
Henry  J.  Henning  and  Anthony  Spaeth.  Clerk,  S.  R. 
Putnam  ;  Treasurer,  M  F.  Reinsmith  ;  Marshall,  Heury 
Utter;  City  Attorney,  S.  Greathouse;  Police  Magis- 
trate, I.  H.  Brees ;  City  Printer,  F.  W.  Havill ;  City 
Jailor,  John  Peterson. 

The  city  of  Mt.  Carmel  has  had  more  than  its  share 
of  reverses  coupled  with  its  history  of  rise  and  progress. 
Indeed,  a  less  plucky  and  energetic  people  might  have 
abandoned  it  to  the  fates  long  ago.  Twice  has  the  city 
been  scourged  with  flames,  in  each  instance  aggregating 
in  losses  hundreds  of  thousands  of  dollars.  The  great 
floods  of  1875  and  1876  created  immense  losses  to  both 
city  and  country;  but  the  most  serious  calamity  that  has 
befallen  it  was  the  great  cyclone  of  June  4,  1877,  which 
not  only  demolished  a  large  portion  of  the  city,  but 
fourteen  persons  lost  their  lives,  seventy-five  were 
wounded,  and  five  hundred  people  rendered  houseless 
and  homeless.  At  least  one  hundred  houses  were  de- 
molished* and  it  required  weeks  to  clear  the  streets 
from  the  debris. 

The  storm  came  from  a  little  south  of  west,  its  line  of 
destruction  embracing  all  of  Fourth  street  and  a  large 
portion  of  the  terrritory  lying  between  Third  and. Fifth 
streets.  The  duration  of  the  storm  did  not  exceed 
two  minutes,  the  velocity  of  the  tornado  being  estimated 
at  150  miles  an  hour.  The  atmosphere  was  filled  with 
flying  timber,  boards,  shingles  and  other  objects,  which 
were  carried  to  the  distance  of  a  mile  or  more.  One 
paper,  a  note  of  hand  for  $47,  was  picked  up  in  a  field 
near  Petersburg,  Indiana,  about  thirty  miles  from  Mt. 
Carmel. 

In  much  less  time  than  it  takes  to  write  it,  the  city 
was  a  ruin.  The  groans  of  the  wounded,  and  the  shrieks 
of  the  women  and  children  mingled  with  the  roaring  of 
the  storm.  Pen  cannot  depict  or  describe  the  wild  con- 
fusion of  that  fearful  calamity.  A  fire  broke  out  in  the 
meantime,  which  added  further  horrors  to  the  already 
unprecedented  disaster.  Relief  committees  were  ap- 
pointed, and  the  people  of  the  state  responded  liberally 
to  the  wants  of  the  sufferers.  The  city  has  been  rebuilt, 
so  that  at  this  writing  the  stranger  would  not  recognize 
by  the  surroundings  that  such  a  demon  of  destruction 
had  ever  visited  it. 


LEADING   BUSINESS   INTERESTS,  ETC.,  OF   1882. 

Kamp's  Steam  Flouring  Mills,  Louis  Kamp,  Proprie- 
tor.    This   industry    was   established    by    the    firm    of 
Mauk  Bros,   about  1856,  and  came  into  the  possession 
of  the  present  proprietor  in  the  summer  of  1879.     The 
mills  are  situated  on  the  east  side  near  the  foot  of  Mar- 
ket street.     The  building  is  a  frame,  four  stories  and 
basement,  and  48  x  52  feet  on  the  ground.     The  engine 
i  and  boiler  room  is  a  one  story  briek  and  36  x  48  feet  in 
|  size.     It  contains  four  runs  of  stone  and  a  double  set  of 
rolls,  with  a  capacity  of  manufacturing  120  barrels  of 
flour  daily.     It  does  both  merchant  and  custom  work, 
and  ships  its  product  to  New  Orleans,  Baltimore,  Phila- 
delphia and  other  leading  cities  of  the  South  and  East. 
!  Its  favorite  brands  are  "Snow  Flake"  and  "Pride  of 
|  the  West."     Six  men  are  given  employment,   and  the 
estimated  annual   value  of  product   is  $50,000.     The 
machinery  is  driven  by  a  sixty  horse-power  engine. 

Planing  Mill. — This  Mill  is  owned  and  operated  by 
Edward  Miller.  It  was  constructed  by  him  in  the 
spring  of  1875,  and  is  located  on  the  south  side  of 
Third  Street,  between  Walnut  and  Chestnut  streets. 
.The  building  is  a  frame,  two  stories,  and  42  x  70  feet  in 
size.  The  capital  invested  is  estimated  to  be  about 
$5,000.  It  is  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  doors,  sash, 
blinds,  and  every  other  article  peculiar  for  building 
purposes,  and  keeps  in  employment  eight  hands.  The 
annual  value  of  manufactured  product  is  about  $4,000. 
The  machinery  is  run  by  a  thirty  horse-power  engine. 

The  Wabash  Valley  Mills  were  established  in  the  sum- 
mer of  1860,  by  the  firm  of  Gould  &  Young,  and  in 
1868,  the  firm  changed  to  Randolph  &  Young.  In  1881, 
Mr.  Young  bought  the  entire  interest  and  is  the  present 
owner.  The  mill  is  situated  on  the  southwest  corner  of 
Ninth  and  Cherry  streets.  It  is  a  frame,  two  stories, 
with  attic,  and  40  x  60  feet  in  dimensions.  Estimated 
capital  invested,  $5,000.  It  contains  two  runs  of  stone, 
and  a  capacity  of  manufacturing  sixty  barrels  of  flour 
per  day,  and  requires  the  employment  of  three  men.  It 
is  purely  a  custom  mill  and  furnishes  the  trade  with 
most  of  the  flour  for  the  city.  The  value  of  the  yearly 
product  is  estimated  at  $25,000.  Thespecial  brand  is  the 
"  Wabash  Valley  Flour."  Engine  power,  forty-horse. 

Steam  Saw  Mill  owned  by  Jaquess  &  Chipman.  This 
mill  is  located  on  the  Wabash  river,  south  of  the  city, 
on  the  common  adjoining  the  town. plat.  The  present 
mill  was  built  in  1882,  at  a  cost  of  about  $4,000.  It  has 
a  capacity  of  turning  out  15,000  feet  of  lumber  daily, 
and  gives  employment  to  fifteen  men  The  saw  is  cir- 
cular, sixty  inch  diameter,  with  top  saw,  besides  the  mill 
contains  an  edging  and  lath  saw.  Estimated  value  of 
yearly  product,  $25,000.  The  machinery  is  run  by  a 
forty  horse  power  engine. 

Foundry  and  Repair  Works. — This  industry  was  es- 
tablished by  John  Hartman,  and  is  located  on  Fourth 
street,  between  Market  and  Mulberry  streets*  In  the 
spring  of  1859,  the  works  were  purchased  by  Philip 
Reel,  who  is  the  present  proprietor.  The  building  is  a 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WAS  ASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


241 


frame,  one  story,  and  30  x  113  feet  in  size.  It  was 
nearly  demolished  by  the  cyclone,  in  1877,  but  has  been 
rebuilt.  The  capital  invested  is  about  $5,000.  Work 
in  brass  and  iron  castings,  and  all  repairs  of  machinery 
is  made  a  specialty.  Three  operators  are  employed  in 
the  works. 

Furniture  Factory,  A.  M.  Stein,  Proprietor.  This 
factory  was  established  in  1880,  and  is  situated  on  Fourth 
street  between  Mulberry  and  Cherry  streets.  The  me- 
dium class  of  furniture  is  manufactured,  employing 
three  workmen.  The  estimated  annual  value  of  product 
is  $2  000.  Mr.  Stein  contemplates,  in  a  few  months, 
constructing  a  large  factory  to  be  run  by  steam  power, 
and  will  require  the  employment  of  fifteen  or  twenty 
hands. 

Steam  Saw  Mill  owned  and  operated  by  W.  H.  Brown. 
It  is  situated  on  the  river  bank  south  of  the  city,  on  what 
is  known  as  the  "  Six-pole  Reserve.  It  was  built  in 
1867.  The  saw  is  a  sixty-inch  circular  saw,  also 
top-saw,  with  a  capacity  of  cutting  5,000  feet  of  lumber 
daily.  When  in  full  running  order  about  fifteen  men 
are  employed.  It  is  driven  by  a  twenty-five  horse  pow- 
er engine. 

Stave  Factory  of  R.  W.  Weaver.  This  factory  was 
built  by  the  present  owner  in  1872,  and  situated  on  the 
river  a  little  west  of  the  railroad  bridge.  It  has  the 
capacity  of  turning  out  15,000  per  day,  and  employs  ten 
men.  The  product  is  shipped  to  various  points  of  the 
country.  The  capital  invested  is  about  $2,500,  and  the 
value  of  yearly  product  is  $15,000. 

Furniture  Factory. — This  business  is  conducted  by 
Walter  &  Son.  Was  establiahed  in  1869,  and  is  located 
on  the  west  side  of  Main  street,  corner  of  Sixth  and  Main. 

The  building  is  a  frame,  two  stories,  containing  two 
rooms,  work  and  sales-rooms.  Three jnen  are  employed, 
and  about  $5000  worth  of  work  is  turned  out  annually. 

Mt.  Carmel  Marble  Works.—  This  business  was  estab- 
lished by  the  present  proprietor,  Henry  Burrucker,  in 
February,  1867.  It  is  situated  on  the  north  side  of 
Third  street,  between  Market  and  Chestnut  streets.  The 
building  is  a  one-story  frame,  and  16x42  feet  on  the 
ground.  The  capital  invested  is  about  $800,  and  the 
annual  sales  will  reach  $3000.  From  four  to  six  men 
are  employed.  Mr.  B.  puts  up  all  his  own  work,  and 
is  a  practical  workman  in  all  branches  of  the  business. 

Carriage  Factory. — F.  J.  Kuhn,  proprietor.  The 
business  was  commenced  in  1871,  and  located  on  the 
east  side  of  Market  street,  between  Fifth  and  Sixth 
streets.  The  factory  includes  two  building?,  repository 
and  paint  shop.  Manufactures  all  kinds  of  carriages 
and  spring  wagons.  Three  men  are  given  employment, 
and  about  $4,000  worth  of  stock  is  turned  out  annually. 
Capital  invested,  $2.500 

Furniture  Factory  of  Grave  and  Walter. — This  estab- 
lishment is  situated  on  the  west  side  of  Market  street, 
between  Fourth  and  Fifth  streets.  The  firm  commenced 
business  in  1871.  Three  men  are  employed,  and  the 
value  of  product  sold  is  estimated  at  82000. 
31 


Steam  Saw  Mill.— This  mill  is  owned  by  the  firm  of 
Morgan  &  Armstrong,  and  is  located  on  the  river  bank 
a  little  above  the  railroad  bridge.  It  has  the  capacity 
of  sawing  about  5000  feet  of  lumber  daily,  and  employs 
from  ten  to  twelve  men. 

I  Bannister  and  Table-leg  Factory. — This  industry  was 
recently  established— 1882— with  a  capital  invested  of 
$1200.  Five  men  are  employed,  and  it  has  the  capacity 
of  turning  out  1000  feet  of  material  daily.  It  is  situ- 
ated on  the  river  just  east  of  the  Air  Line  railroad 
bridge, — F.  A.  Hoskinson  proprietor.  A  little  east  of 
this  factory  and  also  near  the  river,  is  another  factory  of 
the  same  kind,  and  about  the  same  capacity.  It  is 
owned  by  Mr.  Baker. 

Furniture  Factory,  owned  and  operated  by  Noller  & 
Co.,  and  situated  on  Market  street,  between  Fifth  and 
Sixth  streets.  This  is  one  of  the  oldest  establishments 
of  the  kind  in  the  city,  having  been  established  in  1853 
by  Mr.  Noller,  and  at  one  time  having  in  his  employ  as 
many  as  twenty  hands.  Only  two  men  are  now  engaged 
in  the  work.  The  firm  is  also  engaged  in  the  manufac- 
ture of  cider  and  vinegar. 

!  Bank  owned  by  E.  F.  Beall.— It  was  established  in 
1871  under  the  firm  name  of  Shannon  &  Beall,  but 
since  1880,  it  has  been  wholly  under  the  control  of  Mr. 
Beall.  It  is  located  on  the  east  side  of  Market  street, 
street,  between  third  and  Fourth  streets.  The  capital  of 

I  the  bank  is  fully  adequate  to  do  a  safe  banking  business. 
It  is  furnished  with  Hall's  fire  and  burglar  proof  safe, 
with  time  lock,  and  located  in  a  fine,  two-story  brick 
building,  owned  by  Mr.  Beall. 

Mt.  Carmel  Coal  Company. — This  company  was  estab- 
lished in  the  fall  of  1882.  The  mine  is  situated  on  the 
Air  Line  railway  about  five  miles  west  from  Mt.  Car- 

1  mel.  The  depth  of  the  shaft  is  forty  feet,  and  the  thick- 
ness of  the  coal  vein  is  four  feet.  The  quality  of  coal  is 
considered  good,  being  known  as  the  "  Splint"  coal. 

I  About  12  men  are  given  employment  by  this  industry, 
and  a  car  load  of  coal  is  raised  daily.  John  Felker 
operates  the  mine. 

j  Brick  Works  of  George  B.  Blood  are  situated  just 
north  of  the  city  limits.  It  contains  one  kiln  of  large 
dimensions.  In  the  season  for  work  about  ten  hands 
are  employed. 

School  Buildings. — The  city  contains  three  district 
school  buildings,  the  larger  of  which  is  situated  in  the 
southeast  part  of  town,  on  a  high  rolling  plat  of  ground. 
This  building  contains  four  rooms,  is  constructed  of 
brick,  and  is  two  stories  high,  and  was  built  at  a  cost  of 
$10,000.  The  other  school-houses  have  two  rooms  each, 
and  in  all,  eight  teachers  are  employed,  with  an  atten- 
dance of  about  400  pupils.  The  schools  are  well 
graded,  it  requiring  three  years  to  take  the  high  school 
course.  Besides  the  public  schools,  the  city  affords  two 
parochial  schools. 

Cornet  Band. — This  was  organized  in  the  summer  of 
1876,  with  ten  members,  having  eight  wind  instruments 

I  and  two  drums.     The  present  membership  is  eighteen, 


242 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


having  feurteen  horns  and  two  drums,  besides  a  drum 
major.  The  cost  of  outfit  is  about  $450. 

The  Ferry. — For  the  convenience  of  those  desiring  to 
cross  the  river,  a  ferry  is  established  just  above  the  Air 
Line  railroad  bridge.  It  is  conducted  by  means  of 
horse  power  ;  Thomas  Deputy,  ferryman. 

Physicians- — James  Harvey,  Jacob  Schneck,  Paul 
Sears,  Thomas  J.  Rigg,  E.  S.  Biddle,  William  B.  Ridg- 
way. 

BU8INKS8  HOUSES,  TRADE,  ETC. 

General  Merchandise.— Charles  R.  Russell,  Wilkinson 
&  Stein,  Philip  Stfin,  Seitz  Bros.,  Stanfield  Bros.,  Par- 
kinson Bros. 

Groceries,  Queensware,  etc. — William  Nelgin,  William 
C.  Greer,  S.  Greathouse,  Thomas  Watkins,  Burns  Bros. 
John  Oberhillman,  William  Scitz,  Jr.,  Solomon  Keueipp, 
Adam  Stein,  John  Hartman. 

Hardware. — Harper  &  Rigg. 

Druggists  and  Pharmacists. — Robert  S.  Gordon,  W. 
C.  Hadley,  William  C.  Ridgway. 

Harness  and  Saddlery.— J.  B.  Bertlesman,  M.  F. 
Reinsmith. 

Bo-ks  and  Stationery.— R.  K.  Stees,  W.  C.  Hadley. 

Bakers  and  Confectioners. — Joseph  Heberhold,  Gus 
Meyer. 

Restaurant  and  Confectionery. — Teatro  &  Fearhiley. 

Jeweler. -J.C.  Wood. 

Notions,  Watches,  Clocks,  etc. — Samonial  Bros. 

Merchant  Tailors.— Charles  Redman,  Anthony  Spaeth. 

Milliners  and  Dressmakers. — Barret  &  Dick,  Mrs.  J. 
Ridgway,  Mrs.  Frost. 

Dressmakers. — Mrs.  Reinsmith,  Miss  E.  Manley,  Miss 
A.  Handle,  Mrs.  M.  Randolph,  Mrs.  Rohan,  Mrs  Wier. 

Millinery  Stores— Mrs.  Baker,  Mrs.  A.  Hunt. 

Shoemakers. — Charles  Henning,  Geo.  H.  Reinhard, 
Martin  Fisher,  Gf  orge  Unbehauen. 

Lumber  Merchants. — Jaquess  &  Chipman,  William  H. 
Brown,  F.  A.  Hoskinson,  Morgan  &  Armstrong. 

Livery  and  Feed  Stables. — John  Bedel,  George  T. 
Landers,  Watkins  &  Arbuthnot. 

Dentist. — J.  H.  Harrison. 

Grain  Dealers. — Smith  &  Foster. 

Meat  Markets—  Thos.  J.  Deputy,  Sutton  &  Cardiff. 

Tinware  and  Stoves.— Louis  Rees. 

•  Gunsmith — Gotleib  Krug. 

Florist.— Jacob  Knell. 

Undertakers.— E.  Miller,  Walter  &  Son,  Graves  & 
Walter. 

Photographer.— E.  G.  North. 

Barbers  and  Hairdressers. — William  Lynn,  Root  & 
Rigiby,  W.  P.  Orth. 

Blacksmiths.— Samuel  Shaw,  S.  B.  Shaw,  James  I. 
Shaw,  Charles  Snyder,  John  Smith,  William  Schafer, 
Louis  Schafer. 

Blacksmith  and  Wayonmaker. — M.  Heitzman. 

Wagonmakers.— C.  F.  Putnam,  Louis  Zellar, 

Sleekier. 

Implement  Dealers. — James  I.  Shaw,  William  Schafer, 


Samuel  B.  Shaw,  Louis  Schafer,  Harper  &  Rigg,  Wilkin- 
son &  Stein,  W.  H.  Besley. 

Sewing  Machine  Agent.— M.  S.  Metzger. 

Carpenters  and  Builders. — Higby,  Martin  &  C'line 
Michael  Maser,  Murray  Bros.,  Peter  P.  Worth. 

Masons,  Bricklayers  and  Plasterers. — William  E.  Har- 
ris &  Sons,  Julius  McClintock,  Fiank  Strickand,  G<  orge 
Boess,  I.  C,  Tilton,  Peter  Helfman. 

Painters  and  Glaziers. — Reinhard  Bros. 

Retail  Liquor  Dealers,  etc. — Valentine  Smith,  S.  P. 
Teatro,  George  T.  Bedel,  Peter  Oldendorf. 

Cooper. — Jacob  Stein  &  Son. 

Justices  of  the  Peace.— I.  H.  Brees,  G.  C.  Turner,  N. 
C.  Burns,  I.  N.  Jaquess. 

Constables.— M.  S.  Metzger,  William  Peters,  William 
Bredwell. 

Hotels.—  Grand  Central,  J.  B.  Wiley,  Propr.;  Comraer- 
cial  House,  Bayles  Grigsby,  Propr.  ;  Stillwell  House,  E. 
Titus,  Propr.;  St.  Charles  House,  Adam  Sleekier  Propr.; 
Mansion  House,  Mrs.  Roberts,  Propr.;  City  Hotel,  N.  C. 
Burns,  Propr. 

Postmaster—  Robert  T.  Wilkinson. 

Newspapers. — Mt.  Carmel  Register,  Frank  W.  Havill, 
Ed.;  Mt.  Carmel  Republican,  Thomas  L.  Joy,  Ed. 

Churches — Methodist  Episcopal,  Lutheran,  Episcopal, 
Albright,  Christian,  and  Catholic,  all  of  which  are  con- 
structed of  brick.  For  a  complete  history  of  the  news- 
papers and  churches  see  special  chapters  on  the  Press, 
and  Ecclesiastical  History. 

SOCIETIES.* 

Mt.  Carmel  Lodge,  No.  239,  A.  F.  and  A.  M.,  was 
chartered  October  7th,  1857,  with  seven  charter  mem- 
bers. The  present  membership  is  41.  Total  number 
initiated  is  150.  The  Lodge  meets  on  the  first  and  third 
Tuesday  nights  of  each  month.  It  is  in  excellent  stand- 
ing financially,  having  $1,000  in  the  treasury. 

Mt.  Carmel  Chapter,  No.  159,  R.  A.  M.,  was  institu- 
led  February  7th,  1873,  with  9  charter  members.  The 
present  membership  is  31.  Total  number  enrolled,  48. 
The  Chapter  meets  on  the  first  and  third  Friday  nights 
in  each  month.  One  of  the  charter  members,  S.  Shan- 
non, is  the  present  Most  Excellent  G.  H.  P.  of  the  Grand 
Chapter  of  the  State  of  Illinois. 

Wabtuh  Lodge,  No.  35,  I.  O.  O.  F.,  chartered  July 
28th,  1848,  as  will  be  seen  by  its  number,  was  among 
the  first  Lodges  established  in  the  State.  The  number  of 
charter  members,  5 ;  present  membership,  92.  Total 
number  enrolled,  296.  The  Lodge  meets  every  Saturday 
night,  and  is  said  to  be  the  best  working  Lodge  in  the 
State.  It  is  entirely  out  of  debt,  and  has  a  surplus  fund 
of  $2,000  in  the  treasury.  Since  its  organization  it  has 
paid  out  $7,500  for  charity. 

Sinon  Encampment,  No.  11,  I.  O.  O.  F.  received  its 
charter  Oclober,  lOlh,  1855,  having  7  charter  members. 
Its  present  membership  is  32,  and  the  lolal  number  en- 
rolled is  110.  The  Encampment  meets  on  the  first  and 
third  Monday  of  each  monlh. 

|      *For  this  data  we  are  indebted  to  the  Secretaries  of  the  Tarious  Sooie- 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


243 


Aft.  Carmel  Rebekah  Degree,  No.  80,  I.  O  -O.  F.  was 
chartered  January  llth,  1876,  with  15  members.  Total 
number  of  members,  32.  It  meets  on  the  second  and 
fourth  Mondays  in  each  month  at  7  o'clock,  p.  M. 

Ml.  Carmel  Lodge,  No.  178,  A.  O.  U.  W.  was  insti- 
tuted March  28th,  1881,  with  23  charter  members,  with 
a  membership  at  this  writing  of  28.  Total  number  en- 
rolled, 32.  The  Lodge  meets  on  the  second  and  fourth 
nights  of  each  month. 

T.  S.  Bower's  Post,  No.  125,  G.  A.  R.  Instituted 
April  6th,  1882,  with  29  charter  members.  Its  present 
membership  is  53. 

Mt.  Carmel  Lodge,  No.  159,  I.  O.  G.  T.  was  chartered 
December  15th,  1880,  with  a  charter  membership  of  54. 
Present  number  of  members  in  good  standing,  52.  Whole 
number  enrolled,  104.  The  Lodge  meets  every  Tuesday 
evening  in  Good  Templars'  Hall,  on  west  corner  of 
Third  and  Main  streets.  The  financial  condition  of  the 
Lodge  is  good  and  the  membership  is  rapidly  increasing. 

The  city  contains  a  population  of  about  2,200.  The 
walks  and  streets  are  kept  in  good  condition,  aud  orna- 
mental and  forest  trees  adorn  various  portions  of  the 


town.  The  new  court-house  is  centrally  situated,  on 
the  east  side  of  Market  street,  and  is  an  ornament  to  the 
city. 

Two  other  towns,  Powhatan  and  Selma,  were  laid  off 
a  little  north  and  east  of  Mt.  Carmal,  but  they  only 
exist  on  paper,  no  buildings  or  improvements  having 
been  made  thereon. 

Centerville,  the  first  country  seat  of  Wabash,  after  its 
separation  from  Edwards,  in  1824,  was  laid  out  south  of 
the  base  line,  in  Mt.  Carmel  precinct.  The  court  house, 
now  doing  duty  as  a  barn,  was  a  frame  two-story  build- 

,  ing.  It  was  in  use  as  the  place  of  holding  the  courts  of 
the  county  till  they  were  removed  to  Mt.  Carmel.  Dr. 
Baker  built  a  store  in  the  town,  about  the  time  it  was 

,  laid  out,  1824,  and  did  a  considerable  amount  of  business. 
He  supplied,  at  this  point,  a  market  for  castor  beans, 
which  he  made  into  oil.  A  carding  machine  was  set  up 
by  Asel  Brines,  soon  after  the  town  was  laid  off.  It 
continued  in  operation  a  number  of  years.  The  site  of 
the  town  is  now  a  body  of  farming  land,  and  nothing 
remains  to  mark  what  was  once  a  center  of  business 
activity. 


BIOGRAPHIES. 


THE  Sears  family,  on  the  paternal  side,  are  of  English  I 
ancestry.  Richard  Sears,  who  was  the  first  of  the  family 
to  come  to  America,  was  born  in  Colchester,  England, 
and  came  with  the  Pilgrims  in  the  Mayflower,  landing 
on  Plymouth  Rock  in  1620.  He  died  in  Yarmouth  in 
1676.  He  married  Doratha  Thacker,  who  died  in  1678 
His  son,  Paul,  the  great  great-grandfather  of  the  pre- 
sent family  was  born  in  1636.  He  married  Deborah 
Williams  and  died  in  1707.  His  son,  also  named  Paul, 
died  in  1740.  He  had  a  son  named  Daniel,  who  was 
the  grandfather  of  Paul  Sears,  the  subject  of  this  sketch. 
He  died  in  1797.  One  of  his  offspring  was  Nathan 
Sears,  the  father,  who  was  born  in  Massachusets  and 
graduated  in  medicine  in  Boston.  He  studied  medicine 
in  the  office  of  Dr.  Bryant,  the  father  of  the  poet,  William 
Cullen  Bryant,  who  was  then  studying  law.  The  Sears 
family  are  well  known  in  the  annals  of  the  Old  Bay 
State.  Many  of  them  became  famous  and  prominent  in 
their  day.  Nathan  Sears,  after  his  graduation  in  medi- 
244 


cine,  came  west  to  Ohio  and  settled  in  Zanesville,  and 
there  practiced  his  profession.  In  1834  he  removed  to 
Wayne  county,  Michigan,  and  remained  there  until  the 
fall  of  1839,  when  he  came  to  Mt  Carrael,  in  Wabash 
county,  Illinois,  and  continued  a  resident  of  this  place 
until  his  death,  which  occurred  February  1st,  1848. 
Married  Mrs.  Grace  Newkirk,  nee  Loper,  who  was  of  a 
'•  distinguished  and  noted  family  of  New  Jersey.  She 
survived  her  husband  and  died  in  Mt.  Carmel,  Nov. 
24,  1863.  She  had  three  children  by  her  latter 
marriage.  Clarissa,  the  only  daughter,  is  the  wife  of  E. 
B.  Bishop,  now  of  San  Francisco,  California.  Nathan 
Henry  Sears,  the  youngestson,  died  Nov.  20, 1862.  Paul, 
the  eldest  son  whose  portrait  heads  this  page,  was  born 
near  Zanesville,  Muskingum  county,  Ohio,  June  5th, 
1820.  He  received  a  good  English  education  in  the 
Granville  and  Elyria  high  school  and  college.  He  went 
with  his  father  to  Michigan  in  1834,  and  remained  there 
until  the  spriug  of  1840,  when  he  came  to  Mt.  Carmel  and 


lllSTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS.          245 


joined  his  father,  who  had  preceded  him  here  the  year 
before.  He  determined  to  follow  in  the  footsteps  of  his 
father  and  adopt  medicine  as  a  profession.  He  accord- 
ingly commenced  the  study  under  the  direction  of  his 
father  and  assisted  the  letter  in  his  office.  He  con- 
tinued his  studies  at  home  until  1843,  when  he  entered 
the  Ohio  Medical  College  at  Cincinnati,  and  attended 
lectures.  He  received  his  diploma  in  1845,  and  then 
commenced  the  practice  in  Mt.  Carmel.  His  practice 
soon  grew  large  and  lucrative,  and  his  professional 
services  extended  over  a  wide  scope  of  territory.  Not 
infrequently  he  would  ride  sixty  miles  in  twenty-four 
hours,  making  calls  upon  and  attending  his  patients.  In 
short,  Dr.  Sears  was  personally  known  in  almost  every 
household  in  Wabash  and  surrounding  counties.  In 
connection  with  his  practice  he  opened  a  drug  store,  and 
for  many  years  was  engaged  in  that  business.  He  also 
engaged  in  other  enterprises  at  different  times,  but  all 
were  such  as  did  not  interfere  seriously  with  his  profes- 
sion. Few  physicians  in  the  state  have  been  so  long  in 
the  practice  as  Dr.  Sears.  In  the  long  years  passed  by 
he  has  achieved  much  success,  both  professionally  anrl 
financially.  His  busy  life  has  brought  its  just  reward? 
in  securing  to  him  a  competency  and  independence  in 
his  declining  years. 

On  the  5th  of  May,  1841,  he  was  united  in  marriage  to 
Miss  Eliza  J.  Gibson,  of  Cincinnati,  Ohio.  She  is  the 
daughter  of  Alexander  and  Martha  (Sturges)  Gibson. 
By  the  union  of  Paul  and  Eliza  J.  Sears,  there  have  been 
three  children — two  sons  and  one  daughter.  Alfred 
Alexander,  the  eldest  son,  studied  medicine,  and  was  a 
graduate  of  Jefferson  Medical  College,  of  Philadelphia. 
He  died  Dec.  13,  1867.  Charles  Nathan,  the  .youngest 
son,  also  read  medicine,  and  had  taken  one  course  at  the 
same  medical  college.  He  died  Aug.  18,  1864.  Both 
were  bright  young  men,  and  gave  evidence  of  future  use- 
fulness and  adornment  to  the  profession.  Clara  A  ,  the 
only  daughter,  is  the  wife  of  Hon.  S.  Z.  Landis.  Both 
the  doctor  and  his  wife  are  members  of  the  M.  E. 
Church.  Politically  he  has  uniformly  acted  and  voted 
with  the  Democratic  party.  Among  the  people  with 
whom  Dr.  Sears  has  passed  the  greater  part  of  his  life, 
and  who  know  him  best,  all  accord  him  the  reputation 
of  being  an  honorable,  public-spirited  citizen,  and  honest 
man,  and  a  kind-hearted,  obliging  neighbor. 


JOHN  SCHRODT. 

ONE  of  the  most  successful  farmers  of  Wabash  countv 
is  the  subject  of  this  sketch.  He  was  born  in  Rhine 
Hesse,  Germany,  May  4th,  1830  John  Schrodt,  hi.- 
father,  was  also  a  native  of  that  country.  In  1838  he 
emigrated  to  America,  landing  at  New  Orleans.  He 
came  up  the  river  to  Illinois,  where  he  was  met  by  Mr. 
Seiler,  who  brought  him  and  his  family  to  Wabash 
county.  Here  he  bought  ninety  acres  of  laud  in  section 


36,  T.  1  S.,  13  W.  It  was  not  improved.  They  lived 
in  a  school-house  until  such  time  as  they  could  build 
their  house,  which  they  moved  into  the  July  following. 
Here  Mr.  Schrodt  lived,  made  a  fine  farm,  and  remained 
until  he  retired  from  active  life.  He  died  January  2d, 
1866.  His  wife  survived  him,  and  died  in  1878. 

There  were  six  children,  four  of  whom  were  born  in 
Germany,  and  two  here  in  Wabash  county.  All  of  them 
are  living  except  Catherine,  who  was  the  wife  of  Michael 
Broedel.  She  died  April  21st,  1883.  John,  the  subject 
of  this  sketch,  is  the  eldest  son.  He  was  in  his  boyhood 
when  his  parents  came  to  Illinois.  Here  he  grew  to  man- 
hood, and  was  reared  to  habits  of  industry  and  economy. 
He  received  a  fair  knowledge  of  the  rudimentary 
branches  of  education  in  the  subscription  schools  of  an 
early  day.  He  remained  at  home,  assisting  his  father, 
until  he  was  twenty-one  years  of  age.  He  then  made  a 
start  for  himself.  His  father  gave  him  eighty  acres  of 
land,  twenty-four  of  which  were  cleared  ;  it  is  the  same 
tract  upon  which  his  residence  now  stands.  He  first, 
however,  started  upon  thirty  acres  of  land  which  he  had 
rented. 

Soon  after  he  married  and  built  a  house  which  still 
stands  near  his  present  residence.  Upon  that  place  he 
has  lived,  working  hard,  living  economically,  and  man- 
aging his  business  well — so  that  the  original  eighty  acres 
have  grown  to  fifteen  hundred.  Eight  hundred  acres 
are  cleared  up  and  under  cultivation.  It  will  be  seen 
that  Mr.  Schrodt  possesses  more  than  ordinary  good 
business  judgment,  united  with  industry  and  energy.  To 
accumulate  that  body  of  land  unaided,  the  fruits  of  his 
own  toil,  is  conclusive  evidence  that  his  life  has  been  a 
busy  as  well  as  a  successful  one. 

On  the  8th  of  July,  1851,  he  was  united  in  marriage 
to  Miss  Ann  Maria  Broedel,  who  was  born  in  Bavaria, 
Germany.  She  came  to  America  with  her  parents  in 
1849.  She  died  Feb.  19th,  1882.  There  were  twelve 
children  by  that  marriage,  six  of  whom  are  living.  Their 
namesare:  Mary  E.,  George  W.,  Philip,  BenjaminF., 
Laura  E.  and  Michael  D.  All  those  that  are  deceased, 
died  in  infancy,  except  Catherine,  who  was  the  wife  of 
H.  F.  Goeke,  who  was  killed  in  the  cyclone  that  visited 
Mt.  Carmel,  June  5tb,  1877.  She  left  no  children.  Mr. 
Schrodt,  after  the  death  of  his  wife,  married  Catherine 
Sterl.  Both  are  members  of  the  Lutheran  Church.  Po- 
litically, Mr.  Schrodt  was  originally  a  democrat,  and 
voted  for  Franklin  Pierce  in  1852.  He  was  opposed  to 
slavery,  which  naturally  carried  him  into  the  republican 
party,  and  he  has  acted  with  that  organization  till  the 
present.  In  1867,  Mr.  Schrodt  visited  the  land  of  his 
birth,  where  he  went  to  seek  rest  and  recruit  his  health. 
He  remained  abroad  one  year,  and  returned  well  pleased 
with  his  trip,  and  much  improved  in  health. 

It  should  be  mentioned  that  his  father  was  a  lock- 
smith, and  afterwards  carried  on  blacksmithing.  He 
did  not  not  do  much  work  on  the  farm  ;  therefore,  the 
lead,  to  some  extent,  depended  on  John,  the  eldest  son. 


246  HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WAS  ASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


ABRAHAM  JJTTER. 


ELIZABETH    UTTER. 


ABRAHAM  UTTER  (DECEASED). 
THE  Utter  family  is  of  German  ancestry.  Henry 
Utter,  the  grandfather  of  the  present  family,  was  born 
jn  Allegheny  county,  New  York.  He  there  married 
his  first  wife.  She  died,  leaving  four  children.  He 
subsequently  married  Rachael  Hendricks,  whose  father 
was  a  revolutionary  soldier.  Henry  Utter  was  a  soldier 
of  the  war  of  1812,  and  rose  to  the  position  of  major, 
and  was  ever  after  known  as  "  Major  Utter."  In  1817 
he  came  west  to  the  territory  of  Illinois  and  settled  in 
the  old  town  of  Palmyra,  the  first  county  seat  of  Wa- 
bash,  then  a  part  of  Edwards  county.  The  next  spring 
he  went  out  to  Bald  Eagle  prairie,  and  there  bought 
land,  improved  it,  and  remained  there  until  his  death. 
He  was  a  millwright  by  trade.  Abraham  Utter  was 
the  second  son  of  Henry  and  Rachael  (Hendricks) 
Utter.  He  was  born  in  Allegheny  county,  New  York, 
March  11,  1812,  and  was  in  his  fifth  year  when  the 
family  came  west.  His  eldest  brother,  John,  was  a 
soldier  in  the  Black  Hawk  war.  Abraham  remained  at 
home  until  he  was  twenty-one  years  of  age,  when  he 
went  to  SchuylQr  county,  Illinois,  where  his  brother  was 
living,  and  there  peddled  fanning  mills.  Four  or  five 
years  later  he  returned  to  his  home  in  Wabash  county, 


and  in  1836  purchased  the  interest  of  the  other  heirs  in 
the  homestead,  and  soon  after  purchased  a  place  near 
Centreville,  improved  it  and  remained  there  fifteen 
years,  then  bought  the  place  where  his  widow  now  lives, 
near  Mt.  Carmel,  and  there  remained  until  his  death, 
which  occurred  Sept.  15,  1872. 

In  his  life  Mr.  Utter  was  of  an  industrious  and  ener- 
getic nature.  He  was  possessed  of  much  good  business 
judgment  and  foresight,  and  succeeded  in  accumulating 
a  large  amount  of  property.  He  was  of  a  quiet  dispo- 
sition, of  reserved  manners,  speaking  little  but  quick  to 
decide  for  or  against  any  business  proposition.  He 
\  loved  his  home  and  was  domestic  in  his  habits  and 
'  tastes,  and  kind  and  indulgent  to  his  family.  He  was  a 
member  of  the  Christian  church  from  1862  until  his 
death.  On  the  28th  of  March,  1839,  he  married  Miss 
Elizabeth  Penston.  She  was  born  in  Atlantic  county, 
New  Jersey,  May  22,  1820.  Her  parents,  John  and 
Sarah  (Lake)  Penston,  were  natives  of  the  same  state- 
They  came  to  Wabash  county,  Illinois,  in  1823,  and 
settled  in  Mt.  Carmel,  but  soon  after  moved  to  Bald 
Eagle  prairie.  Mrs.  Utter  still  survives  her  husband. 
There  are  nine  children,  the  offspring  of  the  union  of 
Abraham  and  Elizabeth  Utter,  whose  names  in  the 


a 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


247 


order  of  tbeir  birth  are:  Mary,  who  is  the  wife  of  R.  S. 

Gordon,  born  May  18th,  1840.  They  have  three  child- 
ren living,  named  Amy  Ellen,  Robert  Abraham  and 
Walter  Spafford.  Josiah,  the  eldest  son,  died  in  his 
second  year.  Henry,  born  June  7th,  1845.  He  was  a 
soldier  during  the  late  war,  and  was  a  member  of  Co. 
I,  5th  regiment  His.  cavalry.  He  married  Miss  Harriet 
Lanterman,  and  they  have  three  children,  whose  names 
are  Effie,  Edward  Everett  and  Minnie  C.  Edwifi.born 
Nov.  21st,  1850,  and  died  in  1856.  Lewis,  died  in  early 
childhood.  Robert  Carrol,  died  in  infancy.  John 
Charles,  born  Dec.  14th,  1859.  He  was  educated  and 
graduated  from  Eureka  College  in  Woodford  county, 
Illinois,  studied  medicine  and  graduated  from  the 
Miami  Medical  College,  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  and  is  a  resi- 
dent and  practising  physician  in  South  Pueblo,  Colora- 
do. Elizabeth,  the  youngest  of  the  family,  was  born 
Sept.  15,  1862,  and  was  united  in  marriage  March  7th, 
1883,  to  Samuel  Bearaon.  Mrs.  Utter  is  a  member  of  ' 
the  Christian  church. 


HON.  ROBERT  BELL. 

THE  Bell  iamily,  of  which  the  subject  of  this  sketch 
is  a  member,  were  among  the  pioneers  and  early  settlers 
of  Illinois.  On  the  paternal  side  they  are  of  Scotch- 
Irish  ancestry.  Members  of  the  family  emigrated  from 
the  north  of  Ireland  to  America  some  time  prior  to  the 
Revolutionary  war.  They  settled  in  Rockbridge 
county,  Virginia,  and  from  them  have  sprung  a  numer- 
ous progeny.  The  grandfather,  Robert  Bell,  was  a 
soldier  of  the  Revolution.  He  entered  the  army  under 
Washington  while  yet  in  his  sixteenth  year,  and  re- 
mained in  the  service  during  the  entire  term  of  the  war, 
and  was  present  when  the  war  closed  with  the  surrender 
of  Cornwallis'  forces  at  Yorktown.  After  the  war  he 
married  a  Miss  Mary  Caldwell,  who  was  of  Scotch 
descent.  She  died  in  Virginia.  Robert  Bell  remained 
a  resident  of  his  native  State  until  1818,  when  he  came 
west  to  Illinois,  which  State  had  just  been  admitted  to 
the  Union,  and  settled  in  what  is  now  known  as  Wabash 
county,  then  a  part  of  Edwards,  at  a  point  now  known 
as  Friendsville  Precinct.  He  was  a  farmer,  and  followed 
that  avocation  until  his  death,  which  occurred  in  1837. 
The  offspring  of  his  marriage  with  Miss  Mary  Caldwell 
were  three  children  named  George,  Jane,  who  was  the 
wife  of  E.  S.  Wallace,  and  Hiram  Bell.  The  latter  was 
the  father  of  Robert  Bell.  He  was  born  in  Rockbridge 
county,  Virginia,  March  3,  1798,  and  was  yet  in  his 
early  manhood  when  the  family  came  to  Illinois  He 
received  a  good  education  and  adopted  surveying  as  a 
business.  After  the  family  settled  in  Illinois  his  time 
was  much  occupied  in  his  profession,  and  he  did  most  of 
the  surveying  in  this  and  surrounding  counties.  In 
1824,  when  the  county  was  organized,  he  was  appointed 
circuit  clerk  by  Judge  Wilson,  who  subsequently  was 
Chief  Justice  of  the  State.  Mr.  Bell  held  the  office  of 
circuit  clerk  continuously  from  1824  to  1860.  He  also 


held  the  office  of  county  clerk  until  December,  1853, 
and  was  county  judge  several  years ;  in  fact  held  all  the 
offices  up  to  such  time  as  the  increasing  business  of  the 
county  demanded  a  division  of  the  labor.  He  was 
familiarly  known  as  General  Bell,  having  held  the  posi- 
tion of  Brigadier  General  in  the  militia  forces  of  the 
State.  He  died  July  11,  1867.  He  married  Miss  Eliz- 
abeth, daughter  of  Victor  and  Rebecca  (Tucker) 
Buchanan,  a  native  of  Gallatin  county,  Kentucky. 
Her  parents  removed  to  Illinois  in  1819,  and  settled  in 
Lawrence  county,  then  a  part  of  Edwards.  Mrs.  Bell 
was  born  August  24,  1802.  She  still  survives  her  hus- 
band, and  at  present  is  a  resident  of  Mt.  Carmel. 

There  were  eight  children  by  the  union  of  Hiram  and 
Elizabeth  Bell — four  of  whom  are  still  living— Robert, 
Rebecca  Jane,  wife  of  Robert  Cravath,  a  civil  engineer 
living  at  Green  Bay,  Wisconsin  ;  James  Hiram  and 
Clara  Virginia,  wife  of  N.  M.  Pilsbury,  a  hardware  mer- 
chant, living  at  Fremont,  Nebraska.  Among  those  who 
died  was  Victor  B.  Bell,  the  eldest  child,  a  member  of 
the  Illinois  Legislature  in  1852-'54,  and  a  prominent 
lawyer,  who  practiced  his  profession  in  Mt.  Carmel,  and 
afterwards  in  Chicago  and  Washington  City,  and  died 
in  New  Orleans,  September  15,  1867,  having  never  mar- 
ried. 

Hon.  Robert  Bell,  was  born  in  Lawrence  county 
in  1829.  He  received  his  primary  education  in 
subscription  and  select  schools  of  Mt  Carmel,  and 
his  literary  training  in  the  Indiana  State  University. 
He  studied  law  under  the  direction  and  in  the  office 
of  his  brother,  Victor  B.  Bell,  and  commenced  the 
practice  of  his  profession  in  Fairfield,  Wayne  county, 
Illinois,  in  1855.  In  1857  he  returned  to  Mt.  Carmel 
and  continued  the  practice.  In  1864  he  formed  a  law 
partnership  with  Hon.  E.  B.  Green,  which  still  continues. 
The  law  firm  of  Bell  and  Green  is  well  known  through- 
out southern  Illinois.  They  have  a  large  practice  in  this 
and  surrounding  counties,  and  in  the  Appellate  and 
Superior  courts  of  the  State,  and  in  the  Circuit  and  Dis- 
trict courts  of  the  United  States.  In  1869  Mr.  Bell  was 
appointed  County  Judge  by  the  Governor,  to  fill  the 
vacancy  caused  by  the  death  of  Judge  Thomas  J.  Arm- 
strong. 

Judge  Bell  belongs  to  the  progressive  order  of  men. 
Enterprises,  having  for  their  object  the  increase  of  the 
material  wealth  of  the  town  or  county,  find  in  him  an 
active  and  enthusiastic  supporter.  He  was  President  of 
the  Illinois  Southern  Railroad  Company,  which  was 
merged  into  the  Cairo  and  Vincennes  in  1867,  and 
assisted  materially  in  having  the  latter  road  built.  He 
was  also  President  of  the  St.  Louis,  Mt.  Carmel  and 
New  Albany,  now  the  Louisville,  Evansville  and  St. 
Louis  Railway,  and  while  president  of  the  former  organ- 
ization, succeeded  in  having  built  and  equipped  that 
section  of  the  road  between  Princeton,  Indiana,  and 
Albion,  Illinois.  The  flourishing  town  of  Bellmont,  on 
this  road,  midway  between  Mt.  Carmel  and  Albion,  was 
named  after  Judge  Bell ;  and  the  station  and  post-office 


248         HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  W ABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


at  the  works  of  the  Mt.  Carmel  coal  company,  on  this 
railway,  were  named  Maud,  after  a  young  daughter  of 
Judge  Bell  who  died  in  the  spring  of  1880. 

Politically  Judge  Bell  was  originally  a  Democrat,  his 
first  vote  for  President  being  cast  for  Pierce  in  1852. 
In  1860  he  was  a  Douglas  Democrat.  During  the 
war  of  the  Rebellion  he  was  a  warm  Union  man,  and 
made  many  speeches  in  aid  of  the  recruiting  soldiers, 
and  supported  all  measures  that  had  for  their  object  the 
suppression  of  the  Rebellion.  His  strong  Union  senti- 
ments naturally  led  him  into  the  Republican  party,  and 
during  and  since  the  civil  war  he  has  affiliated  and 
acted  with  the  latter  political  organization,  and  has 
been  recognized  as  one  of  the  Republican  leaders  of  the 
State.  From  1868  to  1872  he  was  a  member  of  the 
Republican  State  Central  Committee  for  the  State  at 
large.  In  1878,  he  was  the  Republican  candidate  for 
Congress  in  the  19th  District.  In  1879  he  was  sent  to  i 
California  by  the  United  States  Treasury  Department 
as  a  special  revenue  agent  to  investigate  alleged  frauds 
in  the  revenue  districts  of  the  Pacific  coast.  In  1881  he 
was  appointed  by  President  Garfield  as  a  commissioner 
to  examine  a  section  of  the  Atlantic  and  Pacific  Railroad 
;n  New  Mexico.  Judge  Bell  is  an  honored  member  of 
the  ancient  and  honorable  order  of  A.  F.  and  A.  M., 
also  of  Royal  Arch  and  Knight  Templar  masonry. 

On  the  17th  of  November,  1858,  at  Madison,  Connec- 
ticut, he  was  married  to  Miss  Sarah  Elizabeth,  daughter 
of  Rev.  Samuel  N.  and  Martha  (Brace)  Shepard.  Mrs 
Bell's  father  was  a  Congregational  minister,  and  was 
pastor  for  thirty-one  years  of  one  of  the  largest  churches 
in  Connecticut.  Mrs.  Bell  was  born  at  Madison  in  that 
State,  and  was  educated  at  New  Haven,  Hartford,  and 
at  Maplewood  Seminary,  Pittsfield,  Mass. 

There  have  been  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Robert  Bell 
nine  children,  five  of  whom  are  living,  and  the  names 
of  those  who  survive  are :  Emily  Rosa,  Collins  Shepard, 
Edward  Green,  Catherine  Elizabeth  and  Bertine. 

Judge  Bell  has  a  high  reputation  as  an  orator,  and 
many  of  his  speeches  and  addresses  have  been  published. 
He  has  also  written  several  short  poems,  that  have  been 
printed  in  some  of  the  leading  newspapers  in  the  United 
States. 

HON.  JACOB  ZIMMERMAN 

Is  a  native  of  Westmoreland  county,  Pennsylvania, 
born  September  27th,  1831.  He  is  the  son  of  Henry 
and  Elizabeth  (Steelsmith)  Zimmerman.  The  family, 
on  the  paternal  side,  were  "originally  from  Germany, 
— on  the  maternal,  of  Welsh  extraction.  His  parents 
emigrated  to  Ohio  in  1840,  and  settled  in  Stark  county. 
Four  years  later  they  removed  to  Wyandotte  county,  in 
the  same  State,  and  there  the  father  died.  His  wife  and 
the  mother  of  Jacob  Z.  still  survives  him,  and  is  a  resident 
of  the  latter  county.  Jacob  Zimmerman  received  a  good 
English  education  in  the  public  and  select  schools  of 
Upper  Sandusky.  At  the  age  of  eighteen  he  resolved  to 


adopt  the  printer's  trade  as  the  business  of  his  life,  and 
with  that  idea  in  view,  entered  the  office  of  the  Wyan- 
dotte Pioneer,  in  Upper  Sandusky,  and  in  that  office  was 
"  printer's  devil,"  worked  at  the  case,  sub-editor  and 
general  utility  man.  He  remained  there  about  one  year, 
and  then  went  to  Tiffin,  Ohio,  and  worked  at  the  case. 
Six  months  later  he  came  west  to  Illinois,  and  stopped  in 
the  town  of  Marshall,  in  Clark  county.  There  he  found 
work  in  the  office  of  the  Illinois  State  Democrat,  then 
owned  and  edited  by  Nathan  Willard.  He  continued 
with  the  Democrat  eight  months ;  then,  in  connection 
with  a  Mr.  Summers,  purchased  that  paper  and  the 
Marshall  Telegraph,  and  consolidated  them,  and  pub- 
lished a  neutral  independent  paper  na^oed  the  Telegraph. 
lu  1852  James  C.  Robinson,  a  distinguished  lawyer  and 
prominent  politician  of  Illinois,  then  a  resident  of  Mar- 
shall, but  at  present  a  citizen  of  Springfield,  purchased 
Mr.  Summers'  interest  in  the  paper,  and  became  a  part- 
ner of  Mr.  Zimmerman's.  They  changed  the  name  to 
the  Eastern  lllinoisan,  and  converted  it  into  a  strong  de- 
mocratic newspaper.  The  latter  partnership  continued 
four  years,  when  Mr.  Z.  sold  his  interest  to  his  partner, 
and  from  Marshall  went  to  Urbana,  the  county  seat  of 
Champaign  county,  and  there,  in  connection  with  Mr. 
George  N.  Richard  (with  Mr.  Z.  as  editor),  published 
the  Constitution,  an  able  and  influential  democratic 
newspaper. 

While  connected  with  the  lllinoisan  in  1855.  he  estab-  ' 
lished  a  paper  at  Greenup— the  first  democratic  sheet 
published  in  Cumberland  county — and  conducted  it  in 
conjunction  with  the  former  paper.  The  democratic 
party  of  Clark  county  was  in  a  disorganized  condition 
when  he  assumed  editorial  control  of  the  lllinoisan,  ow- 
ing to  dissatisfaction  with  the  delegate  convention  sys- 
tem of  making  nominations.  To  heal  the  dissensions, 
Mr.  Z.  drew  up  a  plan  of  making  nominations  by  primary 
elections,  submitted  it  to  a  mass  meeting,  and  secured 
its  adoption.  This  was  the  origination  of  the  primary 
election  system  of  making  county  nominations  in  Illinois 
at  least,  if  not  in  the  county  at  large,  and  so  satisfactory 
did  it  prove  in  that  county,  that  it  has  since  been  adopted 
throughout  nearly  the  entire  State,  and  largely  through- 
out the  whole  county. 

In  1860  he  sold  out  the  paper  at  Urbana  and  came  to 
Mt.  Carmel,  in  this  county,  and  here  took  editorial 
charge  of  the  Democrat,  and  conducted  it  as  a  Douglas 
paper  through  the  presidential  campaign  of  1860.  His 
labors  as  editor  and  publisher  of  newspapers  practically 
ceased  in  November,  I860.  Since  that  time  he  has,  oc- 
casionally, temporarily  assumed  editorship  of  the  local 
journals.  As  a  newspaper  and  political  writer,  Mr.  Zim- 
merman was  far  above  the  average.  He  wielded  a  sharp 
and  vigorous  pen,  and  many  times  proved  to  his  political 
and  newspaper  contemporaries  that  he  was  a  formidable 
antagonist  to  encounter  in  a  pen-and-paper  controversy. 
Articles  from  his  pen  were  clear,  concise  and  to  the  point, 
and  showed  a  thorough  knowledge  of  the  subject  kin 
I  hand.  After  his  retirement  from  the  newspaper  busi- 


RES.  AND  OFFICE  OF  DR.  P.  S  EARS    MTCARMELtILLINUIS 


WESTOVER    FARM.  CONTAINING   OVER  300 ACRES.  THE  PROPERTY 


RES. BUILT  BY  A.GIBSON  NOW  THE  PROPERTY    OF  MRS.  DC  S  EA  R  S 


rj  «e'e  CLARISSA  A. SEARS  340FA  MILE  WEST  OF  MT  CARME  L,ILL. 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


249 


ness,  he  engaged  in  farming  and  improving  his  property 
in  this  county,  aud  that  has  been  his  chief  occupation  to 
the  present. 

On  the  25th  of  December,  1856,  he  married  Miss  Be- 
linda B.,  daughter  of  Thomas  S.  aud  Snrah  D.  (Cavalier) 
Hinde.  She  was  born  in  Wabash  county.  Her  father 
was  one  of  the  pioneers  of  Illinois,  and  the  original  pro- 
prietor of  the  town  of  Mt.  Carmel.  Mrs.  Zimmerman,  at 
the  time  of  her  marriage,  was  a  resident  of  Marshall, 
Clark  county  Illinois,  where  she  lived  with  her  sister, 
who  was  the  wife  of  Judge  Charles  H.  Constable.  She 
died  in  May,  1865,  leaving  two  children,  one  of  whom  is 
yet  living,  named  Frederick  Hinde  Zimmerman. 

Ou  the  13th  of  April,  1874,  Mr.  Z.  married  his  present 
wife.  Her  maiden  name  was  Emma  Harris.  She  is  the 
daughter  of  John  and  Mary  (Brooks)  Harris.  The  Harris 
family  were  also  old  settlers  of  Wabaih  county.  By  the 
latter  marriage  there  are  two  children,  whose  names,  in 
the  order  of  their  birth,  are:  Herbert  aud  John  H.  Mr. 
Zimmerman  is  an  honored  member  of  the  Order  of  Free- 
masonry, aud  belongs  to  the  Blue  Lodge,  Chapter  and 
Knights  Templar  orders. 

Politically,  he  has  been  a  life-long  and  thorough  paced 
democrat.  He  is  most  soundly  indoctrinated  in  the 
tenets  and  principles  of  that  political  organization,  and 
believes  that  on  the  ultimate  success  of  its  principles  rest 
the  future  hopes,  prosperity  and  perpetuity  of  a  repub- 
lican form  of  government  in  the  United  States.  In  1878 
his  zeal  in  the  cause  of  his  party,  aud  worth  as  a  man 
and  citizen,  received  honorable  recognition  by  being 
elected  to  represent  his  district  in  the  Third  General  As- 
sembly of  the  State.  While  a  member  of  that  body  he 
secured  the  passage  of  a  bill  appropriating  fifteen  thous- 
and dollars  for  the  erection  of  a  court-house  in  Mt. 
Carmel. 

Mr.  Zimmerman  is  a  live,  energetic,  progressive  busi- 
ness man.  He  was  oue  of  the  organizers  of  the  Coal 
Mine  Co.  west  of  Mt.  Carmel,  aud  the  present  and  pros- 
pective development  of  the  coal  interests  of  Wabash 
county  is  in  a  great  measure  due  to  his  energy  and  in- 
vestigations. 

HON.  EDWARD  B.  GREEN 

Is  a  native  of  Blair  county,  Pennsylvania,  born  Dec.  29, 
1837.     His  father,  Thomas  Green,  was  born  and  reared 
in  Fairfax  county,  Virginia.     He  was  of  English  ances- 
try, and  the  family  were  amomg  the  early  settlers  of 
the  Old  Dominion.     During  the  war  of  1812  he  enlisted 
and  served  as  a  soldier  in  the  army  operating  in  Canada 
and  on  the  northern  frontier.     At  the  close  of  the  war 
he  settled  in  what  is  now  known  as  Blair  county,  Penn- 
sylvania, then  a  part  of  Huntingdon,  and  there  followed 
farming  until  his  death,  which  occurred  in  1875.     He 
married  Miss  Martha  Galbraith,  who  was  descended  from 
Scotch-Irish  stock.     Her  ancestors  were  among  the  early  j 
settlers  of  Pennsylvania.     She  was  born  and  raised  in  ; 
Blair  county,  where  she  lived  at  the  time  of  her  mar-  j 
riage.   She  still  survives  her  husband,  and  at  the  present  ! 
32 


time  is  a  resident  of  Clarion  county,  in  her  native  State. 
By  the  aarriage  of  Thomas  and  Martha  Green  there 
were  twelve  children,  ten  of  whom  are  still  living.  Ed- 
ward B.  is  the  youngest  of  the  family.  He  received  his 
primary  education  iu  the  public  schools  of  his  native 
county.  Being  of  a  studious  nature  and  possessing  ear- 
nest application,  he  soon  fitted  himself  for  the  profession 
of  teaching,  in  which  he  engaged  while  yet  in  his  seven- 
teenth year.  The  profession  gave  him  enlarged  oppor- 
tunities for  study  and  self  culture,  and  he  soon  becaite 
proficient,  particularly  in  languages.  During  the  last 
year  and  a  half  of  his  residence  iu  Pennsylvania  he  oc- 
cupied the  Chair  of  Professor  of  Languages  in  the  Aca- 
demy at  West  Freedom,  in  Clarion  county.  In  October, 
1858,  he  came  west  to  Illinois,  and  settled  in  Paris,  in 
Edgar  county.  He  had  determined  to  adopt  the  profes- 
sion of  law  as  the  business  of  his  life,  and  with  that  idea 
in  view,  entered  the  law  office  of  liis  brother,  Amos 
Green  aud  James  A.  Eads,  prominent  attorneys  of  Paris, 
Illinois,  aud  commenced  the  study.  He  read  the  stand- 
ard text-books  aud  prosecuted  his  studies  diligently  until 
June,  1860,  when  he  repaired  to  Carlyle,  in  Clinton 
county,  then  the  residence  of  the  late  Sidney  Breese,  one 
of  the  justices  of  the  supreme  court,  and  was  by  him 
examined,  aud  upon  his  recommendation  was  admitted 
to  the  bar.  Ou  the  20th  of  the  same  mouth  he  came  to 
Mt.  Carmel,  opened  a  law  office,  and  commenced  the 
practice,  aud  continued  alone  until  1864,  when  he  formed 
a  law  partnership  with  Hon.  Robert  Bell.  That  part- 
nership still  continues,  aud  has  existed  for  a  period 
of  almost  twenty  years.  The  law  firm  of  Bell  &  Green 
is  widely  known  throughout  Southern  Illinois.  They 
have  a  large  and  lucrative  practice  in  this  and  turrouud- 
ing  counties,  and  in  the  circuit,  appellate  aud  supreme 
courts.  Mr.  Green  has  confined  himself  strictly  to  the 
legitimate  practice  of  the  law.  Upon  the  very  thresh- 
old of  his  professional  experience  he  recognized  the 
fact  that  the  law  was  a  jealous  mistress,  who  required  of 
her  subjects  their  undivided  attention,  severe  and  con- 
tinuous application, — careful,  patient  investigation,  if 
they  would  succeed  and  become  eminent  in  the  profes- 
sion. Being  impressed,  and  acting  upon  those  well- 
known  facts,  he  has  found  no  time  to  engage  in  other 
than  the  legitimate  practice,  nor  has  he  given  any  branch 
or  department  special  attention,  but  has  coufined  him- 
self to  the  general  practice. 

In  1877  Judge  Green's  ability  as  a  sound  and  thorough 
lawyer,  and  his  worth  as  a  man,  received  suitable  and 
honorable  recognition,  by  being  nominated  for  the  office 
of  Circuit  Judge  of  the  Second  Judicial  Circuit.  In  1879 
he  was  further  honored  by  the  nomination  for  a  position 
upon  the  Supreme  Bench  of  this  State,  but  in  both  in- 
stances was  defeated,  owing  to  the  fact  that  the  canvass 
took  a  partisan  turn,  and  the  party  who  nominated  him 
were  iu  a  hopeless  minority  in  the  districts.  His  defeat 
was  much  regretted,  as  he  would  have  brought  to  the 
bench  ripe  scholarship  and  a  profound  knowledge  of  the 
law,  acquired  by  long  years  of  practice  and  studious 


250 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  W ABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


habits ;  and,  with  his  naturally  clear,  logical  mind,  he  j 
would  have  added  honor  to  that  distinguished  body. 

Politically,  Judge  Green  is  a  republican.  He  cast  his 
first  vote  for  Abraham  Lincoln  in  1862,  and  in  all  sub- 
sequent elections  has  voted  and  remained  a  staunch  and 
active  supporter  of  the  principles  and  tenets  of  that  po- 
litical organization.  In  1882  he  was  selected  by  his 
party  as  the  standard-bearer  in  the  Sixteenth  Congres- 
sional District,  and  made  the  campaign  for  congress 
against  Judge  Aaron  Shaw,  the  present  incumbent,  but 
was  defeated  by  a  small  majority.  He,  however,  demon- 
strati  d  that  he  was  a  s'mng  and  popular  man,  and  made 
a  vigorous  canvass  and  succeeded  in  reducing  the  demo- 
cratic majority  of  1476  in  the  district  in  1880,  to  628, — 
and  this,  too,  in  the  face  of  the  fact  that  the  great  tidal 
wave  of  democracy  swept  other  portions  of  the  State, 
and  threatened  seriously  to  engulf  the  ruling  and  domi- 
nant party  of  the  county. 

On  the  23d  of  October,  1861,  Mr.  Green  was  united  in 
marriage  to  Miss  Emma  E.  Lutes  of  York  county,  Pa. 
That  union  has  been  blessed  with  three  children,  whose 
names  in  the  order  of  their  birth  are :  Daisy,  Pearl,  and 
Paul  Green.  Mr.  Green  is  an  honored  member  of  the 
1.  O.  O.F.,  and  A.  F.  and  A.  M.  orders,  and  holds  mem- 
bership with  the  Lodges  of  Mt.  Carmel.  In  his  habits 
he  is  temperate,  and  an  advocate  of  the  cause  of  tem- 
perance. He,  however,  believes  that  temperance  is  a 
great  moral  question,  and  should  be  so  treated,  and  taken 
out  of  politics,  where  it  is  too  often  made  the  stock  in 
trade  of  the  demagogue  and  political  charlatan.  He 
also  takes  an  active  interest  in  the  cause  of  education, 
and  by  his  zeal  and  energy  lias  succeeded,  in  connection 
with  other  members  of  the  Board  of  Education,  in  build- 
ing up  the  present  excellent  graded  schools  of  Mt. 
Carrael. 

HON.  WILLIAM  WOOD,  (Deceased). 

THE  subject  of  the  following  memoir,  was  one  of  the 
pioneers  and  early  settlers-of  Wabash  county.  He  was 
also  at  that  time  the  leading  representative  merchant  of 
this  section  of  the  State.  It  is  emiuently  proper  that 
a  sketch  of  his  life  should  be  written  arid  published  in  a 
history  of  this  county,  so  that  the  present  generation 
may  know  something  of  the  men  who  came  here  in  an 
early  day  and  braved  the  hardships  and  exposures  of 
frontier  life,  that  their  posterity  might  enjoy  iu  perfect 
fulness  the  benefits  arising  therefrom.  All  honor  to 
those  brave  men,  who  by  their  energy  subdued  the  forests 
and  wilds  of  thU  country,  and  made  it  a  habitable 
abode  for  the  present  generation.  The  first  that  is 
known  of  the  Wo<xl's  family  is  the  will  written  in  the 
year  1537,  and  passed  down  through  the  succeeding 
generations.  It  was  an  entailed  estate  and  passed  to  his 
uncle's  family.  We  attach  the  will  verbatim:' 

1537,  November  22nd. 

In  the  name  of  God  amen  I  Michael  Wood  of  Tenker 
Hey  North  Dean  in  the  Vicarage  of  Hallifax  &  County 
of  York  Yeoman,  Being  in  health  yet  Weak  iu  Body, 


but   of  Sound    mind    memory   and    understanding,  do 
make  Publish  this  my  Last  Will  &  Testament  in  manner 
&  form  Following  to  wit  first  of  all  y*  all  my  ju-t  Debts 
and  funeral  Expenses  after  my  Decease  be  Discharged 
&  paid  out  of  my  personal  Efee  By  my  Executors  herein 
after  named  w'  all  Convinent  Speed  2dly  I  Give  &  Be- 
queath  to  my  well    beloved   Son  Jos1'-   Wood  y'  place 
called  ye  moorend  Situate  Lying  &  being  in  Norland  in 
sd  Vicarage  &  County  w'  all  ye"Land  &  Appurtenances 
thearunto  belonging  no*   in  ye  tenner  &  occupation  of 
Jonas  Bates,   for   &  during  my   sd  Sous   natural,  But 
after  his  Decease  I  Give  yp  same  to  his  Son  my  Grand- 
s  in   Rob*-  to   hold  to  him  &  his  Lawful  issue  If  any 
Surviving  after  him  for  ever.     But  in  Default  of  Such 
!  Issue  I  Give  it  to  his   Son,  Joseph  my  Grandson  &  his 
i  Children  after  him  for  ever  Lawfully  begotton  or  to  be 
begotton  of  his  Body,  and  in  Default  of  Such  Issue  to 
ye   next  Heirs   Decendant   by   Law :     Also  I  Give  to 
'  my  8d  son  Josh  Wood  Cottages  w»  3  Crofts  or  Meadows 
thereunto  adjoining  or  belonging  Lying  &  being  in  sd 
north  Dean   w*  thear  appurtenances  to  hold  to  him  & 
his  Heirs  &  Assigns  for  ever  he  paying  such  Legacies 
thearout  as  I   hearof  appoint  Which  piirni.-ses  are  now 
|  in  ye  Tenner  &  occupation  of  Joseph  Hey  Joseph  Glead- 
|  hil  &Mary  Leach.    Also  I  Give&  bequeath  y°  Remain- 
I  der  &   Interest   of  my  Leashold   Estate  for  a  term  of 
I  years  yet  to  come,  togath  w*  ye  Indenture  of   Lease 
!  Whearby  I  hold  ye  same  ye  t,d  Tinker  Hey  in  sd  Dean 
to  have  &  to  hold  to  him  his  Executors  Administrators 
j  &  assigns  According  to  yc  tenner  thearcf  from  &  Im- 
mediately after  my  Dea    Also,  I  give  &  bequeath  to  ye 
sd  Jos1'  Wood  Children  namely  Mary  Robt.   Hannah 
Sarah  Caroline  Rebacco  Judith  &  Joseph,  to  each  Child 
Guinea  to  be  paid  to  each  as  he  or  she  shall  come  to  age 
out  of  Real  Est  Called    Moorend,  from  ye  first  martin- 
mas  &  next  ensuing  Rents  after  my  Decease  Whearas 
during  ye   minority   of  such  as  are   not  yet  at  age  to 
Receive  ye  Executors  to  Improve  ye  same  to  there  Dis- 
cretion for  ye  of  Such  Child  or  Children  then  Surviving 
till  ye  Seaverl   Days  of  payment  as   they  become  due. 
Also  I  Give  &  bequeath  to  ray  beloved  Daughters  Mary 
Wilkinson   <V   Dorothy   Simpson    to    each   one   Crown 
Sterling  for  &  During  each  of  thear  natural  Lives  10  be 
paid  out  of  ye  other  part  of  my  Laud  Estate  Lying  in 
north   Dean   before  mentioned   from  ye  Issuing  Rents 
thence  arising  as   they  become  Due  ye  first   payment  to 
be  made  to  each  Daughters  out  of  sd  Rent  first  Due  after 
my  Decease  &  so  ma  yearly  after  every  year.     Also  my 
i  personal  Estate  I  Give  to  sd  Jos1'  Wood  Mary  Wilkin- 
son &  Dorothy  Simpson  to  be  Equally  Divided  among 
them  after  funeral  Expences    payments  of    Debtes   & 
!  ye  following  Legacies  are*  paid  &  Discharged  out  of  ye 
i  same,  to  Wit  to  William  Banaclongh  my  Servant  I  Give 
and   bequeath  £5.0,0  Sterling  to  be  paid  him  at  ye  age 
j  of   23  years   Which  Legacy  I    will    be   Improved   for 
[  &  to   his   use  from  one  month  after  ray  decease.    Till 
he  come  of  age  to  Rpc.l.  if  then  Surviving  to  to  Elizi- 
I  beth   Brooksbank  my  Servant  I  give  &  bequeath   one 
:  Guinea  to  be  paid  her  in  one  month  alter  my  Decease 
i  &  Lastly  I  give  to  my  son  Joseph  my  15,'st  Coat  &  Wast- 
!  coat  on  Condition   he  Gives  to  bd  Win.  Banaclough  a 
Decent   Good    Wastcoat  otherwise  I  Give  &    bequeatii 
these  together  w*  all    y°  Rest  of  my  Wearing  apparril 
Liniien  &  Woolling  &c  to  sd  Bauaclough,  it  I  hertby 
nominate  &  appoint  Mr.  John  Taylor  of  ye  Halla  John 
fisher  in  s,'1  North  Dean  &  John  Staneliffe  of  Greenhead 
in  Norland  sd  Vicarage  Executors  of  this  my  Last  Will 
&  Testament  hearby  revoking  all  former  Will  &  Wills 
heartofore   made  as  Witness  my   hand,  &  Seal   this  1- 
Day  of  January  1550  MICHAEL  WOOD 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AWD  W ABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


251 


Signed  Seal'd  publish  &  Declared  by  ye  Within  named 
Michael  Wood  as  &  for  his  Last  Will  &  testament  in 
ye  presences  of  us  Who  have  hearunto  Subscribed  our 
names  as  Witness  at  ye  Request  in  ye  presence  of  ye  Sd 
Testator  &  in  ye  presence  of  each  other  after  ye  Words, 
1  of  S'1  first  Due  were  interlined  in  y°  35  Line, 
JOHN  STAJTCLIFFE,  ELIZABETH  BROOKSBANK 

WM 
WM  STOXCLIFF  WM  STONCLIFFE. 

Joseph  Wood,  the  great-grandfather  of  William 
Wood,  was  a  cloth  manufacturer  of  Halifax,  England. 
His  son  Robert,  the  grandfather  of  the  subject  of  this 
sketch,  was  a  man  of  great  energy.  He  purchased  a 
grant  of  land  in  America  and  set  on  foot  a  movement 
to  raise  a  colony  and  settle  in  this  country.  He  had  ; 
large  carved  oak  chests  made  and  filled  with  clothing, 
and  preparations  were  nearly  completed  for  sailing,  when 
the  war  for  the  independence  of  the  colonies  broke  out 
and  thwarted  his  plans.  Robert  Wood  married  Eliza, 
beth  Ingham,  one  of  three  sisters  of  Crowstone  Hall, 
(one  of  these  sisters  lived  to  be  one  hundred  and  four- 
teen years  of  age.)  By  that  union  there  were  seven 
children,  whose  names  were  Aaron,  Moses,  John,  Robert, 
Bathsheba,  Mary  and  Hannah.  Bathsheba  died  in  Balti- 
more, Maryland.  His  property  was  entailed  and  left  to 
his  eldest  son.  Moses,  the  second  son,  was  the  father  of 
William  Wood.  He  was  born  in  Halifax,  England,  in 
1765,  and  married  Jane  Beilby,  daughter  of  John  and 
Esther  Beilby,  of  Wetwang.  He  remained  in  his  native 
country  until  181,9,  when  he  with  his  family  left  the  land 
of  his  nativity  and  settled  in  America.  His  family 
consisted  of  his  wife,  eight  children  and  two  servants.  He 
also  brought  with  him  a  tailor,  shoemaker  and  blacksmith. 
The  same  oaken  chests  made  by  his  father  years  before, 
were  brought  over.  They  sailed  in  the  ship  Mary  Ann 
Isabella,  from  Burlington  Quay.  The  owner  of  the 
vessel,  Mr.  George  Baker,  was  a  personal  friend  of  the 
Wood  family.  After  a  tedious  voyage  of  nine  weeks 
and  four  days,  they  landed  in  Philadelphia,  and  from 
there  proceeded  to  Wilkesbarre,  Pennsylvania,  where 
they  settled.  There  Mr.  Wood  purchased  three  hundred 
acres  of  land,  nearly  one- third  of  which  has  been  occu 
pied  as  a  part  of  the  city.  The  remainder  developed 
into  valuable  coal  lands.  When  Moses  Wood  landed 
in  Philadelphia  he  had  several  thousand  dollars  in  gold, 
which  he  deposited  in  a  Philadelphia  bank  for  safe  keep- 
ing. While  prospecting  in  the  valley  of  the  Wyoming  j 
for  land,  the  bank  broke,  and  he  lost  his  deposits.  He 
was  therefore  compelled  to  depend  on  home  resources  to 
complete  his  purchases  in  Wilkesbarre.  In  the  settle- 
ment of  the  affairs  of  the  bank,  he,  however,  realized  a 
part  of  his  money  by  taking  land  located  in  Bradford 
county.  The  tract  given  in  part  payment  was  in  extent 
two  thousand  acres. 

Moses  Wood  resided  upon  his  farm  at  Wilkesbarre, 
for  many  years  after  his  settlement  there,  and  educated 
and  reared  his  sons  in  habits  of  industry  and  economy, 
and  also  gave  them  much  practical  knowledge  of  farm- 
ing. He  spent  the  latter  part  of  his  life  in  the  city  and 


there  died  in  1853,  at  the  advanced  age  of  eighty-eight 
years.  His  wife  died  in  1852,  aged  seventy-two  years. 
In  1823,  he  commenced  mining  coal  and  shipped  it 
down  the  Susquf  hanna  river  in  keel  boats  or  arks  as 
they  were  called.  He  was  among  the  first  miners  of 
coal  in  Wilkesbarre.  At  that  early  day  the  business  was 
unprofitable.  His  sons  became  successful  merchants 
and  business  men  of  Wilkesbarre.  The  children,  the 
offspring  of  his  marriage  with  Jane  Beilby,  are  Sarah 
deceased,  John  B.  born  in  1803,  was  a  wealthy  merchant 
and  banker  and  died  at  the  age  of  seventy-five  years. 
Moses  deceased,  William  deceased,  Abraham  died  in 
Trenton,  New  Jersey ;  Mary,  wife  of  Sanford  E.  Par- 
sons, of  Wilkesbarre,  deceased.  Isaac,  a  merchant,  set- 
tled in  Trenton,  New  Jersey,  in  1868.  Matthew  died  in 
Wilkesbarre ;  AnnaM.  became  the  wife  of  James  Jones, 
cashier  of  the  Wyoming  National  Bank  of  Wilkesbarre, 
deceased,  and  Esther  E.  residing  in  Trenton,  New  Jersey. 

William  Wood,  of  whom  we  write,  was  the  third 
son  of  Moses  and  Jane  Wood.  He  was  born  at  Pain- 
slack,  Yorkshire,  England,  in  1807,  and  was  in  his 
twelfth  year  when  he  came  with  his  father  to  America, 
in  1819.  He  received  a  fair  education  and  a  thorough 
business  training  in  his  youth.  At  the  age  of  nineteen 
he  was  united  in  marriage  to  Jane,  daughter  of  Edward 
Parkinson,  a-  native  of  Kendal,  England.  Her  father 
came  to  America  in  1824,  and  settled  in  Luzerne  county, 
Pennsylvania.  After  his  marriage  Mr.  Wood  purchased 
eight  acres  of  land  adjoining  the  city  of  Wilkesbarre, 
and  laid  it  out  in  lots  and  streets,  thereby  found- 
ing the  village  of  Woodville,  which  was  christened 
by  that  name  at  a  public  meeting  of  the  citizens,  called 
for  that  purpose  by  Mr.  Miner,  brother  of  the  great 
historian,  Charles  Miner.  Subsequently  Mr.  Wood  en- 
gaged in  the  mercantile  business  in  partnership  with 
Benjamin  Drake,  at  Wilkesbarre. 

In  1836,  (in  his  own  private  carriage)  in  company 
with  his  wife,  he  made  the  journey  to  Illinois,  which 
was  then  considered  the  "  Far  West."  The  journey 
was  a  hard  one,  occupying  six  weeks  of  tedious  travel, 
partially  through  an  unbroken  wilderness  with  here  and 
there  a  log  cabin,  where  travelers  from  many  parts 
would  meet  to  relate  their  various  hairbreadth  escapes, 
and  to  be  fed  upon  the  never  varying  corn  dodger  and 
bacon,  and  where  the  one  room  would  often  accommo- 
date twenty  persons  for  the  night.  A  part  of  the  jour- 
ney was  made  over  the  great  National  Road,  which  was 
then  the  great  thoroughfare  between  the  East  and  West. 
A  portion  of  it  was  macadamized  then,  and  it  was 
already  filled  with  traveling  vehicles  moving  westward 
with  the  seat  of  empire.  Many  of  them  came  to  grief 
in  being  unacquainted  with  the  mud  and  swamps  after 
leaving  the  finished  part  of  the  road.  Mr.  Wood  spent 
the  winter  in  Mt.  Carmel,  in  Wabash  county.  The  kind- 
ness and  sociability  of  the  people  pleased  him.  He 
purchased  a  lot  on  Main  street,  near  where  the  Mansion 
House  now  stands,  and  afterward  erected  a  house  on  it. 
In  the  Spring  of  1837,  he  returned  east  and  spent  the 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


cummer,  settled  up  his  business  there,  and  in  the  fall  of 
the  same  year,  came  back  to  Mt.  Carmel.  He  gave  a 
glowing  account  of  this  country,  and  was  instrumental 
in  bringing  many  others  here.  The  west  then  wanted 
sturdy  settlers  to  subdue  her  forests  and  bring  into  culti- 
vation her  rich  lands.  That  winter  Mr.  Wood  entered 
ij to  partnership  with  his  brother  and  Mr.  Miller,  and 
opened  a  general  store  in  Mt.  Carmel. 

In  1838,  he  opened  a  store  at  Friendsville,  in  this 
county,  and  had  a  post-office  established  there.  He  placed 
Ilobert  Parkinson  and  William  R.  Wilkinson,  two  young 
men,  in  charge  of  it.  In  1841,  his  brother,  having  re- 
turned east,  and  Mr.  Miller  dying,  Mr.  Wood  made  ar- 
rangements with  Parkinson  and  Wilkinson  to  conduct 
the  business,  he  furnishing  the  stock  as  against  their 
labor.  The  firm  of  Wood  &  Parkinson  took  charge  of 
the  store  in  Mt.  Carmel,  and  Wood  &  Wilkinson,  of  the 
stock  at  Friendsville.  Mr.  Wood  then  spent  much  of 
his  time  east,  where  he  bought  the  goods  and  shipped 
them  west,  and  took  charge  of  the  produce,  grain  and 
pork  that  was  consigned  to  him  by  his  western  partners. 
The  partnerships  thus  formed  continued  for  seven  years, 
and  were  a  source  of  profit  to  all  parties  concerned. 
When  Mr.  Wood  first  came  to  Mt.  Carmel  it  was  a  small, 
active,  bustling  frontier  village ;  emigrants  were  com- 
ing iu  from  all  parts  of  the  east;  houses  were  scarce,  and 
he  was  compelled,  temporarily,  to  occupy  a  two-roomed 
house  on  Main  street,  below  the  hill.  It  was  not  lathed 
nor  plastered,  no  floor  over  head,  no  partition  except  a 
curtain  which  was  used  in  separating  the  rooms.  There 
he  lived  until  a  better  house  could  be  secured.  In  183r, 
he  purchased  a  cannon  stove  in  Pittsburg,  Pa.,  brought 
it  to  Mt.  Carmel,  placed  it  in  his  store,  and  was  the  first 
to  burn  bituminous  coal  in  southern  Illinois.  He  re- 
turned to  Wilkesbarre,  after  leaving  here,  and  continued 
there  his  mercantile  operations  until  1857.  During  that 
time  he  laid  out  six  acres  more  into  lots  and  streets,  a 
part  of  the  homestead  property  which  forms  a  part  of 
the  city  of  Wilkesbarre.  He  was  closely  identified  with 
the  commercial  and  banking  interests  of  Wilkesbarre, 
and  was  one  of  the  founders  of  the  old  Wyoming  bank, 
a  director  of  the  same  for  many  years.  Both  h«  and  his 
father  were  among  the  original  subscribers  of  the  stock. 
He  was  one  of  the  founders  of  the  Wilkesbarre  Water 
Company ;  a  director  until  1866,  and  retained  his  con- 
nection through  life. 

Mr.  Wood  settled  in  Mt.  Holly,  N.  Jersey,  in  1866,  but, 
being  restless  under  inactivity  after  an  energetic  busi- 
ness life,  settled  in  Trenton,  New  Jersey,  the  same  year, 
where  he  gave  a  part  of  his  time  to  real  estate  business, 
and  operated  in  it  quite  extensively,  and  caused  the 
erection  of  some  of  the  most  substantial  buildings  in  the 
city.  In  1876,  he  built  a  cottage  at  Ocean  Grove,  New 
Jersey,  where  he,  with  his  family,  during  the  remaining 
years  of  his  life,  spent  the  summer  months,  returning  in 
the  autumn  to  his  residence  in  Trenton,  N.  J. 

In  early  manhood  Mr.  Wood  was  interested  in  mili- 
tary organizations,  and  for  sixteen  years  was  a  member 


of  the  State  militia,  of  Pennsylvania;  rising  through  the 
various  grades  to  the  rank  of  major.  He  was  a  man  of 
correct  habits,  quick  perception  in  matters  of  business, 
and  was  ever  known  as  a  man  of  strict  integrity  in  all 
his  business  relations.  The  ancestors  of  the  Wood  fam- 
ily were  Episcopalian  in  their  religious  belief,  but  his 
father  and  his  own  family  have  been  identified  with  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  church.  In  early  life  he  became  a 
professed  follower  of  Christ ;  was  a  licensed  local  preacher 
and  an  ordained  deacon.  His  discourses  were  clear  and 
forcible.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Local  Preachers' 
Association  from  the  organization  of  that  body,  and 
took  great  pleasure  in  attending  its  conventions,  and  in 
1871,  was  its  president.  Among  his  last  contributions 
to  the  church  was  that  of  $1,100  to  the  new  chapel  of 
State  Street  M.  E.  church,  one  of  the  most  beautiful  and 
complete  Sunday-school  rooms  in  the  city  of  Trenton. 
-  His  last  request  was,thattheremainingdebtonthechapel, 
amounting  to  nearly  $800,  be  paid.  This  has  already 
been  done. 

His  first  wife  was  a  devoted  Christian  woman.  She 
died,  leaving  the  following  children  :  Mary  J.,  George, 
who  died  at  the  age  of  eighteen ;  Esther  and  Sarah. 
Mr.  Wood  was  twice  married,  his  second  wife  being 
Eliza,  daughter  of  Capt.  Thomas  Coward,  of  Baltimore, 
Md.,  who  followed  a  sea-faring  life  for  twenty-five  years. 
Mrs.  Wood  still  survives  her  husband,  and  is  a  resident 
of  Trenton,  N.  J.  Mr.  Wood  was  an  affable  and  digni- 
fied gentleman;  a  man  of  strong  onvictions,  sound 
judgment,  and  strict  integrity.  The  church  has  lost  a  wise 
counselor,  and  the  community  an  upright  and  honorable 
citizen. 

He  died  March  1,  1883,  after  a  lingering  illness,  in 
great  peace  in  the  seventy-sixth  year  of  his  age. 


HON.  SILAS  Z.  LANDES, 

Eldest  son  of  John  and  Dellah  (Skelton)  Landes.  His 
parents  were  natives  of  Augusta  county,  Virginia.  They 
came  west  to  Illinois  in  1856,  settling  in  Edgar  county. 
Subsequently  removed  to  Henry  county,  Missouri,  and 
in  1872  came  to  Wabash  county,  Illinois,  where  John 
Landes  at  present  resides.  His  wife  died  April  28, 
1864,  in  Edgar  county.  Silas  Z.  was  born  in  Augusta 
county,  Virginia,  May  15th,  1842.  He  came  west  with 
his  father's  family  in  the  year  above-mentioned.  He 
received  his  education  in  the  subscription  schools  of  his 
native  State  and  in  the  Academy  at  Paris,  Illinois.  In 
1861,  he  commenced  the  study  of  law  in  the  office,  and 
under  the  direction  of  Amos  Green,  of  Paris,  Illinois. 
During  that  time  he  supported  himself  by  teaching 
school.  He  pursued  his  studies  diligently,  ard  in  1863, 
at  the  August  term  of  the  Supreme  Court,  held  at 
Springfield,  Illinois,  he  was  upon  examination  admitted 
to  the  bar.  Iu  May,  1864,  he  came  to  Mt.  Carmel, 
opened  an  office,  commenced  the  practice,  and  here  has 
remained  to  the  present  Mr.  Landes  succeeded  to  a 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


253 


large  and  lucrative  practice,  which  have  been  the  direct 
result  of  close  application,  studious  habits,  and  unflagging 
zeal  and  industry  in  the  cause  of  his  clients.  In  1872,  he 
was  nominated  and  elected  States  attorney  for  the 
county  of  Wabash.  Ke-elected  in  1876,  and  again 
elected  in  1880,  and  in  that  capacity  has  earned  the  re- 
putation of  being  an  able  and  vigilant  prosecutor.  In 
April,  1878,  he  was  appointed  Master  in  Chancery,  and 
held  that  office  until  1883.  Politically,  Mr.  Landes  is 
a  thorough  Democrat  in  all  that  the  word  implies.  In 
1S82,  his  zeal  and  fidelity  to  his  party  made  him  con- 
spicuous as  a  suitable  candidate  for  Congressional  honors 
in  this  district.  In  the  convention,  which  met  at  Olney 
to  nominate  a  candidate  for  congress,  he  was  placed  in 
nomination,  and  led  all  competitors  for  about  three 
hundred  and  fifty  ballots  at  the  close  of  the  last  ballot. 
Although  being  the  strongest  man  in  the  convention,  he 
withdrew  from  the  race  in  the  interest  of  harmony  and 
good  feeling.  His  withdrawal  resulted  in  the  nomina- 
tion and  subsequent  election  of  Judge  Shaw,  as  Con- 
gressman from  the  18th  district.  In  1876,  Mr.  Landes 
was  a  member  of  the  Democratic  State  Central  Com- 
mittee. 

Mr.  Landes  came  to  Mt.  Carmel  in  1864  an  entire 
stranger  to  the  people.  He  had  no  strong  influential 
friends  to  back  him,  but  unaided  and  alone  has  made 
his  own  way.  Whatever  success  he  has  attained,  both 
in  the  law  or  in  the  accumulation  of  property,  is  owing 
entirely  to  his  own  industry  and  energy. 

On  the  31st  of  October,  1865,  he  was  united  in 
marriage  to  Miss  Clara,  daughter  of  Dr.  Paul  and  Eliza 
J.  (Gibson)  Stars.  Mrs.  Landes  was  born  in  Mt.  Car- 
mel,  Illinois.  By  that  union  there  are  three  children. 

FRANK  W.  HAVILL. 

FRANK  WALDEN  HAVILL  was  born  in  Roscoe,  Ohio, 
September  15,  1842.  His  mother  was  a  native  of  that 
state,  and  his  father  was  from  Maryland.  He  was 
educated  in  the  common  schools  of  Ohio,  up  to  the  age  of 
14,  when  he  came  to  Illinois  in  1857  ;  from  that  time  to 
1861  he  worked  as  a  day  laborer.  He  enlisted  as  a 
private  in  Co.  I.  40th  Illinois  Infantry  Volunteers,  at 
the  age  of  18,  in  1861.  He  carried  a  rifle  in  the  ranks 
over  two  years,  and  was  then  promoted  to  First  Lieut., 
Adjutant,  and  Captain  respectively.  He  was  mustered 
out  as  Captain  and  Assistant  Inspector  General  First 
Division  Fifteenth  Army  Corps.  He  was  twice  wounded, 
being  shot  through  the  right  leg  at  Pittsburg  Laudiiig; 
Tennessee,  and  in  the  left  shoulder  in  the  charge  on 
Kennesaw  Mountains,  Ga.  During  a  portion  of  his 
term  of  service  he  was  assigned  to  duty  in  Provost 
Marshal's  and  Secret  Service  Departments,  and  served 
for  a  time  as  Adjutant  of  Harrison's  Tennessee  Cavalry. 
During  his  term  of  service  he  was  in  the  following 
battles  and  skirmishes:  Pittsburg  Landing,  Russell 
House,  No.  7,  Siege  of  Corinth,  Coldwater,  Como,  Lex- 
ington, Collierville,  Altoona,  New  Hope,  Black  Jack 


Knob,  Kennesaw,  Nickajack  Creek,  Chattahoochie, 
Peach  Tree  Creek,  Ezra  Chapel,  Atlanta,  Rough  and 
Ready,  Jonesboro,  Turkey  Creek,  Griswoldville,  Sa- 
vannah, Cumbahee,  Broad  River,  Columbia,  Bentouville, 
Falling  Creek,  and  Raleigh.  He  served  a  little  over 
four  years,  having  been  in  all  the  important  campaigns 
of  the  west,  and  with  Sherman  in  his  memorable  march 
to  the  sea. 

Since  1872,  he  has  been  publisher  and  editor  of  the 
Mt.  Carmel  Register,  a  paper,  which  undsr  his  manage- 
ment, has  taken  a  front  rank  in  the  country  journals 
of  the  State.  He  is  a  member  of  numerous  secret  bene- 
volent societies,  and  is  especially  well-known  in  Masonic, 
Workingmen  and  Odd-fellow  circles.  He  was  married  to 
Miss  Lizzie  Willman  in  Friendsville,  Illinois,  in  1867. 

HON.  ISAAC  N.  JAQUESS. 

THE  Jaquess  family  are  of  French  origin.  Jonathan 
Jaquess,  from  whom  the  family  was  descended,  died 
previous  to  the  American  Revolution.  He  had  four 
sons,  Jonathan,  Isaac,  William  and  John,  and  five 
daughters,  Polly,  Ruth,  Susan,  Massy  and  Letty.  His 
eldest  son  was  named  Jonathan.  He  was  born  April 
28, 1875.  He  went  to  sea  when  twelve  years  of  age,  and 
followed  a  sailor's  life,  at  intervals,  until  twenty-seven 
years  of  age.  He  served  in  the  war  of  the  Revolution 
four  or  five  years,  both  by  land  and  sea.  At  the  close 
of  the  war  he  married  Miss  Sally  Jaquess,  a  third  cousin, 
daughter  of  Samuel  and  Abigail  Jaquess.  His  wife  lived 
only  thirteen  months.  He  then  married  Mrs.  Esther  E. 
Koy,  and  moved  from  his  home  in  Essex  county,  New 
Jersey,  to  Kentucky,  in  1789,  and  settled  near  where 
Cynthiana  now  stands.  His  wife  Esther  died,  leaving 
children  whose  names  were  Sarah  Christina,  and  Isaac. 
The  latter  was  the  father  of  the  subject  of  this  sketch. 
He  was  born  in  New  Jersey,  Feb.  1st,  1786,  and  died 
June  5,  1812.  He  married  Betsey  Johnson,  who  died 
in  Marion  county,  Missouri,  February  16th,  1841.  Her 
father,  John  Johnson,  was  a  native  of  North  Carolina, 
a  noted  Indian  fighter  in  his  day.  Jonathan  Jaquess, 
the  grandfather  of  Isaac  N.,  emigrated  from  Kentucky 
to  Indiana  in  1816,  and  settled  in  Harrison  county, 
and  from  there  removed  to  Posey  county,  where  he  died. 

Isaac  N.  was  the  only  offspring  of  Isaac  and  Elizabeth 
(Johnson)  Jaquess.  He  was  born  in  Harrison  county, 
Ky.,  Feb.  10,  1811.  He  learned  the  cabinet-making 
trade  in  his  youth.  He  went  with  his  mother  in  1828 
to  Marion  county,  Mo.,  and  in  the  fall  of  1831,  came 
to  Posey  county,  Indiana,  on  a  visit  to  her  friends,  and 
while  there  came  over  to  Mt.  Carmel,  Illinois,  to  see  his 
uncle,  W.  F.  Jaquess.  Liking  the  town  and  people,  he 
concluded  to  stay  here  and  make  it  his  future  home. 
He  commenced  working  at  his  trkde  and  continued  in  it 
for  a  number  of  years.  He  was  elected  constable  and 
served  for  a  time,  and  in  1844,  was  elected  sheriff 
of  the  county,  and  continued  to  be  elected  for  a  number 
of  years.  He  subsequently  engaged  in  different  business, 
merchandising  principally,  until  about  four  years  age, 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LA  WHENCE  AND  WABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


when  he  engaged  in  the  lumber  and  saw  milling  business 
in  connection  with  his  son  in-law,  Mr.  Chipman.  In 
1831,  during  the  Black  Hawk  war  he  enlisted  in 
Captain  Jordan's  company,  served  throughout,  and 
was  discharged  at  the  close.  During  the  late  war  he 
was  chaplain  of  the  73d  Regiment  Illinois  Volunteers, 
and  served  from  February,  1864,  until  the  close  of  the 
war.  On  the  20th  of  March,  1834,  he  married  Miss 
Jane,  daughter  of  John  Tilton.  She  died  July  1st, 
1863.  fehe  was  born  in  New  Jersey,  but  came  with  her  j 
parents  to  Illinois,  while  young.  There  were  ten  children 
by  that  uniou,  four  of  whom  are  living.  The  others  j 
died  in  infancy  except  Sarah,  who  was  the  wife  of  \Vm.  i 
F.  Chipman.  She  left  one  son  named  Paul.  The  names  ! 
of  the  children  living  are,  Laura,  wife  of  Dr.  T.  J. 
Rigg,  who  have  two  children  ;  Ellen  8.,  wife  of  Richard  ' 
Weaver.  They  have  two  children  ;  Isaac  W.,  married  I 
Mary  Long,  and  have  two  children  ;  James  Henry  mar- 
ried Miss  Dora  Beachem.  On  the  13th  of  October, 
1867,  Mr.  Jaquess  married  his  present  wife.  She  was 
Mrs.  Catherine  McClintock  nee  McGregor,  and  a  native 
of  Wabash  county,  Illinois.  She  had  one  child  by  her 
former  marriage,  named  William  T.  McClintock,  who 
married  Miss  Mildred  Poole.  Both  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Jaquess  are  members  of  the  M.  E.  church.  The 
former  joined  the  church  in  his  seventeenth  year. 
Politically  he  was  originally  a  Whig  of  the  Emancipa- 
tion school,  and  always  anti-slavery.  In  1856,  he  was 
one  of  the  few  voters  in  the  Wabash  county,  who  cast 
their  ballots  for  John  C.  Fremont.  In  1860,  he  voted 
for  Lincoln,  and  from  that  time  voted  the  Republican 
ticket.  In  1874,  he  was  elected  to  represent  this  dis- 
trict in  the  General  Assembly  of  the  State,  and  in  that 
capacity  served  his  constituents  well  and  honorably.  He 
is  an  avowed  outspoken  advocate  of  the  temperance 
cause.  He  joined  the  first  temperance  organization 
formed  west  of  the  Mississippi,  and  from  that  time  to  the 
present  has  not  swerved  from  its  principles  and  teach- 


EDWARD  MILLER. 

AMONG  the  old  settlers  and  enterprising  business  men  of 
Mt.  Carmel  is  the  subject  of  the  following  sketch.     He 
is  of  German  parentage.     His  father,  Louis  Miller,  is  a 
native  of  the  province  of  Loraine,  then  a  French  prov- 
ince, now  a   part  of  Germany.     He  was  born  January  [ 
16,  1803.     His  father,  Frederick  Miller,  was  a  native  of 
the  same  county.     Louis  learned  the  carpenter  trade  in  j 
his  youth  and  worked  at  it  until  twenty-one  years  of  age,  ' 
when  under  the  laws  of  the  French  government,  he  was  j 
compelled  to  serve  four  years  in  the  army  doing  military 
service.     He  performed  that  duty  and  then  enlisted  and 
served  four  years  longer.     After  his  discharge  from  the 
army  he  worked  one  year  at  his  trade  for  his  father-in- 
law,  Daniel  Wise,  and  then  emigrated  to  America,  ar- 
riving at  New  York  in  the  early  summer  of  1833.     He 
took  up  his  residence  at  Allentown  in  Pennsylvania,  and  j 


remained  there  until  the  fall  of  1834,  when  he  came  west 
to  Illinois  and  settled  in  Mt  Carmel.  He  was  attracted 
to  this  place  by  his  brother  in-law,  Daniel  Wise,  who 
had  preceded  him  here  a  few  years.  Here  he  followed 
the  carpenter  trade  and  remained  a  resident  until  1847, 
when  he  removed  to  Gibson  county,  Indiana,  and  a  few 
years  later  moved  to  Stewartsville  in  Posey  county, 
where  he  at  present  resides.  Although  over  four-score 
years,  he  is  still  vigorous  and  gives  evidence  that  there 
are  a  number  of  years  of  life  and  usefulness  yet  in 
store  for  him.  On  the  6th  of  September,  1832,  while  yet 
a  resident  of  Loraine,  he  married  Margaret,  daughter  of 
Daniel  Wise,  who  was  born  in  that  province  in  April. 
1813.  She  is  also  still  living.  There  were  nine  chil- 
dren, the  result  of  that  marriage;  four  sons  and  one 
daughter  are  living.  The  daughter,  Eliza,  is  the  wife  of 
Cyrus  Worth,  and  a  resident  of  Mt.  Carmel.  Henry, 
the  third  son,  was  a  soldier  during  the  late  war.  E<1- 
ward,  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  is  the  eldest  son.  He 
was  born  in  Allentown,  Lehigh  county,  Penn.,  August 
26.th,  1832,  and  was  yet  in  his  infancy  when  his  parents 
moved  west.  Here  in  Mt.  Carmel  he  grew  to  manhood, 
went  to  school  and  assisted  his  father  as  he  grew  older. 
After  the  family  removed  to  Gibson  county,  Indiana,  he 
worked  on  a  farm  until  he  was  twenty-one  years  of  age, 
then  learned  the  carpenter  trade  and  soon  aft°r  married 
and  removed  to  Evansville,  and  there  followed  his  trade 
until  he  embarked  in  the  manufacturing  of  sash,  doors, 
etc.  His  business  ventures  in  Evansville  to  some  extent 
proving  a  failure,  he  left  there  in  1875,  and  came  back 
to  Mt.  Carmel,  and  here  engaged  in  the  manufacturing 
of  sash,  doors,  blinds,  and  the  general  undertaking 
business,  which  he  has  by  energy  and  a  good  man- 
agement, worked  up  to  its  present  standard.  On 
the  24th  of  June,  1857,  he  was  united  in  marriage  to 
Miss  Caroline,  daughter  of  Michael  and  Catherine  Bur- 
rucker.  She  was  born  in  Baltimore,  Md.,  September 
6th,  1837.  Her  parents  were  of  German  nativity,  but 
were  old  settlers  in  the  west.  There  have  been  born 
to  Edward  and  Caroline  Miller  nine  children,  six  of 
whom  are  living — five  sons  and  one  daughter.  Their 
names  in  the  order  of  their  birth,  are  George,  Edward, 
Eli,  Clara,  Jacob,  and  Jesse,  all  of  whom  are  yet  beneath 
the  parental  roof.  Both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Miller  are  mem- 
bers of  the  Evangelical  church.  Politically,  Mr.  Miller 
was  originally  a  Democrat.  In  1860,  he  voted  for  A. 
Lincoln,  and  since  that  time  in  all  general  elections  he 
has  voted  the  Republican  ticket.  He,  however,  is  not 
partisan  in  his  views,  but  conservative,  and  takes  no  fur- 
ther interest  than  to  express  his  sentiments  and  choice 
through  the  right  of  ballot.  Mr.  Miller  in  life  has  been 
reasonably  successful.  He  started  in  life  poor,  and 
what  he  has,  has  been  the  accumulation  of  his  own  toil 
(and  the  assistance  of  his  wife)  and  the  practice  of  rigid 
economy.  He  has  raised  and  supported  a  large  family, 
and  at  the  sam*  time  maintained  himself  and  added  a 
little  to  his  store  while  so  doing.  Mr.  Miller  may  be 
regarded  as  one  of  the  old  settlers  of  Mt.  Carmel.  Fifty 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


255 


years  has  flid  since  he  came  here.  .The  place  was  then 
a  small  struggling  frontier  village.  The  changes  and 
growth  have  all  been  made  since  he  first  became  a  resi- 
dent here,  then  in  his  infancy,  now  in  his  mature  age. 
In  all  these  years,  and  among  these  people  who  knew 
him  as  boy  and  man,  he  has  borne  the  name  and  charac- 
ter of  an  upright,  honest  man,  and  one  who  is  of  agenerous 
just  disposition,  seeking  to  follow  the  golden  rule  of  do. 
ing  unto  others  as  he  would  have  others  do  unto  him. 

SAMUEL  R.  PUTNAM 

Is  a  descendent  of  one  of  the  pioneer  families  of  Illinois 
and  Wabash  county.  The  family  were  originally  from 
Massachusetts.  Howard  Putnam,  the  great-grandfather 
of  Samuel  R.,  was  born  in  Worcester,  that  state,  Febru- 
ary llth,  1762.  He  was  a  young  man  when  the  war  of 
the  Revolution  broke  out,  and  too  young  to  enter  the 
service  at  that  time.  He,  however,  espoused  the  cause 
of  the  patriots,  and  was  for  two  years  a  soldier  under 
Washington  at  the  latter  end  of  the  war.  Hannah  Put- 
nam, his  wife,  was  born  in  the  sa  -e  state,  Aug.  16, 1763. 
Howard  moved  to  New  Brighton  in  Columbia  county, 
New  York,  and  there  his  sou,  Samuel  Putnam,  the  grand- 
fatht-r  of  the  present  family  was  born, — the  date  of  which 
was  Sept.llth,  1787.  He  married  Relief  Chaffey,  who 
was  of  Puritan  stock,  born  in  Westminster,  Vermont, 
Dec.  llth,  1796.  She  died  in  Wabash  county,  Illinois, 
Feb.  14th,  1859,  having  survived  her  husband  thirteen 
years.  Samuel  Putnam  emigrated  to  Indiana  in  1817, 
about  the  time  that  state  was  admitted  into  the  union. 
There  his  eldest  daughter,  Tryphosia,  was  born,  Septem- 
ber 2nd,  1817.  The  next  year  he  came  across  the  river 
into  Illinois.  His  eldest  son,  Sylvester  Putnam,  was 
born  in  Wabash,  then  a  part  of  Edwards  county,  Feb. 
14th,  1819.  Here  Samuel  Putnam  remained  until  his 
death,  which  occurred  March  10th,  1846.  By  the  mar- 
riage of  Samuel  and  Relief  Putnam,  there  were  five  chil- 
dren, among  whom  was  Chesterfield  Putnam,  the  father  of 
Samuel  R.  He  was  born  in  Wabash  county,  Illinois, 
Sept.  23rd,  1825  He  in  early  life  learned  the  trade  of 
wagonmaker,  which  he  followed  for  a  number  of  years, 
then  engaged  in  farming  and  substquently  returned  to 
his  trade  again,  and  at  present  is  engaged  in  that  busi- 
ness, in  Mt.  Carmel.  He  lived  for  a  few  years  in 
Lawrence  county,  but  with  that  exception,  his  life  has 
been  passed  in  Wabash  county.  He  married  Miss  Eliz- 
abeth Baird,  a  native  of  Wabash  co.,  who  was  born  Mar. 
8, 1826,  and  married  Sept.  3rd,  1843.  Her  parents,  John 
W.  and  Rebecca  (Stewart)  Baird,  were  natives  of  Ken- 
tucky, and  were  also  among  the  early  settlers  of  Wabash 
county.  The  offspring  of  the  marriage  of  Chesterfield 
and  Elizabeth  Putnam,  were  Gilbert  La  Fayette,  who 
was  a  soldier  during  the  late  war,  and  a  member  of  the 
1 15th  Rtgt.  111.  Vol.  Infty.  He  contracted  a  disease 
while  in  the  line  of  his  duty  during  the  war,  and  died, 
April  12th,  1868.  Julia,  the  only  daughter,  is  the  wife 
of  Seth  Gard,  aud  a  resident  of  Wabash  county.  Edgar 


Newton,  youngest  son,  married  Ellen  Ayres.  She  died 
January  5tb,  1882,  having  one  son  named  Noble 
Putnam.  Samuel  R.,  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  is  the 
third  in  the  family.  He  was  born  in  Wabash  county, 
Illinois,  Oct.  19th,  1849.  He  was  reared  upon  the  farm, 
and  received  his  education  in  the  common  schools  of  Wa- 
bash and  Lawrence  counties,  and  in  the  High  School  of 
Mt.  Caruiel.  In  the  Spring  of  1868  he  commenced  the 
study  of  law  in  the  office,  and  under  the  directions  of 
Bell  &  Green,  prominent  attorneys  of  the  Wabash  bar. 
He  read  the  standard  text  books,  and  pursued  his  studies 
diligently  until  the  Spring  of  1870,  when  he  was  exam- 
ined as  to  his  proficiency  by  a  committee,  upon  whose 
recommendation  the  Supreme  Court  granted  him  a  li- 
cense to  practice  law.  Soon  after  his  admission  he  went 
to  Eureka,  Kansas,  opened  an  office  and  commenced  the 
practice.  He  remained  there  two  years,  then  returned 
to  Mt  Carmel  and  continued  alone  in  the  practice  for 
one  year,  then  formed  a  law  partnership  with  Mathews 
&  Greathouse,  under  the  firm  uame  of  Mathews,  Putnam 
&  Greathouse,  which  continued  five  years.  Upon  its 
dissolution,  the  present  firm  of  Putnam  &  Greathouse 
was  formed.  Mr.  Putnam,  while  in  the  general  practice, 
makes  the  probate  business  a  specialty,  aud  in  the  line 
of  the  practice  has  been  more  than  ordinarily  successful. 
He  is  a  young  man,  possessing  studious  and  good  habits, 
industrious  disposition  and  an  earnest  desire  to  excel  in 
his  chosen  profession.  Politically,  he  comes  from  an  old 
line  Whig  and  Republican  stock,  and  since  1872,  when 
he  cast  his  first  presidential  vote,  has  uniformly  voted 
the  Republican  ticket.  On  the  21st  of  April,  1878,  he 
was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Agatha  E.  Wienbach,  a 
native  of  Wabash  county,  Illinois.  One  child,  a  son 
named  Karl,  has  been  born  to  them. 


VALENTINE  SMITH 

Is  of  German  birth,  born  in  Bavaria  November  15, 
1824.  His  parents,  Adam  and  Ann  (Full)  Smith,  were 
natives  of  the  same  place.  The  family  emigrated  to 
America  in  1830,  and  settled  near  Strasburg,  in  Frank- 
lin county,  Pennsylvania,  and  there  lived  until  1834, 
when  they  came  west  to  Vanderberg  county,  in  Indiana, 
and  bought  Congress  land  near  Evansville.  He  pur- 
chased eighty  acres  and  improved  it,  cleared  it  up,  and 
there  lived  until  1844,  when  he  removed  to  Vincennes, 
and  died  in  August  of  the  same  year.  His  wife  still 
survives  her  husband,  and  at  present  is  a  resident  of 
Vincenues.  There  were  eight  children  in  the  family, 
four  sons  and  the  same  number  of  daughters.  Of  those 
three  are  yet  living.  Valentine  Smith,  the  subject  of 
this  sketch,  learned  the  trade  of  saddler  and  harness  maker 
in  Vincennes.  In  1846  he  moved  over  to  Illinois,  and 
settled  in  Grayville,  in  White  county,  and  there  opened 
a  shop,  and  carried  on  the  business,  and  continued  in  it 
until  the  war  broke  out.  He  then  enlisted  for  three 
years  under  the  first  call  of  President  Lincoln  for 


256 


HISTORY  OF  ED  WARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  W ABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


300,000  troops.  He  became  a  member  of  Company  E 
of  the  7th  Regt.,  Ills.  Cavalry.  He  was  detailed  as 
regimental  saddler,  and  veteranized  with  his  regiment, 
and  remained  in  the  service  until  the  close  of  the  war, 
having  been  in  the  service  for  four  years  and  three 
months.  He  entered  September  17,  1861,  and  was 
mustered  out  and  discharged  in  December,  1865.  He 
returned  home  to  Gray  ville,  and  on  the  16th  of  January, 
1866,  came  to  Mt.  Carmel  and  opened  a  saddlery 
and  harness  shop,  continuing  in  the  business  for  fif- 
teen months,  when  he  sold  out,  and  in  connection  with 
Augustus  Oldendorp,  went  into  the  saloon  business.  In 
that  business  Mr.  Smith  has  continued  to  the  present. 
Five  years  ago  he  added  drugs  and  notions  to  his  busi- 
ness. In  1846  he  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Eva- 
line,  daughter  of  Robert  Coulter.  She  was  born  in 
Grayville,  and  there  died  in  1853.  By  that  marriage 
there  were  three  children— two  sons  and  one  daughter. 
The  latter  died  during  the  war.  The  sons  are  William 
Edward,  who  at  present  is  a  resident  of  Texas,  and 
Charles,  who  is  at  Lonu  assisting  his  father.  In  1868 
he  married -Miss  Vina  Hartmann,  daughter  of  John  and 
Mary  Hartmanu.  She  died  October  18,  1868.  There 
was  one  child  by  that  marriage,  named  Laura  Vina 
Smith. 

Mr.  Smith  is  an  honored  member  of  the  ancient  and 
honorable  order  of  Free  Masonry,  and  is  a  member  of 
Mt.  Carmel  Lodge.  Politically  he  votes  the  Demo- 
cratic ticket  on  State  and  National  occasions.  He 
however  is  not  a  partisan,  but  votes  in  local  elections 
for  the  best  men  and  best  measures. 


J.  SCHNECK,  M.  D. 

THE  Schneck  family  are  of  German  parentage,  and 
date  their  ancestry  back  to  the  sixteenth  century.  Th.ey 
originally  lived  in  Westphalia,  Germany,  but  were 
driven  out  by  wars  and  persecutions,  and  took  up  their 
residence  at  Stuttgart.  Many  of  the  family  in  after  years 
became  learned  men  and  able  writers,  particularly  upon 
theological  subjects.  John  F.,  the  father  of  Dr.  Schneck, 
was  born  in  Germany,  August  23d,  1812.  In  1839  he  emi- 
grated to  America,  and  settled  in  Lancaster,  Pennsylvan- 
ia, and  there  remained  until  1843,  when  he  removed  west 
to  Indiana,  and  settled  at  New  Harmony,  in  Posey  county, 
to  which  place  he  was  attracted  by  relatives  of  his  wife. 
He  there  followed  the  trade  of  carpenter  for  a  number 
of  years,  but  subsequently  engaged  in  farming,  in  which 
he  continued  until  his  death  in  1857.  He  married  Miss 
Elizabeth  Burkhart,  of  Lancaster,  Pa,  January  26, 
1843.  She  was  a  native  of  Alsace,  a  province  of 
France,  born  in  1823,  but  was  only  seven  years  of  age 
when  her  parents  emigrated  to  America,  and  settled  near 
Millerstown  in  the  above  named  county  and  State.  She 
survived  her  husband  many  years,  and  died  at  New 
Harmony,  Ind.,  in  September,  1879.  Jacob,  the  sub- 
ject of  this  sketch,  is  the  eldest  of  the  family  of  John  F. 


and  Elizabeth  Schneck.  He  was  born  near  New  Har- 
mony, Posey  county,  Indiana,  December  11,  1843. 
He  was  reared  upon  the  farm,  and  received  a  fair 
English  education  in  the  schools  of  his  native  county. 
He  remained  at  home  until  soon  after  the  breaking  out 
of  the  late  war,  when  on  the  13th  of  November,  1861,  he 
enlisted  as  a  private  in  Company  E  of  the  60th  Regt.,  Ind. 
Vol.  Infantry.  He  was  captured  while  on  the  skirmish 
line  at  the  battle  of  Jackson,  which  occurred  a  few 
days  after  the  fall  of  Vicksburg.  He  was  piroled  and 
sent  north.  Owing  to  some  irregularity  in  the  exchange, 
he  failed  to  be  exchanged  regularly,  therefore  did  not 
rejoin  his  command,  but  re-enlisted,  entering  the  naval 
service  at  Brooklyn,  New  York.  The  date  of  the  latter 
enlistment  was  May  18, 1864.  He  was  assigned  to  duty 
on  a  vessel  that  had  a  roving  commission,  and  whose 
chief  duty  it  was  to  watch  and  capture  blockade  runners. 
He  was  subsequently  assigned  to  duty  on  theMetacomet, 
and  took  part  in  the  naval  campaign  oif  Mobile  and  at 
Fort  Morgan  and  Spanish  Fort.  He  was  mustered  out 
and  discharged  from  the  service  at  Philadelphia,  May 
31st,  1865.  He  returned  home,  and  feeling  the  necessity 
of  having  a  better  education,  went  t<  school  and  spent 
some  time  in  the  academy  at  Owenville  fitting  himself 
for  the  profession  of  teaching.  In  1867  he  went  to  Olney 
in  Richland  county,  111 ,  and  taught  school,  and  while 
there  concluded  to  enter  the  profession  of  Medicine. 
He  commenced  the  study  under  the  direction  of  Dr  Gos- 
lin,  of  Olney.  The  next  year  he  came  to  Mt.  Carmel, 
taught  school  and  coniinued  his  studies  under  Dr.  Wm. 
Graham .  In  the  winter  of  1868-69,  he  took  a  course  in 
the  Chicago  Medical  College.  His  money  being  exhaust- 
ed, he  was  compelled  to  go  back  to  teaching,  by  which 
means  he  secured  sufficient  funds  to  enable  him  to  enter 
the  Medical  College  for  the  second  course.  He  gradua- 
ted in  March,  1871,  with  the  degree  of  M.  D.  He  com- 
menced the  practice  in  Mt.  Carmel,  which  by  close  at- 
tention and  uniform  success,  soon  grew  extensive  and 
lucrative.  Dr.  Schneck  belongs  to  the  progressive  order 
of  physicians,  and  keeps  fully  posted  in  all  the  new  meth- 
ods and  latest  discoveries  in  the  science  of  medicine.  He 
is  president  of  the  Wabash  Medical  Society,  and  a  mem- 
ber of  the  State  Medical  and  Natural  History  Societies. 
He  is  a  member  of  A.  F.  and  A.  M.,  belongs  to  Mt.  Car- 
mel Lodge  No.  239,  and  Mt.  Carmel  Chapter  No.  159. 
On  the  28th  of  November,  1872,  he  was  united  in  mar- 
riage to  Miss  Mary,  daughter  of  John  and  Mary  Hart- 
raann.  One  child,  a  son,  has  been  born  to  them,  named 
Sereno  Schueck.  Both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Schneck  are  mem- 
bers of  the  M.  E.  Church.  He  is  Republican  in  poli- 
tics, and  an  advocate  of  the  Temperance  cause. 

ISAAC  F.  PRICE. 

THE  Price  family  is  of  Scotch-Irish  ancestry.     John 

j  C.  Price,  the  grandfather  of  Isauc  F.,  was  a  native  of 

Delaware.     He  emigrated  to  Ohio  as  early  as  1812  and 

settled  in  Muskiugum  county,  near  Zauesville,  and  there 


JLwJ 
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FARM  RESIDENCE  OF  J.W.  Rl  GG,  Sf  C.26,  T.I,  R.I3,  Mr  CARMEL.PRECINCT,  WABASH    CO.  ILL. 


R£SIDeNC£,STOCK  &  GRAIN  FARM  OF  DAVID  P.  W  RIGHT,  SCC.27,  TJ,R.  I3(MT  CAffM£L  PRECINCT)  WABASH  CO.ILL, 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  W ABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


257 


lived  until  1837,  when  he  came  to  Wabash  county,  Illi- 
nois, and  here  died  in  the  summer  of  1838.  William 
Price,  his  son,  and  father  of  the  present  family,  came  to 
Illinois,  Oct.  29th,  1839.  He  was  born  in  Delaware, 
February  15th,  1805.  He  settled  in  Wabash  county 
and  engaged  in  farming.  He,  however,  was  a  shoemaker 
by  trade.  In  1863  he  removed  to  Lawrence  county,  111. 
and  there  continued  his  trade.  He  died  Nov.  29th,  1880. 
In  1828  he  married  Elizabeth  Walker.  She  died  in 
June  1839.  In  1841  he  married  Mrs.  Sarah  Hall  nee 
Walker.  She  died  in  the  fall  of  1853,  leaving  four 
children,  three  of  whom  are  yet  living.  Isaac  Fletcher 
Price  is  the  third  in  the  family  of  the  latter  marriage. 
He  was  born  in  the  northern  part  of  Wabash  county, 
Illinois,  June  27th,  1848.  He  was  reared  upon  his 
father's  farm,  and  received  a  common  school  education 
in  the  public  and  subscription  schools  of  his  neighbor- 
hood, and  remained  at  home  until  he  reached  his  twenty- 
second  year.  During  that  time  he  learned  the  trade  of 
shoemaking  in  his  father's  shop,  and  worked  at  it  for 
three  years.  He  then  commenced  clerking  in  a  general 
store  in  Allendale,  in  this  county,  and  continued  in  the 
business  for  eleven  years,  with  the  exception  of  a  short 
time  that  he  was  compelled  to  abandon  it  on"  account  of 
failing  health.  In  1882  he  received  the  nomination  for 
the  office  of  County  Clerk,  at  the  hands  of  the  Demo- 
cratic party  in  convention  assembled,  and  in  November 
following  was  elected.  He  then  moved  to  Mt.  Carmel 
and  entered  upon  his  duties  as  Clerk  of  the  County,  and 
at  present  is  still  acting  in  that  capacity.  His  term  will 
expire  in  1886.  Politically,  Mr.  Price  is  a  member  of  the 
Democratic  party,  and  a  staunch  and  true  adherent  to 
the  principles  of  that  political  organization,  and  uniformly 
votes  that  ticket.  He  is  a  member  of  the  order  of  Free 
ind  Accepted  Masons  and  holds  membership  with 
Allendale  Lodge,  No.  752. 

On  the  26th  of  February,  1874,  he  was  united  in 
marriage  to  Miss  Emma,  daughter  of  William  and 
Margaret  (Crosin)  McClane.  Mrs.  Price  was  born  in 
Wabash  county  Illinois.  Her  parents  are  natives  of 
Ohio.  Two  children  have  been  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Price.  Their  names  are  William  Guy,  and  Floy  Isabel 
Price.  Mr.  Price  as  a  county  official  so  far  gives  evi- 
dence of  being  very  popular.  He  is  possessed  of  good 
business  qualifications,  and  an  obliging  disposition.  He 
is  industrious  and  active  in  acquiring  a  thorough  know- 
ledge of  the  routine  work  and  duties  appertaining  to  his 
office,  and  meets  all  who  come  in  contact  with  him, 
whether  in  his  official  capacity  or  otherwise,  in  an 
affable  and  pleasant  manner. 


ALFRED  P.  MANLEY. 

THE  present  county  superintendent  of  Schools  is  a  na- 
tive of  Wabash  county,  born  May  3rd,  1853.  His  grand- 
father, Benjamin  Mauley,  was  a  native  of  New  Jersey, 
and  at  an  early  date  emigrated  to  Ohio,  and  settled  in 
Muskingum  county,  and  there  married  Julia  Ford,  who 
34 


was  also  a  native  of  New  Jersey.  In  1842,  the  Manley 
family  came  to  Wabash  county,  Illinois,  and  here  Mrs. 
Manley  died.  Mr.  Manley  soon  after  moved  to  Logan 
county,  Illinois,  and  there  died  a  few  years  later.  Of 
the  offspring  of  Benjamin  and  Julia  Manley  was  Fran- 
cis Perry,  the  father  of  Alfred  P.  Manley.  He  was  born 
in  Muskingum  county,  Ohio.  He  came  with  the  fami- 
ly to  Illinois,  and  here  studied  medicine  and  practiced 
his  profession,  until  his  death,  which  occurred  in  1862. 
He  married  Miss  Maria  Wiley,  daughter  of  James  Wi- 
ley, who  was  an  old  settler  of  Wabash  county,  and  a 
veteran  of  the  war  of  1812.  Mrs.  Manley  was  born  in 
this  county,  By  the  latter  union  there  were  seven  chil- 
dren, four  of  whom  have  survived  the  father.  Alfred 
P.  is  the  third  in  the  family  now  living.  He  received 
his  primary  education  in  the  public  schools  of  the  coun- 
ty. Determining  to  adopt  teaching  as  the  business  of 
his  life,  he  commenced  fitting  himself  for  the  profession 
by  entering  the  National  Normal  School,  at  Lebonon, 
Ohio.  Subsequently  he  attended  the  Normal  School  at 
Carmi,  White  county,  Illinois,  and  at  Mitchell,  Indiana. 
At  those  schools  he  obtained  special  instruction  and  train- 
ing for  the  profession.  He  taught  his  first  school  in 
1875,  and  from  that  time  to  the  present  has  been  en- 
gaged in  teaching.  For  the  last  two  years,  he  has  had 
charge,  as  Principal,  of  the  grammar  department  in  the 
High  School  of  Mt.  Carmel.  In  1882,  his  zeal  in  the" 
cause  of  education,  his  worth  as  a  man  and  citizen,  re- 
ceived suitable  and  honorable  recognition,  by  being  elect- 
ed Superintendent  of  the  Public  Schools  of  Wabash  coun- 
ty. His  elevation  to  t!iat  office  was  the  more  flatter-- 
ing when  it  is  remembered  that  he  was  elected  as  a  Re- 
publican in  a  county  that  usually  gives  200  majority  for 
the  Democratic  ticket.  His  election  may  therefore  be 
taken  as  an  evidence  of  his  efficiency  and  popularity. 
Mr.  Manley  is  progressive  in  his  ideas,  and  has  already 
introduced  wholesome  and  radical  reforms  in  the  school 
system  of  the  county.  Under  his  vigorous  management, 
we  hope  soon  to  see  the  public  schools  of  the  county, 
second  to  none  in  the  state.  Politically  he  is  a  Repub- 
lican. He  is  an  honored  member  of  the  A.  F.  &  A.  M. 
and  holds  membership  with  Mt.  Carmel  Lodge  239.  He 
is  a  member  of  the  Christian  Church,  temperate  in  his 
habits  and  an  advocate  of  the  cause. 

SAMONIEL  BROTHERS. 

EDWARD  and  William  Samoniel,  the  leading  jewelers 
of  Wabash  county,  were  born  in  Louisville,  Kentucky, 
but  came  to  Mt.  Carmel  in  1857,  and  were  here  raised 
to  habits  of  industry  and  business.  They  learned  the 
jeweler's  trade  and  worked  at  the  business  in  different 
places.  In  1876  they  came  back  to  Mt.  Carmel,  and 
opened  a  large  stock  of  jewelry,  musical  instruments 
and  fancy  goods.  In  1883  they  commenced  giving  their 
entire  time  to  the  sale  of  all  Ihe  different  manufactures 
of  watches  and  clocks,  of  the  Seth  Thomas,  Elgin,  Wal- 
tham,  Springfield  and  others,  and  also  put  in  a  large 
stock  of  musical  instruments.  They  are  good  business 


258 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


men,  and  the  public  have  learned  to  know  that  their 
warranty  upon  their  goods  means  all  that  the  word  im- 
plies. They,  with  few  exceptions,  conduct  the  largest 
business  of  the  kind  in  Southern  Illinois. 

CAPTAIN  G.  M.  KENIEPP. 

CHRISTIAN  KENIEPP,  the  founder  of  the  family,  living 
in  Wabash  and  Lawrence  counties,  Illinois,  was  a  Hessian 
soldier  captured  at  Trenton.  He  joined  the  colonial 
army,  and  after  the  war  married  and  located  in  Geauga 
county,  Ohio.  He  had  four  sons  and  several  daughters, 
the  eldest  being  the  first  white  female  child  born  in  that 
section  in  Ohio.  Of  these  sons  was  Charles,  the  grand- 
father of  G.  M.  Keniepp.  He  married  Miss  L.  Clark, 
and  had  a  family  of  three  sons  and  one  daughter.  Of 
these  sons  was  Silas  Keniepp,  born  July  29th,  1811,  on 
his  father's  farm  on  Johnny  Cake  ridge,  near  Winchester. 
Geauga  county.  Ohio.  He  came  with  his  uncle's  family 
to  Mt.  Carrael  in  1827,  and  here  learned  the  blacksmith 
trade,  in  the  shop  of  Jas.  H.  Beall,  afterwards  buying 
the  shop  and  following  the  business  for  a  quarter  of  a 
century.  He  moved  to  his  farm  near  the  city  in  1859, 
and  there  died,  April  18th,  1883.  He  married  Jane, 
eldest  daughter  of  Btauchamp  Harvey,  deceased,  Dec. 
8th,  1836,  by  whom  he  had  a  family  of  five  sons  and 
three  daughters.  His  wife  died  Nov.  19th,  1874.  He 
subsequently  married  Elizabeth  Sharp,  Dec.  25th,  1876; 
who  still  survives. 

Captain  Geo.  M.  Keniepp  was  born  March  18th,  1838. 
He  learned  the  blacksmith  trade  in  his  father's  shop, 
move'd  to  the  farm  with  his  father  and  followed  farming 
until,  and  since  the  rebellion.  On  the  17th  of  February, 
18  4,  he  married  Miss  Rosalind  Murray,  by  whom  he 
has  a  family  of  three  sons  and  two  daughters.  Mr. 
Keniepp  enlisted  Sept.  1st,  1861,  as  private  in  Co.  "  G," 
48th  Regt.  Illinois  Vol.  Inft'y.  Promoted  1st  Sergeant 
March  1st,  1862  Promoted  1st  Lieutenant  (vice  T.  S. 
Bowers,  transferred),  Nov.  17th,  1862.  Promoted  Cap- 
tain March  24,  1864,  in  Veteran  service,  same  Regiment. 
Was  discharged  under  Special  Order  No.  45,  Jan.  28th, 
1865.  Accepted  April  2,  1865,  at  Goldsboro,  N.  G!  ' 
Was  wounded  by  shell  on  the  thigh  and  calf  of  left  leg,  | 
April  5th,  1862,  at  Shiloh.  Again  by  gun-shot  in  left 
hip,  at  Jonesboro,  Ga.,  Sept.  1st,  1864,  while  Captain  in 
charge  of  an  advancing  skirmish  line.  Came  home  on 
wounded  leave.  While  en  route  for  his  Regiment,  was 
detailed  on  special  service  under  Special  Orders  of 
General  Sherman,  No.  274,  Nov.  10th,  1864,  in  Subsis- 
tence and  Q.  M.  Dep't,  with  Captain  Shaw,  at  Louis- 
ville, Ky.,  on  request  was  released  and  ordered  to  report 
to  command,  Jan.  8th,  1865;  reached  his  Regiment  at 
Beaufort,  S.  C.,  Jan.  21st,  1865. 

Received   special  mention  and  thanks  in  reports  of 
actions  of  the  Regiment  by  his  superior  officers. 

He  was  in  all  actions  of  his  Regiment  except  those  j 
between  Sept.  1st,  1864  and  Jan.  21st,  1865,  after  which 
time  he  was  second  in  command  of  his  Regiment,  occa- 
sionally having  entire  command,  at  one  time  closing  up  ; 
action  at  Duck  Branch,  S.  C. 


Left  the  Regiment  for  home  April    2d,  1865 ;    after 
I  the  urgent  request  of  his  Col.  Maj.  and  Adj.  and  line 
officers  of  the  Regiment,  joined  by  General  Oliver,  com- 
manding Division,  to  remain  and  oflering  the  Lieut.  Col- 
'  onelcy  of  the  Regiment.    But  after  three  years  and  eight 
}  months'  hard  service  believing    the    war    over,   having 
an  honorable  discharge,  preferred  home  aiid  its  comforts 
to  promotion  after  the  fighting  was  done,  (the  Regiment 
was  never  in  action  afterwards),  believing  he  had  done 
j  his  duty  faithfully  to  the  best  of  his  ability,  gaining  the 
lasting   regard  of  the  officers  and  men  with  whom  he 
served, 

He  was  always  connected  with  the  Army  of  the  Ten- 
nessee, 15th  and  16th  Corps. 

He  now  resides  on  his  farm,  one  and  a  half  miles 
southwest  of  Mt.  Carmel,  Illinois, — is  a  member  of  the 
following  secret  Societies:  Eureka  Grange,  P.  of  H., 
No.  784 ;  Wabash  Lodge,  No.  35,  I.  O.  O.  F.;  T.  S. 
Bowers  Post,  No.  125,  G.  A.  R. 

WILLIAM  SEITZ,  JR. 

THE  Seitz  family  are  old  settlers  of  Wabash  county. 
Christian  Seitz,  the  father  of  William,  was  born  in 
Hesse  Darmstadt,  Germany,  January  20th,  1806.  He 
emigrated  to  America,  landing  at  Baltimore,  Md.,  July 
19,  1831.  He  settled  at  Pittsburg,  where  he  remained 
until  the  spring  of  1834,  when .  he  came  west  to  Evant- 
ville,  in  Indiana,  and  two  months  later  came  to  Mt. 
Carmel.  in  Wabash  county,  and  here  he  engaged  in  dif- 
ferent callings,  merchandising,  etc.,  until  a  few  years  ago, 
when  he  retired  from  business. .  On  the  25th  of  Oct., 
1832,  he  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Elizabeth, 
daughter  of  Elizabeth  Shafer,  by  which  union  there 
were  ten  children — seven  yet  living.  William  Seitz  is 
the  only  son  living.  He  was  born  in  Mt.  Carmel,.. 
December  13,  1837.  Here  he  grew  up,  and  in  1853 
commenced  the  trade  of  carriage  making  and  continued 
at  it  until  1858,  when  he  engaged  in  trading, 
butchering  and  other  enterprises  until  1867,  whtn  he 
formed  a  partnership  with  his  father,  in  the  bakery 
and  grocery  busines.  In  1871  he  purchased  his  father  s 
interest,  and  from  that  time  has  continued  alone.  Mr. 
Seitz  is  a  live,  active  business  man,  and  has  been  very 
successful.  On  the  5th  of  January,  1860,  he  married 
Miss  Henrietta  Sanders,  and  by  that  union  there  are 
five  children,  whose  names  are,  Elijah  William,  John 
Alexander,  Alfred  F.,  Ada  Elizabeth  and  Mary  Ellen. 
Both  he  and  his  wife  are  members  of  the  Evangelical 
Church.  He  is  a  member  of  the  I.  O.  0.  F. 

As  before  stated,  Mr.  Seitz  belongs  to  the  progressive 
order  of  men.  He  never  allows  his  business  to  push  him, 
but  is  in  the  lead  and  always  ready  for  any  enterprise 
that  may  appear,  or  in  which  there  is  a  reasonable 
chance  to  improve  his  condition  financially.  He  is 
prompt  and  honorable  in  all  matter  where  his  obligation 
is  given,  and  in  his  intercourse  with  men  he  is  affable, 
pleasant,  and  agreeable,  and  in  consequence  has  a  host 
of  friends. 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


259 


DR.    JACOB    LESCHER. 


DR.  CHARLES  JAMES  MILLER  (DECEASED.) 

ONE  of  the  promineDt  and  able  physicians  of  the  past  iu 
Mt.  Carmel  was  Dr.  Charles  J.  Miller.  He  was  born 
in  Dumbarton,  Windham  county,  Vermont.  The  date 
of  his  birth  was  January  25,  1816.  He  entered  Yale 
College  with  the  intention  of  studying  for  the  ministry. 
Soon  after  his  graduation  he  went  west  to  Ohio,  and 
in  the  fall  of  1840  came  to  Mt.  Carmel,  where  he  was 
employed  for  three  years  as  teacher  in  the  High  School. 
He  then  commenced  the  study  of  medicine  in  the  office 
and  under  the  direction  of  Dr.  Jacob  Lescher,  of  Mt. 
Carmel.  He  commenced  the  practice,  and  soon  after 
removed  to  and  located  in  Friendsville,  and  there  lived 
and  practiced  medicine  for  a  number  of  years.  He  re- 
turned to  Mt.  Carmel  and  'formed  a  partnership  with 
John  J.  Lescher,  M.  D.,  son  of  his  preceptor,  and  together 
they  continued  the  practice  until  the  death  of  Dr.  Miller, 
the  date  of  which  was  May  9th,  1859.  His  faithfulness 
to  his  patients,  and  fidelity  to  his  profession,  was  the 
cause  of  his  early  demise.  Dr  Miller  was  a  member 
of  the  Presbyterian  church,  and  presiding  elder 
at  the  time  of  his  death.  On  the  6th  of  January,  i 
1848,  he  was  united  in  marriage  to  MissElvina  Lescher.  | 
She  was  born  in  Berks  county,  Pennsylvania,  July  16, 
1817.  By  that  union  there  were  seven  children,  four  of 
whom  died  in  infancy.  Jacob  Marshal,  in  his  early 
childhood  ;  Samuel  Charles,  another  son  in  his  15th  year ; 
Mary  Alice,  in  her  12th  year.  Mrs.  Miller  is  a  resident 
of  Mt.  Carmel,  and  a  member  of  the  Lutheran  church.  . 


DR.  JACOB  LESCHER, 

THE  father  of  Mrs.  Charles  J.  Miller,  was  born  in  Lan- 
caster county,  Pennsylvania,  and  adopted  the  profession 
of  medicine,  in  which  he  became  learned  and  eminent 
in  after  years.  He  came  west  from  his  native  State  to 
Ohio,  in  1832,  and  the  year  following  came  to  Mt.  Car- 
mel, and  here  remained  until  his  death,  which  took 
place'  August  31st,  1854.  He  was  the  father  of  ten 
children,  five  sons  and  five  daughters — four  sons  and  one 
daughter  yet  living.  Dr.  Lescher  in  his  day  read  much, 
and  had  absorbed  a  vast  amount  of  information  upon 
almost  every  subject.  His  library  at  the  time  of  his 
death  was  extensive,  and  embraced  standard  and  mis- 
cellaneous works  upon  every  popular  theory,  and  fact  of 
the  day.  He  was  the  most  generous  and  kind-hearted 
of  men.  His  sympathies  were  always  enlisted  for  the 
poor,  and  his  donations  and  labors  in  that  direction  for 
their  aid  and  benefit  were  frequent  and  generous,  and 
none  ever  called  in  vain,  or  went  away  empty-handed. 
He  was  not  a  member  of  any  church,  neither  subscribed 
to  any  of  the  formulated  creeds  or  dogmas,  but  acted  upon 
the  golden  rule  of  doing  unto  others  as  you  would  have 
others  do  unto  you,  and  believed  that  in  so  doing  he  was 
fulfilling  a  large  part  of  the  requirements  of  the  Divine 
law. 


260 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


ROBERT  PARKINSON  (DECEASED). 
OXE  of  the  leading  business  and  represeatative  men 
of  Mt.  Carmel  in  pa4  years  was  Robert  Parkinson. 
He  was  a  native  of  England,  born  in  Westmoreland 
county,  near  the  Yorkshire  line,  October  19,  1816. 
His  parents,  Edward  and  Mary  Parkinson,  with  the 
family,  emigrated  to  America  in  1824,  and  settled  in  New- 
port township,  Luzerne  county,  Pennsylvania,  where 
they  farmed,  and  Mr.  Parkinson  followed  his  trade  of 
stone-mason.  A  few  years  later  he  sold  out  and  re- 
moved north  to  Susquehanna  county,  near  the  village 
of  FriendsviUe,  and  remained  there  until  1836,  when 
Mr.  Parkinson  came  west  to  Illinois,  and  stopped  in 
White  county,  and  worked  upon  the  stone  bridge  at 
Carmi.  He  died  in  White  county  a  few  years  later. 
Robert  was  one  of  five  children,  the  offspring  of  Edward 
and  Mary  (Beilby)  Parkinson.  During  the  residence 
of  the  family  in  Pennsylvania,  William  Wood,  an  Eng- 
lishman by  birth,  married  his  sister  Jane.  Mr.  Wood 
was  a  capitalist  and  one  of  the  leading  men  of  Wilkes- 
barre,  the  county  seat  of  Luzerne.  He  took  Robert 
into  the  store  with  him,  and  learned  him  merchandizing 
and  trained  him  to  business.  In  1836  Mr.  Wood  and 
his  brother  came  west  to  Wabash  county,  Illinois,  and 
established  a  general  store  in  Mt.  Carmel,  and  bought 
and  shipped  the  produce  of  this  section  of  the  country. 
Mr.  Wood  brought  Robert  with  him  in  the  spring  of 
1837,  when  he  came  west  the  second  time,  to  assist  him 
in  the  store  as  clerk.  He  entered  upon  his  duties  and 
remained  in  Mt.  Carmel  for  one  year,  then  Mr.  Wood 
established  a  store  at  what  is  now  known  as  Friends- 
viUe, and  placed  Robert  in  charge.  At  that  time  there 
were  few  houses  there,  and  the  country  was  sparsely 
settled.  To  give  the  village  more  prominence  and  at- 
tract the  trade  of  the  surrounding  country,  a  post-office 
was  established,  and  Mr.  Parkinson  named  it  Friends- 
ville,  in  honor  and  recollection  of  the  village  of 'that 
name  in  Pennsylvania  where  he  had  passed  his  youth. 
He  was  appointed  the  first  postmaster  and  held  the 
office  until  1841.  In  the  fall  of  1841  Mr.  Wood  con- 
cluded to  remove  back  to  Pennsylvania,  which  step  was 
taken  on  account  of  the  continued  ill  health  of  his  wife. 
He  made  a  proposition  to  Mr.  Parkinson  and  Wm.  R- 
Wilkinson,  his  two  clerks,  to  enter  into  partnership  with 
him  and  continue  the  business.  An  invoice  of  stock  on 
hand  was  taken  in  both  stores,  and  found  to  aggregate 
nearly  eleven  thousand  dollars,  about  equally  divided  be- 
tween the  two  stores.  Mr.  Parkinson  was  selected  to  go  to 
Mt.Carmel,  and  Mr.  Wilkinson  to  stay  at  FriendsviUe. 
Mr.  Wood  gave  them  three  thousand  dollars  in  stock, 
as  an  offset  for  services  and  time.  The  partnership  thus 
entered  into  under  the  firm  name  of  Wood  &  Parkinson, 
continued  seven  years.  When  the  stock  was  run  down 
and  sold,  Mr.  Parkinson  continued  the  business  alone. 
During  the  life  of  the  firm  of  Wood  &  Parkinson 
they  were  the  leading  merchants  and  produce  shippers 
in  Southern  Illinois.  They  shipped  large  quantities  of 
grain  and  pork,  which  was  consigned  to  the  eastern 


partner,  and  he  would  purchase  gooJs  in  return  and 
ship  them  west  _  The  management  of  the  business 
mainly  depended  on  Mr.  Parkinson,  who  was  then 
comparatively  a  young  man  ;  but  he  was  untiring,  in- 
dustrious, bold  and  aggressive,  and  possessed  a  quick, 
business  mind.  The  business  grew  and  prospered 
under  his  management.  He  thus  laid  solidly  the  foun- 
dations of  his  future  business  life.  After  the  retire- 
ment of  Mr.  Wocd  he  continued  the  business  alone 
for  the  greater  part  of  his  life.  He  occasionally  had 
partners,  but  only  for  a  short  time.  In  1852  he  built 
the  flouring  and  saw-mill  at  Gran  I  Rapids.  He  suffered 
severe  losses  at  different  times,  but  never  gave  up — the 
greater  his  losses,  the  higher  his  courage  seemed  to  rise. 
He  did  not  pine  or  fret,  but  went  to  work,  and  with  his 
indomitable  energy  and  perseverance,  would  wrench 
success  from  what  others  would  abandon  in  despair.  In 
June,  1877,  he  was  one  of  the  heaviest  sufferers  from 
the  terrible  cyclone  that  visited  Mt.  Carmel.  His  losses 
aggregated  $35,000,  and  he  was  buried  for  three  hours 
in  the  ruins  of  his  building,  which  took  fire,  and  it  was 
only  by  the  most  herculean  efforts  on  the  part  of  the 
citizens  that  he  was  rescued  from  a  horrible  death. 
After  a  few  days  he  was  again  at  work  and  from  the 
wreck  gathered  up  his  remaining  resources,  and  soon  was 
under  way  again.  His  credit,  which  he  was  always  ex- 
tremely careful  of,  was  about  all  he  had  left,  but  it 
stood  him  good  service  now  and  enabled  him  to  get 
started  once  more.  His  sons  then  went  into  partnership 
with  him,  and  continued  until  his  death,  which  took 
place  April  8th,  1878.  In  his  intercourse  with  men  he 
was  affable  and  agreeable,  and  made  many  strong 
friends,  who  were  held  to  him  as  with  hooks  of  steel. 

On  the  22d  of  November,  1842,  he  was  united  in  mar- 
riage to  Miss  Frances  J.,  daughter  of  Abraham  and 
Hannah  (Stewart)  Russell.  She  was  born  in  Wabash 
county,  111.,  August  9,  1824.  Her  parents  were  natives 
of  Nantucket,  Mass.  Mrs.  Parkinson  died  March  22, 
1877.  There  were  ten  children  by  that  union,  six  of 
whom  are  living :  Abraham  R.  died  January  23, 1880,  in 
his  twenty-fourth  year ;  James  R.,  Ellen  L.,  Mary  E  , 
Robert  Edward,  S.  Frank  B.  are  the  names  of  the  living. 
James  R.  and  Robert  Parkinson,  under  the  firm  name 
of  Parkinson  Bros.,  do  a  very  large  business  in  general 
merchandising,  and  also  are  extensive  grain  dealers. 
They  have  preserved  the  standing  and  credit  that  their 
father  gave  the  house  and  name  in  his  life. 


JAMES  W.  RIGG. 

SAMUEL  RIGG,  the  father  of  James,  was  born  in 
North  Carolina,  August  14,  1791.  His  father,  Charles, 
was  a  soldier  of  the  Revolution.  He  (Samuel)  moved  to 
Greenup  county,  on  the  Big  Sandy,  Ky.,  and  there  on 
the  27th  of  January,  1814,  married  Ruchael  Beauchamp, 
who  was  born  in  Pennsylvania,  November  27,  1794. 
Samuel  Rigg  moved  to  Illinois,  landing  in  Mt.  Carmel 
December  25,  1817.  There  were  then  five  in  the  family. 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


261 


father,   mother,  Charles,  George   and   Mrs.  Beauchamp, 
the  mother  of  Mrs.  Rigg.    Mr  Rigg  settled  where  James 
W.  now  lives,  and  there  died  April  1,  1858.     His  wife 
died  July  3,  1874.     They  were  both  devoted  Christians,  ; 
and  joined  the  church  while  quite  young.     There  were  ; 
eight  children,  seven  sous  and  one  daughter  :  James  W., 
the  subject  of  this  sketch,  was  boru  on  the  place  where 
he  now  lives,  October  23,  1829.     He  was  reared  upon 
the  farm,  and  remained  at  home  uutil  attaining  his  ma- 
jority.    In  1852  he  married,   then   commenced   farm,  i- 
ing  for  himself,  and  still  continues  on  the  farm,  a  view 
of  which  can  be  seen  on  another  page.     He  made  a  pro- 
fession of  religion  in  1844,  and  joined  the  M.  E.  church,  • 
and  was  licensed   to  exhort  in  1853.     On  the  26th  of 
January,  1867,  he  was  licensed  a  local  preacher  by  the 
Conference,  in  the  Olney  district.     On  the  16th  of  Feb- 
ruary, 1853,  he  was  married    to   Justina,  daughter   of  ] 
Peter  and  Justina  (.loachims)  Ravenstein.    Her  parents  ] 
emigrated  to  America  in  1851,  and  settled  in  Wabash 
county.     There  have  been  five  children  born  to  Mr.  and  j 
Mrs.  Rigg.     Their  names  are  Elizabeth,  Rachael,  wife 
of  John  G.  Seller,  who  have  four  children,  named  Ru- 
dolph Jacob,  ( Elmira,  dead),  Justina  Matilda  and 

Bertha  Menetta ;  Mitina  Justina  is  the  w  ife  of  James 
Tanquary,  Mary  Bertha  wife  of  George  E.  Gilkerson  ; 
Peter  Samuel  married  Matt  Douglass,  and  have  one 
son,  named  Earl  Raoul ;  Lincoln  James  is  a  student  at 
the  Southern  Normal,  at  Carbondale,  111.  Politically,  Mr- 
Rigg  is  a  Republican-Independent.  In  1876  he  was 
a  charter  member  of  the  first  Grange,  and  was  appointed 
Gen.  Deputy  of  Southern  Illinois  by  the  Master  Grange. 


JOHN  M.  HARRISON 

WAS    born   in    Vincennes,   Knox  county,  Ind.,    Nov. 
1st,   1844.       The    family    on    the    paternal    side    is 
of  English  ancestry.      The    grandfather   of  John  H.,  | 
came  from    England  to   America,    when  quite  young,  I 
and    settled    in   Baltimore,    and   there  married.       By 
that    union    was    John    H.,  the  father  of  the  present 
subject,  born    1806.      When  he  grew  to   manhood  he 
adopted  the  ministry,  and  was  ordained  as  such  in  the 
Christian  Church.  He  came  west  on  a  mission  to  preach, 
and  settled  in  Vincennes,  and  while  traveling  upon  the  ! 
circuit,  he  was   drowned   in  attempting  to  ford  White  ' 
river,  in  Green  county.     The  date  of  his  death  was  Oct. 
23,  1845.     He  married  Sarah  P.  Wheeler,  a  native  of  j 
Vincennes.      She  was  the  daughter  of  Henry  D.  and  i 
Esther  (Polk)  Wheeler,  old  settlers  of  Indiana.     There  j 
were  five  children  born  to  John  H.  and  Sarah  P.  Har-  ! 
rison.     John  H.  is  the  youngest  son.     He  received  his 
primary  education   in  the   public   schools   and  in  the  i 
University  at  Vincennes.     He  was  brought  up  to  habits  ' 
of  business  and  industry.     He  was  in  the  woolen  busi-  : 
ness   until    twenty  years  of  age,  then   began  studying 
medicine  with  a  view  of  adopting  it  as  the  profession  of 
his  life.     He  spent  two  years  in  the  drug  business  in  St    j 
Louis.    In  1874  he  commenced  the  study  of   dentistry 


in  Vincennes,  and  commenced  business  in  connection 
with  his  preceptor  in  Colorado,  traveling  over  the  south- 
western part  of  the  state.  He  located  for  a  while  on 
Texas  creek,  and  subsequently  went  to  Texas,  and  in 
March,  1879,  came  to  Mt.  Carmel,  Ills.,  and  here  located 
permanently.  On  the  15th  of  May,  1878,  he  was  united 
in  marriage  to  Miss  Lotta,  daughter  of  John  P.  and 
Elizabeth  Young,  of  Knox  county,  Indiana.  Two 
children  were  born  to  them,  whose  names  are,  Harry 
Young  and  Eleanor.  He  is  a  member  of  the  A.  F. 
and  A.  M.,  and  also  a  member  of  the  Chapter  of  Royal 
Arch  Masons.  He  is  master  workman  in  the  beneficiary 
order  of  A.  O.  U.  W.,  and  treasurer  of  the  Lodge  of 
I.  O.  G  T.  Both  he  and  his  wife  are  members  of  the 
Christian  church.  Politically  he  is  a  Republican.  Mr. 
Harrison,  by  close  attention  to  business  and  superior 
workmanship  in  the  dental  line,  has  built  up  a  large 
and  lucrative  practice. 


THOMAS  L.  JOY, 

THE  present  editor  and  publisher  of  the  Republican, 
Mt.  Carmel,  was  born  at  Equality,  111.,  Sept.  5th, 
1850.  He  is  the  son  of  Ephraim  and  Ellen  M.  (Seed) 
Joy.  His  father  is  a  native  of  Wabash  county,  and 
his  mother  is  of  Irish  parentage,  from  the  north  of  Ire- 
land. She  was  a  resident  of  Lawrence  county,  Ills.,  at 
the  time  of  her  marriage.  Mr.  Joy  entered  the  ministry 
of  the  M.  E.  church  at  an  early  age.  By  his  marriage 
with  Ellen  M.  Seed  there  were  four  children,  two  of 
whom  are  living — Thos.  L.,  and  Andrew  F.,  at  present 
connected  with  the  Carmi  Times, as  editor  and  publisher- 
Thomas  L.  commenced  the  printer's  trade  at  the  age  of 
fifteen,  in  the  offioe  of  the  New  Era,  Carbondale,  Ills  t 
and  remained  there  six  months.  The  next  vacation  he 
worked  for  four  months  in  the  office  of  the  Alton  Daily 
Telegraph.  He  next  found  employment  on  the  Advo- 
cate,  Belleville,  Ills.,  where  he  served  as  an  apprentice 
for  one  year,  at  the  end  of  which  time  he  entered  the 
job  office  of  Woodward  &  Tiernan,  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  and 
served  an  apprenticeship  of  three  years.  From  the 
latter  place  he  went  to  Lebanon,  St.  Clair  county,  Ills., 
and  for  three  months  had  charge  of  the  mechanical  de. 
partment  of  the  Journal.  He  then  went  to  Bridgeport, 
Lawrence  county,  in  charge  of  the  Courier.  In  1872( 
in  connection  with  his  father  and  brother,  under  the  firm 
name  of  E.  Joy  &  Sons,  he  established  the  Carmi  Times. 
Fifteen  months  later  E.  Joy  retired,  and  the  firm  of  Joy 
Bros,  was  formed,  which  continued  until  January } 
1883.  In  August,  1880,  Mr.  Joy,  on  the  part  of  the' 
Joy  Bros ,  went  to  Cairo,  and  there  established  the 
Daily  and  Weekly  News.  This  paper  was  issued  as 
a  daily  for  five  months,  then  for  six  mouths  it  was 
issued  as  a  semi-weekly,  when  the  office  was  closed 
and  the  paper  discontinued. 

On  the  15th  of  January,  1883,  he  came  to  Mt.  Car- 
mel and  took  charge  of  the  Republican,  and  at  present 
conducts  it  as  editor  and  proprietor. 


262 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


ROBERT  S.  GORDON. 


THE  Gordon  family  is  of  Scotch-Irish  ancestry. 
John  Gordon,  the  grandfather,  was  born  in  Wheeling, 
Va.,  in  1763.  He  married  Mary  McKinnon,  of  Wash- 
ington county,  Pennsylvania.  Soon  after  moved  to 
Hamilton,  Ohio,  from  there  to  Cincinnati,  then  to  Evaas- 
ville,  Indiana,  and  in  1819  to  Lawrence  county,  Illinois. 
There  were  six  sons  and  two  daughters  in  the  family. 
Robert  M.,  the  father  of  Robert  S.,  was  the  name  of  one 
of  the  sons.  He  was  born  in  Washington  county,  Penn. 
He  came  west  with  his  father  in  an  early  day,  and  to 
Wabash  county,  Illinois,  in  1829,  and  settled  in  Mt 
Carmel.  Here  he  followed  merchandising  and  various 
other  businesses,  chief  among  which  was  hotel-keeping, 
brick-making,  stock-trading,  and  subsequently  studied 
law.  Commenced  the  practice  and  drifted  into  politics, 
and  became  a  local  political  leader.  On  several  occasions 
he  was  a  candidate  for  county  office,  and  once  for  the 
legislature.  In  politics  he  was  a  Democrat  of  the 
Jackson  school.  He  died  Sept.  27,  1841.  In  1823,  at 
New  Albany,  Indiana,  he  married  Elizabeth  Collins, 
who  was  a  native  of  Ohio ;  born  March  llth,  1810.  She 
died  March  15,  1871.  By  the  latter  union  there  were 
two  sons  and  four  daughters.  The  eldest  son  died  in  in- 
fancy. Robert  Squire  Gordon,  of  whom  we  write, 
is  the  fifth  in  the  family.  He  was  born  in  Mt.  Carmel, 
Wabash  county,  Illinois,  August  26,  1838.  His  edu- 
cation in  schools  practically  ended  with  his  thirteenth 
year.  He  then  became  self-supporting.  At  the  age  of 
fifteen  he  commenced  work  on  a  farm.  Soon  after  he 
went  to  his  relatives  in  Charleston,  Illinois,  and  there 
apprenticed  himself  to  learn  the  carpenter  trade.  He 
served  eighteen  months  when  the  war  of  the  rebellion 
broke  out.  He  then  enlisted  as  a  private,  for  the  term 
of  three  years, in  Co.  B.  21st  Regt.  Ills.  Vols.  Infantry, 
Col.  U.  S.  Grant,  commanding.  The  Hate  of  his  en- 
listment was  May  9,  1861.  He  participated  with  his 
regiment  in  all  the  battles  and  skirmishes  in  which  it 
was  engaged  up  to  Sept.  24,  1864,  when  he  was  detailed 
on  secret  service  duty,  and  served  in  that  capacity  until 
the  end  of  the  war.  He  veteranized  with  his  regiment; 
February  26,  1864.  After  the  close  of  the  war,  Sept! 
21st,  1865,  he  was  detailed  the  second  time  by  Major  Gen. 
Stanley,  and  ordered  on  duty  at  Victoria,  Texas,  and 
finally  mustered  out  and  discharged  Dec.  16,  1865, 
having  been  in  active  service  four  years  and  seven  months. 
After  Mr.  Gordon's  discharge  from  the  service  he  re- 
mained in  San  Aatonia,  Texas,  and  engaged  in  mercan- 
tile pursuits.  From  the  latter  place  he  went  to  Plea- 
santon,  in  Atascosa  county,  and  there  engaged  in  the 
grocery  trade.  In  May,  1868,  he  returned  to  Mt.  Car- 
mel, and  here  soon  after  engaged  in  farming.  In  Sept. 
1871,  in  connection  with  Henry  Utter,  engaged  in  the 
dry  goods  business  in  Mt.  Carmel,  in  which  they  con- 
tinued until  March,  1873.  He  remained  out  of  business 
until  Nov.  1875,  then  opened  a  drug  store,  and  has 
continued  in  the  drug  trade  until  the  present. 


Politically  he  was  originally  a  Douglas  Democrat. 
He  cast  his  first  vote  for  Stephen  A-  Douglas,  and  was  a 
great  admirer  of  the  "Little  Giant"  of  the  west,  whom 
he  knew  personally.  At  the  breaking  out  of  the  war, 
he  was  a  loyal  and  staunch  union  man,  and  gave  evi- 
dence of  the  faith  that  was  in  him  by  shouldering  his 
musket  and  going  to  the  front,  and  served  with  a  regiment 
that  became  one  of  the  historic  organizations  of  the  war. 
In  1868,  he  voted  for  U.  S.  Grant,  his  old  colonel  and 
commander,  for  president,  and  from  that  time  to  the 
present  has  voted  the  Republican  ticket.  In  1876,  Mr. 
Gordon  was  elected  Mayor  of  Mt.  Carmel,  and  re-elected 
in  1877,  and  served  until  1879.  During  1877,  when  the 
city  was  visited  by  the  terrible  cyclone  he,  with  the  aid 
of  the  committee,  distributed  $14,000,  which  was  donated 
to  relieve  the  sufferers.  In  1881,  he  was  elected  one  of 
the  county  commissioners,  and  is  credited  with  being  one 
of  the  first  Republicans  elected  to  that  position  on  a 
straight  ticket.  He  was  also,  for  three  years,  a  member 
of  the  Board  of  Education. 

In  July,  1868,  Mr.  Gordon  was  happily  united  in 
marriage  to  Miss  Mary  L.,  eldest  daughter  of  Abraham 
and  Elizabeth  (Penstone)  Utter.  She  was  born  in 
Wabash  county,  Illinois,  May  18,  1836.  Her  father 
was  born  in  New  Jersey,  and  came  with  his  father 
Major  Henry  Utter,  to  Illinois  in  1818.  Her  mother  is 
a  native  of  the  same  State,  and  came  here  in  1823.  There 
have  been  six  children  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Gordon, 
three  of  whom  are  living — two  died  in  infancy  and  one 
in  early  childhood.  The  names  of  those  living  are  Amy 
Ellen,  Robert  Abraham,  and  Walter  Spaffoi-d.  Mr. 
Gordon  and  wife  are  members  of  the  Christian  church. 
Mr.  Gordon  attached  himself  to  that  religious  organiza- 
tion in  1865,  when  at  home  from  the  army  on  veteran 
furlough.  He  takes  an  active  interest  in  the  church 
government,  and  has  filled  the  office  of  elder  deacon,  and 
has  been  one  of  its  trustees  for  a  number  of  years. 

He  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  fraternity,  and  be- 
longs to  the  Mt.  Carmel  Lodge,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  No.  239, 
and  was  W.  M.  for  three  years  of  Mt.  Carmel  Chapter, 
R.  A.  M.,  No.  159,  and  was  its  H.  P.  for  three  years. 
He  was  created  a  Knight  Templar,  by  Gorin  Command- 
ery  K.  T.,  at  Olney,  Illinois.  He  was  the  first  com- 
mander of  T.  S.  Bowers  Post  G.  A.  R.,  No.  125,  and  at 
present  is  special  mustering  officer  of  the  district. 

JOHN  T.  BURKETT. 

THE  Burkett  family  is  of  German  ancestry.  The 
great-grandfather  emigrated  from  Germany  to  America, 
bringing  with  him  an  only  son  named  John.  They  set- 
tled in  York  county,  Pennsylvania,  where  he  resided 
until  his  death,  which  was  occasioned  by  the  explosion 
of  a  powder-mill,  about  the  year  1814.  John,  the  grand- 
father of  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  moved  to  Circleville, 
Ohio,  and,  a  short  time  after,  came  down  the  river  with 
his  family,  and  located  at  New  Harmony,  Indiana.  He 
there  became  a  member  of  what  was  then  known  as  the 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  W ABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS.         263 


"  kew  Harmony  Community."  He  continued  his  resi- 
dence in  Po-ey  county  until  his  death.  He  was  a  regu- 
larly ordained  minister  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church. 

While  a  resident  of  Pennsylvania  he  married  a  Miss 
Byarts.  There  were  several  children  by  that  union 
among  whom  was  John,  the  father  of  John  T.  Burkett. 
He  was  born  in  York  county,  Pennsylvania,  in  the  year 
1809.  He  came  West  with  his  father's  family,  and  re 
sided  in  Posey  county,  lud.,  until  he  became  of  age, 
when  he  came  to  Mt.  Carmel,  and  here  married  Miss 
Julia  A. Sharp,  daughter  of  Luke  Sharp,  who  emigrated 
from  Shelby  ville,  Ky.,  to  Gibson  county,  Ind.,  and  from 
there  came  to  Mt.  Carmel.  Mr.  Burkett  and  his  wife 
removed  to  Gibson  county,  Ind.,  and  lived  in  that  and 
Posey  counties  the  remainder  of  their  lives.  There  were 
four  children  born  to  them  John  T.,  our  subject,  is  the 
youngest  and  only  survivor  of  the  family.  He  was  born 
in  Gibson  county,  Ind  ,  Sept.  5,  1840,  was  raised  on  the 
farm,  and  received  a  good  common-school  education. 
At  the  age  of  twelve  years  he  commenced  clerking  for 
the  firm  of  Martin  &  Sharp  in  McLeansboro,  Illinois, 
and  subsequently  engaged  in  the  same  business  in  Mt. 
Carmel.  In  1864  he  enlisted  in  Co.  H,  136th  Regiment 
Indiana  Volunteer  Infantry,  and  remained  with  the  re 
giment  until  his  term  of  enlistment  expired,  when  he 
returned  to,  his  home,  and  soon  after  went  to  New  Har- 
mony, Ind.,  and  engaged  in  sawing  and  shipping  walnut 
lumber.  Three  years  later  he  returned  to  Mt.  Carmel, 
and  opened  a  clothing  store,  which  business  he  followed 
for  three  years.  In  December,  1872,  he  received  the 
appointment  of  deputy  sheriff,  and  served  until  1876, 
when  he  received  the  nomination  by  the  democratic 
party  of  sheriff,  and  was  elected  ;  served  two  years;  then 
s<  rved  as  deputy  county  clerk,  and  in  1880  was  elected 
circuit  clerk.  At  the  present  time  he  is  in  that  official 
position. 

He  has  also  been  twice  elected  alderman  of  the  city 
of  Mt.  Carmel.  He  is  a  member  of  the  order  G.  A.  R 
On  the  6th  of  June,  1869,  he  was  united  in  marriage  to 
Miss  Miry  G.,  daughter  ofGeo.  W.and  Mary  (Walker) 
Wheeler,  of  New  Harmony,  Ind.  Mrs.  Burkett  is  a 
native  of  Posey  county,  Ind.  By  that  union  there  were 
two  children.  Harry,  the  only  son,  is  still  living  ;  Bertie 


L.,  the  daughter,  died  in  early  childhood.  Mrs.  Burkett 
is  a  member  of  the  Presbyterian  Church. 


LOUIS  KAMP 

in  West  Prussia,  near  Justrow,  Sept.  llth, 
1828.  He  is  the  son  of  Lud  wig  and  Reneta  (Schroader) 
Kamp.  He  received  a  good  education  in  the  excellent 
schools  of  his  native  country.  In  March,  1848,  he  left 
Prussia  and  emigrated  to  the  United  States.  He  landed 
in  New  York  and  from  there  went  to  Philadelphia, 
where  he  worked  at  the  trade  of  cabinet  making.  He 
stayed  in  the  latter  place  eleven  months,  then  came  west 
to  Cincinnati,  then  to  St.  Louis,  and  traveled  over  the 
west,  visiting  the  different  places.  In  1851  he  returned 
to  Philadelphia  and  remained  there  nearly  one  year,  at 
which  time  his  parents  came  over  from  Germany.  In 
September,  1852,  he  came  west  the  second  time,  and 
with  the  family  stopped  in  Evansville,  Indiana.  His 
father  bought  a  farm  in  Vanderberg  county,  and  Louis 
stayed  with  him  four  years,  then  went  west  again, 
working  at  milling  and  millwrighting.  Returning  to 
Vanderberg  county,  in  1857,  he  worked  at  different  oc- 
cupations until  1860,  when  he  bought  a  farm  and  built 
a  shop,  and  followed  the  business  of  machinist.  His 
shop  was  located  on  the  banks  of  the  Ohio  river.  He 
remained  in  this  business  until  1879,  when  b  e  came  to 
Mt.  Carmel  and  purchased  the  Mock  Flouring  Mill, 
and  here  he  has  carried  on  the  milling  business  to  the 
present.  A  view  of  the  mill  may  be  seen  by  reference 
to  another  page  of  this  work. 

Both  of  Mr.  Kamp's  parents  died  in  Vauderberg 
county.  There  were  six  sons  and  one  daughter  in  the 
family,  all  of  whom  are  yet  living,  except  Robert,  who 
was  a  soldier  in  the  late  war  and  was  a  member  of  Co. 
K  of  the  32d  regiment  Indiana  volunteers.  He  was 
wounded  in  one  of  the  battles,  from  which  he  never 
fully  recovered,  and  died  in  London,  Tenn.,  in  1863. 
Berthold,  another  brother,  was  also  a  member  of  the 
same  company  and  regiment,  and  remained  in  the  service 
three  years.  During  the  war,  Mr.  Kamp,  the  subject  of 
this  sketch,  was  a  member  of  the  Indiana  legion,  which 
was  organized  for  border  defence.  He  was  second  lieu- 
tenant in  the  company. 


CHRISTY 


LAWRENCE  CO. 


jjHRISTY  TOWNSHIP  is  in  the  eastern  part 
of  the  county,  and  is  bounded  on  the  north  by 
Petty,  on  the  east  by  Bridgeport,  on  the  south 
by  Lukin,  and  on  the  west  by  Richland  county.  The 
surface  is  divided  between  timber  and  prairie  land,  and 
is  drained  by  the  tributaries  of  Little  Muddy,  Little 
Raccoon,  Indian,  and  Bonpas  creeks. 

The  first  permanent  settler  in  the  township  was  Ben- 
jamin Sumner,  a  native  of  North  Carolina,  who  came  in 
1817,  and  on  the  25th  day  of  October  of  that  year,  en- 
tered the  N.  E.  quarter  of  section  14,  where  he  erected  a 
small  round  log  cabin.  He  had  a  wife  and  two  children, 
Seley  who  died  young,  and  Famuel  who  was  born  in 
Georgia,  in  1815,  and  is  still  living  on  section  10,  near 
Sumner.  He  was  three  times  married.  Simpson  and 
Sullivan  Sumner,  of  the  town  of  Sumner,  and  Mrs. 
William  Musgrove,  children  by  the  second  marriage,  are 
still  living,  and  are  among  the  old  residents.  Seven 
children  of  the  third  wife  are  yet  living.  About  1827, 
Mr.  Sumner  built  an  incline  ox  grist  and  flax  mill  on 
his  premises.  This  was  the  first  mill  built  in  the  town- 
ship. He*  afterward  kept  a  small  general  store  on  his 
place.  He  was  a  careful,  industrious  farmer,  never 
spending  any  time  in  hunting  or  sporting  of  any  kind. 
His  industry  was  rewarded  by  large  acquisitions  of  land 
which  before  his  death,  occurring  on  Christmas  day,  1878, 
he  divided  among  his  children.  At  one  time,  when  Mr. 
Sumner  was  away  from  home,  his  wife  Elizabeth,  who 
was  an  expert  in  the  use  of  the  rifle,  shot  a  deer,  and 
had  it  dressed  and  put  away,  on  his  return. 

Moses  Laws,  a  North  Carolinian,  came  from  that 
state  in  1818.  He  was  a  widower  with  seven  children, 
William,  John,  James,  Lewis,  Sarah,  Elizabeth  and 
Annie.  All  married  in  the  county,  and  reared  families. 
William  married  a  sister  of  Benjamin  Sumner,  and  set- 
tled on  the  site  of  Hadley ;  John  on  the  state  road  north 
of  that  village  and  kept  a  stage  stand,  as  early  as  1838; 
James  also  on  the  state  road  in  what  is  now  Richland 
county ;  Lewis  married  Silva  Basdin,  and  settled  two 
and  a  half  miles  northeast  of  Sumner,  where  he  reared  a 
family  The  Laws  now  in  the  county,  are  descendants 
of  William  and  Lewis.  William  Laws  of  Sumner  is  a 
son  of  Lewis.  William  Blanchard,  a  Kentuckian,  in 
1818  settled  on  section  13,  where  he  resided  for  about 
ten  or  twelve  years.  Joseph  Williams,  came  from  Ohio, 
in  1819,  and  settled  in  the  same  section,  just  south  of 
Benjamin  Surauer,  where  he  lived  until  his  death,  about 
twenty-five  years  ago.  None  of  his  family  lived  in  the 

264 


county.     Samuel  Stultz,  a  brother-in-law  of  Williams, 
came  with  him,  and  settled  in  the  same  neighborhood. 

Peter  Shidler  arrived  in  the  Spring  of  1818,  with  a 
family  of  three  or  four  girls  and  two  boys.  He  located 
in  section  10,  and  lived  in  a  tent  on  the  farm  where 
Samuel  Sumner  now  resides.  He  was  a  native  of  Ohio, 
and  was  the  Nimrod  of  this  part  of  the  county.  He  was 
moreover,  a  lover  of  sport,  and  at  his  cabin  the  young- 
sters often  gathered  and  joined  in  the  merry  dance. 
Jake  and  Tom  Shidler,  and  Prov.  Rawlings  were  the 
fiddlers.  Shidler,  a  few  years  later,  moved  a  mile  north- 
east of  Sumner,  on  the  state  road,  and  kept  a  tavern  and 
stage  stand.  He  built  a  double  log-house,  and  subse- 
quently, a  frame.  It  is  said  he  kept  the  best  of  corn  • 
juice,  at  a  "  fippenny-bit  "  a  drink,  and  on  his  table 
could  always  be  found  choice  meats  of  deer  and  wild 
turkey,  the  fruits  of  his  unerring  rifle.  He  afterward 
moved  over  on  the  Embarras  river,  where  he  died.  In 
1821,  Isaac  Higgins,  purchased  Shidler's  improvement 
in  section  10,  and  lived  there  five  years  and  returned  to 
Ohio.  Robert  Higgins,  his  brother,  also  lived  in  the 
neighborhood,  a  short  time.  In  1820  John  Gorden 
settled  in  section  11.'  Jacob  Severey,  an  old  resident  of 
the  county,  is  living  in  the  township.  In  1824,  Eli  Clubb, 
a  native  of  Kentucky,  came  with  a  young  wife  and  set- 
tled on  section  11,  where  he  reared  a  family.  In  1824, 
Andrew  Christy  came  from  Ohio  and  settled  north  of 
Sumner,  where  he  entered  land.  He  had  a  large  family, 
but  none  of  its  members  remained  in  the  county  but 
William  Y.,  who  was  born  in  Ohio,  in  1806.  He  be- 
came one  of  the  most  prominent  and  influential  men  in 
this  part  of  the  county.  He  spent  his  life  as  a  farmer, 
but,  at  the  same  time,  possessing  the  confidence  of  the 
citizens,  he  did  a  great  amount  of  public  business,  such 
as  administering  estates,  etc.,  and  also  represented  the 
county  in  the  legislature  for  two  terms.  He  died  in 
January,  1869.  The  township  and  the  prairie  in  which 
he  settled  are  known  by  his  name.  J.  S.  Christy,  in  the 
drug  business  at  Sumner,  is  his  son.  The  first  school  in 
the  township  was  taught  by  James  Swain ey,  in  1823,  in 
a  log  house  that  stood  in  section  11.  Uncle  Samuel 
Sumner  relates  that  the  boys  turned  the  teacher  out,  be- 
cause he  would  not  treat.  He  finally  yielded,  and  bought 
a  bucket  of  whiskey  and  honey,  on  which  they  all  got 
drunk.  Prior  to  this  school  the  children  of  the  settle- 
ment attended  the  Spring  Hill  school,  now  in  Bridgeport 
township.  Early  land  entries :  May  2d,  1818,  Reziu 
Clubb  entered  the  S.  W.  quarter  of  section  12 ;  October 


FARM  RESIDENCE  Or  M&X.A.  BLOOD,  S.'6  T.I,  Af 


^^.  '   >»iiHiHiiiiiiiiiiiiiiH'MiiiiIk<il 
tim  ^     IKIIHI  HHlHiillllH 


RESIDENCE  AND  OTFICl  OT  DR.  W.E.BUXTON,  SAMSVILLE,  EDWARDS  CO.  ILL. 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


265 


25th,  1817,  Benjamin  Surnner,  the  N.  E.  quarter  of  sec- 
tion 14;  November  10th,  1818,  Richard  Heart  the  E, 
half  of  the  S.  W.  quarter  of  section  '  5 ;  September 
8th,  1818,  Henry  Johnson,  the  N.  E.  quarter  of  section 
26.  The  above  are  in  T.  3,  R.  13.  Following  are  the 
names  of  those  who  have  been  members  of  the  board  of 
supervisors:  Henry  Sherraden,  1857,  1858;  James 
French,  1859  ;  Elijah  Clark,  1860  ;  Samuel  Thorn,  1861 ; 
A.  J.  Warner,  1862 ;  T.  L  Jones,  1863,  1864;  William 
Gray,  1865  ;  B.  F.  Warner,  1866  ;  William  Gray,  1867  ; 
Thomas  L.  Jones,  1868;  M.  E.  Burnes,  1869;  Caleb 
Hoopes,  chairman,  1870;  Henry  Sherraden,  1871;  Joshua 
Judy,  1872;  Jesse  P.  Jones,  1873,  1874,  chairman  in 
1875;  George  W.  Petty,  1876;  T.  M.  Stephens,  1877, 
1878,  chairman  in  1879 ;  George  W.  Petty,  1880;  T.  M. 
Stevens,  chairman,  1881 ;  E.  R.  Applegate,  1882,  1883. 


This  thrifty  and  business-doing  place  sprung  into 
existence  with  the -building  of  the  O.  and  M.  R.  R. 
through  its  site  in  1854  and  1855.  It  was  laid  out 
in  the  spring  of  the  former  year,  by  Jacob  May, 
a  native  of  Pennsylvania,  who  settled  in  Richland 
county,  in  1834.  The  original  site  of  the  town  was  on 
the  N.  W.  \  of  the  N.  E.  i,  and  the  N.  E.  i  of  the 
N.  W.  i  of  section  9,  and  the  S  W.  i  of  the  N.  E.  i  of 
•S.  E.  i  of  section  4,  T.  3,  R.  13,  and  was  surveyed  and 
platted  by  Peter  Smith,  county  surveyor,  Jan.  27,  1854. 
Since  that  time  there  have  been  several  additions  laid 
out.  The  first  sale  of  lots  occurred  February  9,  1854. 
They  brought  from  $10  to  $167,  according  to  location. 
The  land  whereon  the  town  was  laid'out  was  entered  by 
Benjamin  Sumner.  Richard  King,  recently  deceased, 
built  a  log  cabin  on  its  site  a  year  or  two  before  it  was 
laid  out.  William  Laws  erected  a  small  one-story  frame 
house  near  the  R.  R.  in  the  east  part  of  the  town,  but 
it  was  not  occupied  till  about  1856,  when  a  saloon  was 
kept  in  it  by  Benjamin  Sumner.  The  first  building  in 
the  town  was  a  small  one-story  frame  store-house,  which 
can  still  be  seen  where  it  was  erected,  on  lot  15,  block 
!),  fronting  the  railroad  on  the  north.  It  was  built  by 
Thomas  L.  Jones,  and  Jacob  May  placed  in  it  a  stock 
of  goods  in  the  spring  of  1855.  He  was  the  first  village 
merchant ;  and  after  his  retirement  from  business,  it 
was  resumed,  and  has  since  been  carried  on  by  his  sons, 
who  have  enlarged  their  building,  and  increased  their 
stock,  according  to  the  demands  of  the'r  growing  trade. 
The  next  building  that  did  duty  as  a  store-house  was  a 
small  one-story  structure  in  the  northern  part  of  the 
town,  erected  by  J.  P.  TyfFe,  for  a  residence,  and  oc- 
cupied with  a  stock  of  goods  by  Nicholas  Shown,  who 
operated  the  store  for  Mr.  May.  Following  this,  was  a 
frame  two-story  dwelling,  built  by  Jesse  Landis,  and 
completed  in  1856.  A.  poriion  of  it  was  arranged  into 
a  store  and  used  by  Mr.  May.  This  building  is  now 
known  as  the  Landis  house,  and  is  occupied  by  the 
same,  who  built  it.  In  the  fall  of  1855  Simpson  Sum- 
ner erected  a  frame  one-story  dwelling  and  store-house, 
34 


on  the  north  side  of  Railroad  street,  and  moved  his 
family  into  it.     In.  the   winter  of  this  year  Sumner  and 
;  Chauncey   French   opened  a    general  stock   of   goods 
j  under  the  firm   name  of  Sumner  &  French.     The  first 
;  hotel  was  built  in  the  winter  of  1855  or  1856  by  J.  C. 
:  W.  Applegate,  who  moved  into  it  in  that  year.     It  was 
!  called  the  Mansion  House,  and  stands  on  the  corner  of 
Walnut  and  South  avenue,  and  is  the  private  residence 
of  Mrs.  John  Walker.     In  1856  James  K.  Spencer  put 
up  a  blacksmithshop,  and  began  the  business  of  smith- 
ing.    The  town  was  incorporated  in  the  winter  of  1858- 
1859,  under  a  special  act  of  the  legislature.   The  records 
were  lost  about  1870,  and  it  is  impossible  to  give  a  com- 
plete list  of  the  first  officers ;  but  J.  C.  W.  Applegate, 
Chauncey  French,  and  Albert  Sherraden,  were  on  the 
board,  and  Joseph  Hardecker  was  clerk.     In  1873  it 
was  incorporated  under  the  general  act  as  a  village. 
The  present  officers  are  C.  Hoopes,  president;  William 
Laws,  William  Dumpley,  J.   C.   Casey,   John  Brian, 
H.  Combs,  C.  H.  Gordon ;  clerk,  P.  May  and  Joshua 
Judy;  constable,  E  C.  Davis. 

The  first  resident  physicians  of  the  town  were  Drs. 
H.  Smith,  J.  M.  Bosart  (still  a  resident),  G.  A.  Wil- 
liams, living  in  the  vicinity,  and Sutton.  The 

following  are  the  names  of  some  who  have  been  inti- 
mately associated  with  the  life  and  growth  of  the  town : 
J.  L  and  J.  P.  Jones  ;  J.  C.  W.  Applegate,  who  was  a 
carpenter  and  builder;  Chauncy  French,  who  was  for 
five  years  a  merchant;  Alfred  Sherraden,  also  a  mer- 
chant for  a  number  of  years ;  S.  J.  Elegood ;  T.  R. 
Hazzard ;  Hoopes  &  Corrie,  who  for  twelve  years  were 
prominent  merchants ;  N.  Barnes  ;  William  Laws ;  War- 
ren May,  who  was  identified  with  the  progress  of  the 
town  since  its  infancy;  A.  N.  Lent,  dealer  in  grain  for 
several  years,  and  an  active  business  man ;  S.  J.  Ecken- 
sode,  for  ten  years  a  merchant;  S.  K.  Knox,  who  erected 
a  distillery  and  engaged  in  other  business.  Thomas  L. 
Jones,  a  native  of  Pennsylvania,  came  from  Ohio,  and 
in  1839  settled  ten  miles  south  of  Sumner,  in  the  vici- 
nity of  which  he  afterward  moved.  In  1861  he  came 
into  the  town  and  began  the  business  of  a  general  mer- 
chant ;  in  1862  he  formed  a  partnership  with  his  brother, 
J.  P.  Jones,  which  continued  till  1863,  when  they  were 
burned  out.  He  then  engaged  in  the  hardware  business 
with  his,  son  C.  B.  Jones,  which  still  continues. 

Prior  to  1858  the  children  attended  school  about  a  mile 
west  of  town.  In  the  fall  of  that  year,  the  first  school- 
house,  a  small  frame  building,  was  constructed.  In  1867 
a  two-story  brick  school  building,  with  foundations  32x48 
feet,  was  erected,  and  two  teachers  were  employed.  Some 
years  later,  a  partition  was  put  in  the  lower  robm,  and  a 
third  teacher  was  added.  In  1882  the  building  was  par- 
tially torn  down,  remodeled  and  an  addition  22x34  feet 
made.  The  whole  was  put  under  one  roof,  with  a  bel- 
fry in  the  centre.  It  is  now  a  two-story  building,  con- 
taining six  rooms,  a  principal's  office,  halls,  cloak-rooms, 
etc.  It  is  supplied  with  the  most  approved  kind  of 
school  furniture.  The  property  is  worth  about  §10,000. 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


The  school  employs  six  teachers,  and  has  a  daily  average  Phijginans. — J.  M.  Bosart,  A.  Q.  Baird,  W.  B.  Be- 

attendance  of  about  two  hundred  and  eighty  pupils.  dell,  Z.  D.  French,  David  Burget. 

The  post-office  was  established  in  1858,  and  was  first 
kept  by  Nicholas  Shown.     It  has  since  been  under  the 


incumbency  of  David  Leighty  and  Caleb  Hoopes. 


General  Stores. — Merion  May,  Eckenrode  &  Hoopes. 
Drugs.— W.  W.  Shepherd,  John  Burget,  J.  S.  Christy. 
Groceries.— F..A.  Baird,  W.  F.  Guess,  Westall  & 


In  1859,  a  citizens'  committee  purchased  of  Samuel  ;  Saxton,  Brian  &  Huston,  Clippinger  &  Bro. 
Sumner  one  half  acre  of  land,  for  burial  purposes,  a  half-  j      Hardware,  Stoves,  etc. — T.  L.  Jones  &  Son. 


mile  east  of  town,  and  deeded  it  to  the  village  trustees, 
who  by  additions  have  increased  it  to  an  area  of  three 
acres.  It  is  set  with  shade  and  ornamental  trees  and 
traversed  by  walks.  It  is  yet  under  the  control  of  the 
village  board. 

The  New  Light,  now  Christian  denomination,  built  the 
first  church  in  town,  in  1864.  It  is  a  frame  building, 
60x63  feet,  and  was  erected  at  a  cost  of  about  82000. 
The  dedicatory  sermon  was  preached  by  Rev.  Maples, 
of  Ohio.  The  Methodist  Episcopal  church  was  erected 
in  1868-9,  at  a  cost  of  86000.  It  stands  on  a  founda- 
tion 70x36  feet,  in  the  south  part  of  the  town, 
and  is  a  neat  building,  with  a  steeple.  It  was  dedi- 


cated by  Bishop  Bowman  in  May,  1874.     The  Christian     hausen. 


Restaurant  and  Confectionery. — Gregg  Bartram. 

Bakery. — John  Achley. 

Books  and  Stationery.— Miss  Emma  Turner,  W.  S. 
Hoopes. 

Agricultural  Implements. — T.  L.  Jones  &  Son,  E.  R. 
Applegate. 

Jewelry. — B.  F.  Lent,  W.  D.  ,Gelpin. 

Milliner.— Mrs.  W.  H.Corrie,  Mrs.  A.  Milligan,  Mrs. 
Milton  Turner. 

Dressmaker. — Mrs.  E.  R.  Donahey. 

Furnishing  Goods  and  Millinery. — C.  H.  Garden. 

Harness. — William  Schuder,  Lewis  Bowman. 

Shoe  Shops.— J.  Turner  Newman,  William  Schmal- 


Lumber  Dealers. — Combs  Bros. 

Blacksmiths.— D.  A.  Westall  and  Sons,  G.  W.  Morgan 


(Campbellite)  church  was  erected  1873  to  1875.     It  is 

a  frame  building,  70x40  feet,  and  cost  about  $1800. 

The  Presbyterian  church,  a  frame  building,  with  a  belfry,  ;  and  Son,  Clay  Smith. 

was  erected  in  the  southwestern  part  of  the  town,  in  |       Carpenters  and  Architects. — Neely,  Maggy  &  Co. 

1881,  at  a  cost  of  about  $1400. 

PRESENT 

Sumner  Flouring  Mills  were  built  in  1877,  by  Milligan, 
Brian  &  Co.,  and  operated  by  them  till  1882,  when  the 


Butchers. — Perry  Musgrove,  E.  Henry,  William  Mor- 
stell. 

Furniture. — T.  M.  Stephens. 

Hotels—  Empire  House,  Mrs.  Mary  Freese;  Farmers' 


firm  was   changed,  and    the   building    was  remodeled     House,  Jesse  Landis;  Central  House,  J.  N.  Reel. 


and  reconstructed.  It  is  now  a  three-story  brick,  and 
is  equipped  with  twenty-five  set  of  rolls,  and  has  a 
capacity  of  four  hundred  barrels. 

Globe  Mills  were  built  by  Sexton,  Milligan  &  Co.,  in 
1882.      The   building   is   a   frame,   three   and    a   half  j 
stories  high,  with  sheet-iron   lining.     It  contains  four 
sets  of  burrs  and  a  double  set  of  rolls,  and  has  a  capa-  j 
city  of  one  hundred  barrels  a  day.     It  is  at  present 
merely  a  custom  mill. 

A  building  was  put  up  by  Knox,  Burget  &  Clements, 
in  1868,  for  a  distillery,  but  the  business  did  not  prove 
a  success.  In  1870  Gregg  &  Shepparcl  put  into  it  two 
sets  of  burrs  and  milling  machinery.  In  1878  J.  AV. 
Witters  purchased  the  property  and  has  since  operated 


Livery  Stables.— E.  C.  Davis,  Charles  Kitchen. 

Photography. — R.  H.  Gosslee. 

Marble  Yard—H.  M.  Wagner. 

Tailor. — J.  Latham. 

Dentists.— Fross  and  Stoltz,  J.  T.  Dollahan. 

Wagon  and  Carriage  Maker. — Jacob  Kronemiller. 

Barbers.— Salisbury  &  Barrett. 

Stock  Dealers— S.  R.  Robinson,  William  Laws. 

Insurance  Agents. — C.  B.  Jones,  W.  B.  Smith. 

Sewing  Machines  and   Organs. — John  Milburn. 

Jttxt/ces  of  the  Peace. — Joshua  Judy,  Jacob  Hustin. 

Post-master. — Caleb  Hoopes. 


SOCIETIES. 
Harmony  Chapter,    No.  35,  E.  A.  M.,  ws 


first  or- 


the  mill. 

Woolen  Mill  was  built  about  1866,  and  is  known  as  a  j  ganized  at  Lawrenceville,  Oct  3rd,  1856,  and  removed 
one-set  mill.  Its  capacity  is  100  to  150  yards  of  fabric  j  under  special  dispensation  of  John  M.  Pierson,  G.  H.  P., 
a  day.  For  about  ten  years  it  did  a  good  business,  but  !  to  Sumner,  August  10,  1870.  First  officers  appointed 
since  then  it  has  been  confined  to  custom  work,  for  two  j  were,  N.  B.  Huff,  H.  P. ;  C. Hoopes,  King;  C.B.  Jones, 
or  three  months  in  the  season.  J  Scribe  ;  W.  D.  Gelpin,  P.  S.  ;  T.  M.  Stevens,  C.  .H. ; 

Planing  Mill— Was  established  by  Combs  Brothers     J.  R.  Jones,  R.  A.  C. ;  S.  G.  Ellegood,  M.,  3d  V. ;  T. 
in  1876,  in  the  eastern  part  of  the  town.   In  1882,  a  new     R-  Hazzard,  M.,  2d  V. ;  J.  C.  Judy,  M  ,  1st  V.  ;  A. 
mill  was  built  in  the  central  part.      It  does  planing,  i  Washburn,  Tyler.     The  present  membership  is  47,  and 
dressing,   matching,   scroll-sawing,    and    all    kinds    of     the  financial  condition  good, 
turning.  j       Joppa    Lodge,  No.  334,    A.  F.  and  A.  M.,  was  or- 

Jirifk  Yard.—  Henry  Bowman,  prop'r.  Capacity  of  ganized  under  dispensation,  February  1st,  1860,  with 
kiln,  200,000  bricks.  Guess  &  Scaggs — capacity  200,-  William  F.  Hite,  M.  Master ;  Bozwell  W.  Hill,  Sr., 
000.  Warden  ;  Joseph  Evans,  Jr.  Warden  ;  John  W.  Watts, 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


267 


Jr.  Deacon  ;  H.  Bopp,  Tyler ;  Isaac  Evans,  Scc'y.  The 
Lodge  worked  in  this  manner  till  October  2,  I860,  when 
it  was  chartered  with  officers  as  above,  and  fifteen  mem- 
bers The  present  membership  is  eighty-six.  The  chap- 
ter owns  a  three-story  brick  building,  valued  at  $5,000, 
with  furniture  worth  §500.  The  lodge  is  in  good  finan- 
cial working  condition. 

Sumwr  L»d</e,  No.  2821,  K.  of  H.,  was  organized 
August  30, 1882,  with  fourteen  charter  members.  Char- 
ter officers  were — Z.  D.  French,  D. ;  J.  S.  Christy,  A. 
D. ;  H.  A.  Murphy,  V.  D.;  B.  F.  Kilgore,  P.D. ;  Wm. 
H.  Westell,  R. ;  Lewis  Kite,  F.  R. 

Sunmer  Council,  No.  5(5,  was  organized  under  dispen- 
sation, Jan.  23d,  1872.  The  first  officers  were— T.  R. 
Hazzard,  T.  I.  G.  M. ;  A.  H.  Lewis,  -D.  G.  M. ;  J.  P. 
Jones,  P.  Con  of  W. ;  N.  B.  Huff,  Treasurer ;  C.  B. 
Jones,  Recorder.  It  has  a  present  membership  of  forty- 
six. 

Sumner  Lodge,  No.  249, 1.  0.   0.  F.,  was  instituted 
and  chartered  October  15,  1858,  at  Hadley,  whence  it  [ 
was  subsequently  moved  to  Sumner.     The  charter  mem- 
bers and  officers  were— William  E.  Robinson,  E.  La- 


throp,  Aaron  Dailey,  Philo  Bell,  and  B.  F.  Haynes. 
The  present  membership  numbers  thirty-five,  and  the 
financial  condition  of  the  lodge  is  excellent. 


This  village  was  laid  out  on  the  southwest  corner  of 
section  6,  township  3,  range  13,  by  William  and  Lind- 
say Laws,  under  the  name  of  Fertile  City.  It.  was  sur- 
veyed and  platted  Sept.  16, 1853,  by  Peter  Smith,  county 
surveyor  ;  and  the  plat  was  recorded  October  4th,  1853. 
On  the  site  of  the  town  stood  a  horse-mill,  built  by  Wil- 
liam Laws  as  early  as  1835.  At  one  time  a  considerable 
amount  of  business  was  done  at  this  point.  Among  the 
early  business  men  were  William  E.  Robinson,  Logan 
and  Dailey,  Yocum  and  Miller,  James  French,  D.  L. 
Wilson,  8.  R.  Robinson  and  T.  Green.  A  steam  saw 
and  flour-mill,  built  by  Lindsay  Laws,  was  in  operation 
here  some  years  ago.  The  town  has  now  gone  out  of 
existence.  Black  Jack  Post-office,  which  was  located  at 
a  point  two  miles  northwest  of  Sumner,  was  moved  to 
Hadley  about  1856.  William  E.  Robinson  was  the  first 
post- master. 


BIOGRAPHIES. 


CALEB  HOOPES, 

THE  efficient  postmaster  at  Sumner,  was  born  in  Dela- 
ware county,  Pennsylvania,  June  llth  1827-  His 
father,  Eber  Hoopes,  was  a  native  of  Chester  county, 
same  State.  His  grandfather  was  a  Quaker  of  English 
birth.  His  mother's  maiden  name  was  Hannah  Yerkes, 
who  being  a  Methodist  in  religious  faith,  caused  the  ex- 
communication of  his  father  from  the  Friends'  Society 
through  the  matrimonial  alliance.  Of  a  family  of  eight 
children,  Caleb  was  the  sixth  in  order  of  birth.  Eber 
Hoopes  was  by  profession  a  civil  engineer  and  merchant. 
He  died  in  November,  1835.  After  the  war  of  1812,  he 
merchandised  in  Nashville,  Tennessee.  Caleb  located 
in  Crawfordsville,  Indiana,  in  1834.  For  a  number  of 
years  he  engaged  his  services  as  clerk  in  dry  goods 
establishments  in  Wabash  township.  In  1850,  he  went  to 
Vinceunes  where  he  continued  in  the  same  business,  and  in 
1851  he  came  to  Lawrence  county.  He  enlisted  in  the 
month  of  September,  1802,  in  Co.  I.  130th  Regt.  Ills. 
Vol.,  in  which  service  he  was  made  2d  sergeant.  He 
participated  in  the  battles  of  Port  Gibson,  Champion  Hill, 
Black  River  Bridge,  Vicksburg  and  Jackson,  Mississippi. 
He  was  in  the  service  one  year.  Mr.  Hoopes  had  seen 
service  before,  having  been  an  equal  length  of  time  in 
Co  D.  1st  Indiana  Regiment,  under  Colonel  James  B. 


Drake.  He  came  to  Sumner  in  1864,  when  for  twelve 
years  he  engaged  in  the  business  of  general  merchan- 
dising. In  May,  1867,  he  was  appointed  postmaster  of 
Sumner,  a  place  he  has  since  successively  held."  He  was 
married  to  Margaret  C.  Deuisou,  daughter  of  William 
and  Elizabeth  Denison,  December  2d,  1852.  By  this 
union  there  are  six  living  children,  Sarah  E.,  Mary  E., 
Thomas  F.,  Margaret  M.,  Martha  J.,  and  William  S., 
and  two  dead,  Ida  and  Robert  D.  Politically,  Mr. 
Hoopes  is  a  pronounced  and  influential  Republican.  He 
is  a  most  genial  gentleman ;  a  true  friend  and  honest 
official. 


DR.  HUGH  A.  MURPHY. 

THE  medical  fraternity  of  Lawrence  county,  numbers  in 
its  ranks  no  more 'successful  practitioner  than  Dr.  Hugh 
A.  Murphy.  He  was  born  in  Walash  county,  Indiana, 
June  29th,  1845.  His  father,  James  Murphy,  was  a 
farmer,  a  native  of  Virginia,  whence  he  came  to  Indiana 
about  the  year  1836.  In  the  family  were  twelve  children, 
eight  of  whom  are  living.  Of  these  the  five  sons  were 
William  M.,  a  commercial  traveler  in  Missouri ;  David, 
a  farmer  in  Iowa  ;  Wicks,  an  editor  and  publisher  in 
Kansas ;  Nathan,  a  commercial  traveler  in  Iowa, 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  W ABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


and  the  subject  of  this  sketch.  In  common  with  his 
brothers  Hugh  obtained  a  fair  common  school  education. 
Upon  the  breaking  out  of  the  war  his  patriotism  led  him 
to  enlist  in  his  country's  service,  which  he  did  Sept.  26th, 
1861,  in  Co.  B.  47th  Regt.  Indiana  Vol.  Inf.  In  the 
service  he  remained  until  Dec  "l3,  1865.  Much  of  the 
time  he  was  engaged  in  hospital  duties,  as  an  assistant. 
Here  he  acquired  a  love  for  the  study  of  medicine,  which 


in  1873.  He  had,  before  this,  practiced  with  Dr.  Bates, 
with  whom  he  formed  a  co-partnership  which  continued 
during  five  years.  After  graduation  he  came  to  Sumner, 
where  he  has  since  resided.  For  four  years  he  followed 
the  drug  business,  and  in  1881  he  took  possession  of  the 
Christy  farm,  where  he  now  resides.  Although  he  farms 
largely,  his  old  time  patrons  will  not  permit  his  absolute 
retirement  from  his  profession.  He  married  Clara  J. 


— j j  — 

he  vigorously  prosecuted  under  the  tuition,  first  of  Dr.  I  Foster,  daughter  of  Charles  Foster,  October  6th,  1874. 
Perry,  then  of  Dr.  M.  D.  Frazer,  of  Bridgeport,  Law-  j  By  her  he  has  five  children,  one  son  and  four  daughter?, 
rence  county,  Illinois.  In  September,  1867,  he  went  to  j  Jessie  May,  Charles  Melvin,  Carrie  Ethel,  Mamie  Elsie 
Cincinnati,  when  he  entered  the  Ohio  Medical  College.  I  and  Vida  Ann,  by  name.  He  is  an  uncompromising 
After  attending  a  course  of  instruction  there  he  com-  |  Democrat.  He  comes  of  patriotic  stock,  numbering 
menced  practice  in  chancery,  Lawrence  county,  Illinois,  j  among  his  ancestors  soldiers  of  both  the  Revolutionary 
where  he  has  most  successfully  followed  it  for  fifteen  war  and  war  of  1812,  in  which  last  his  grandfather  was 
years.  In  April,  1883,  he,  in  connection  with  J.  M. 
Bosart,  bought  the  drug  store  of  W.  W.  Shepherd,  in 
Sumner,  to  which  place  he  moved  and  now  lives.  He  was 
married  to  Emma  Kingsbury,  daughter  of  Harlie  and 
Mary  Kingsbury,  natives  of  Ohio,  of  Puritan  stock, 


March  loth,  1871.  By  this  union  there  have  been  born 
four  children  —  Carrie  Laura,  Hugh  K.,  Milton  F.,  and 
Mary  G.,  by  name.  The  Doctor  is  a  Democrat,  politi- 
cally ;  a  member  of  the  Masonic,  and  of  the  Knights  of 
Honor  Orders. 

DR.  JAMES  o  MCDOWELL 

WAS  born  in  Lawrence  county,  New  York.  Nov.  18th, 
1843.  His  father,  Harvey  Theodore  McDowell,  was,  in 
early  life,  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  woolen  goods, 
but  exchanged  this  occupation  for  that  of  carpentering, 
which  he  has  constantly  followed  since.  In  New  York 
he  married  Mary  E.  Howe,  and  by  her  had  two  son?, 
William  Edward  and  James  O.  Mrs.  McDowell 
died  in  1846.  William  E.  in  1856.  In  the  year 
1859  father  and  son  came  West,  making  a  tour  of 
the  state  of  Illinois,  occupying  six  or  seven  months,  and 
finally  locating  in  Olney,  Richland  county,  where  they 
remained  two  years,  and  where  his  father  was  united  in 
marriage  with  Sarah  Nelson.  Harvey  T.  and  wife  soon 
after  located  in  Franconia,  Richland  county,  where  they 
have  since  continued  to  reside.  James  O.  McDowell, 
•wishing  to  see  more  of  the  world,  traveled  north  through 
Iowa,  Wisconsin  and  Minnesota,  returning  after  two 
years'  wandering.  Having  acquired  a  fair  common 
school  education,  and  being  by  nature  fitted  for  profes- 
sional life,  he  entered  upon  the  work  of  teaching  imme- 
diately upon  his  return  to  his  home,  in  what  is  known  as 


a  drum-major.     Genial,  courteous,  generous,  and  emi- 
nently social,  the  doctor  has  many  warm  friends. 


G.  W.  PETTY 
WAS  born    in  Perry  Co.,  Ohio,  May  18th,  1834. 


His 


the  Curtis  District,  in  Edwards  county.  After  a  six 
months'  term  he  returned  to  carpentering,  which  he  had 
followed  in  connection  with  his  father,  only  again  to 


parents,  who  were  natives  of  the  state  of  New  Jersey, 
were  early  settlers  in  Ohio,  whence  they  came  to  Law- 
rence county,  Illinois,  in  the  year  1838.  His  father's 
name  was  Joseph  Petty,  whilst  the  maiden  name  of  his 
mother  was  Elizabeth  Clover.  Joseph  Petty's  ancestors 
were  French  and  his  wife's  German.  In  the  family 
were  seven  sons  and  four  daughters.  Of  these,  the  sub- 
ject of  this  sketch  was  the  fourth  in  order  of  birth.  Of 
the  eleven  children,  two,  the  oldest  and  youngest,  Peter 
and  Perry,  by  name,  are  dead.  The  others  are  all  living 
in  the  neighborhood  where  the  parents  first  located  in 
Lawrence  county.  By  name  they  are  Mary  Ann,  Bal- 
sor,  George  W  ,  William,  Moses,  Jacob,  Lavinia,  Nancy 
E.  and  Hannah.  Joseph  Petty  was  among  tKe  substan- 
tial, energetic  farmers  of  his  vicinity.  Upon  coming 
west  his  first  move  was  to  pay  $500  for  a  tract  of  eighty 
acres  of  land,  although  it  was  surrounded  by  the  finest 
prairie,  open  to  entry  from  the  Government,  at  $1.25 
per  acre.  His  reason  for  making  the  investment  was, 
that  a  log  cabin  was  ready  for  occupancy.  In  life,  he 
was  quite  successful,  owning  at  one  time  as  much  as 
eight  hundred  acres  about  the  old  homestead.  He  died 
in  April,  1864  ;  his  widow  still  lives.  G.  W.  Petty  had  like 
opportunities  afforded  the  youth  of  his  section  of  country 
for  acquiring  an  education.  He  was  married  to  Sarah 
Jane  Burget,  on  the  8th  of  November,  1859,  by  whom 
he  has  six  children.  The  marriage  ceremony  was  per- 
formed by  Isaac  Potts,  at  that  time  Judge  of  the  county 


court.     The  names  of  the  children  of  G.  W.  and  Sarah 
J.  Petty  are  :  Annie  Laurie,  Belle  E.,  Rosa  C.,  Nellie, 
George  and  William.     Mr.  Petty  is  a  Democrat,  as  he 
yield  up  the  plane  and  saw  for  school-room  work,  upon     expresses  it,   he   was  rocked  in  a  Democratic% cradle, 
the  recurrence   of  the  winter  months,  this  time  in  the  j  reared  in  the  Democratic  faith,  from  which  he  has  never 

departed.  He  held  the  position  of  Road  Commissioner 
three  terms,  the  last  of  which  he  served  as  President. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  order,  in  which  he  takes 


Sugar  Creek  district,  same  county.  In  1867  he  entered 
the  office  of  Dr.  Clark,  at  Franconia,  as  a  student  of 
medicine.  He  next  attended  lectures  in  the  Cincinnati 
Medical  Institute,  from  which  institution  he  graduated  great  interest. 


He  was  representative  from  the  Blue 


Of 
UNIVERSITY 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WAS  ASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


269 


Lodge  in  1876,  and  of  the  Chapter,  in  the  Conclave  of 
the  Grand  Comnmndery  in  Chicago,  in  1880.  He  is,  as 
he  has  always  been,  a  farmer,  although  for  two  and  a  half 
yearj  he  was  the  proprietor  of  a  drug  store  in  Sumner. 


DR.  ZEBA  D.  FRENCH. 

IN  few  professions  do  men  endear  themselves  so  much 
to  their  patrons  as  in  the  practice  of  medicine,  and  he 
whose  name  appears  above  is  no  exception  to  the  quite 
universal  rule.  Dr.  French  was  born  in  Dubuque,  Iowa, 
June  24th,  1837.  His  father,  Chauncey  French,  was  by 
chance  a  native  of  Indiana,  having  been  born  in  that 
state  when  his  father's  family  were  on  their  way  west 
from  Massachusetts.  By  avocation  he  was  a  farmer  and 
stock  dealer,  which  he  varied  by  two  years'  experience 
in  mining,  prosecuted  in  Iowa  and  Wisconsin,  and 
merchandising  which  he  followed  about  six  years  in 
Sumner,  Lawrence  county.  The  later  years  of  his  life 
he  passed  upon  his  farm  in  the  vicinity  of  the  same  vil- 
lage, where  he  died  in  October,  1869.  His  wife,  whose 
maiden  name  was  Jane  Travis,  died  in  1859.  To 
them  were  born  ten  children,  five  of  whom  are  now  liv- 
ing ;  William  W.,  a  railroad  employee  in  Kansas ;  Mar- 
tha, now  in  California;  Jennie  Sumner,  of  Sumner; 
Henry  Clay,  a  railroad  conductor  in  Kansas,  and  the 
subject  of  this  sketch.  The  family  came  to  Lawrence 
county  when  the  doctor  was  but  two  years  Old,  in  1839. 
Zeba  D.  French  obtained  a  fair  common  school  edu- 
cation, which  was  supplemented  by  a  year's  attendance 
in  the  High  School  at  Evansville,  Indiana,  in  1856-57. 


He  early  became  infatuated  with  the  study  of  medicine, 
and  entered  the  office  of  Dr.  Panebaker  of  Sunnier  as  a 
student.  This  he  followed  up  with  study  under  Dr.  H. 
Smith  a  year,  then  with  Dr.  \V.  W.  Hilt,  of  Vincennes, 
Indiana,  and  attendance  upon  lectures  in  the  Chicago 
Medical  College  in  1 859-60.  Late  in  1860  he  began  the 
practice  of  his  profession  in  Charlotteville,  Illinois.  In 
1861,  when  the  call  was  made  for  soldiers  in  behalf  of 
the  cause  of  the  Union,  he  enlisted  in  the  first  company 
that  went  out  from  Lawrence  county,  Co.  I.  8th  Regi- 
ment Illinois,  three  months'  men.  In  November  follow- 
ing he  re-enlisted  in  the  llth  Missouri,  where  he  was 
promptly  placed  in  the  hospital  department  as  Hospi- 
tal Steward.  He  was  with  his  command  in  this  capaci- 
ty until  August,  1864.  The  duties  of  his  position  he 
discharged  with  credit.  After  his  term  of  service,  he 
entered  the  Iowa  Medical  College,  at  Keokuk,  Iowa( 
whence  he  graduated,  in  1865.  The  same  year,  April 
23rd,  he  was  united  in  marriage  with  Mary  Frances 
Crawford,  daughter  of- John  B.  and  Elizabeth  Crawford, 
natives  of  New  York.  By  her  he  has  two  children,  Nel- 
lie Z.,  born  July  4th,  1867,  and  Earl  Chauncey,  born 
Nov.  27th,  1876.  His  wife  died  in  Ripley  county,  Mis- 
souri, where  the  doctor  was  engaged  in  practice  about 
three  years,  Feb.  27th,  1877.  He  was  married  to  his 
present  wife,  Elizabeth  Cowden,  daughter  of  J.  P. 
Cowden.Oct.  llth,  1882.  The  doctor  is  a  very  pronounced 
Republican  ;  a  member  of  the  Masonic,  Odd  Fellows  and 
Knights  of  Honor  orders,  and  of  the  -Centennial  Medi- 
cal Society.  He  is  faithful  in  the  discharge  of  all  duties ; 
firm  in  his  friendships  and  skilled  in  his  profession. 


RUSSELL, 


LAWRENCE    CO. 


USSELL  township  is  bounded  on  the  north 
by  Crawford  county,  on  the  east  by  the 
Wabash,  on  the  south  by  Allison,  and  on 
the  west  by  Lawrence  and  Bond.  The 
northern  and  western  portions  were  originally,  and  are 
still,  to  some  extent,  heavily  timbered.  A  part  of  Purga- 
tory Swamp  is  embraced  by  the  township,  in  the  south- 
west. Most  of  congressional  township  4  north,  range  10 
west,  is  an  elevated  sandy  plain.  Sugar  creek  flowing 
into  Purgatory  Swamp,  and  Flat  creek  emptying  into 
the  Wabash  at  Russellville,  are  the  principal  sources  of 
drainage. 

The  first  settlements  in  the  township  were  made  at 
Russellville,  the  site  of  an  Indian  village,  about  the  year 
1809  or  '10.  Among  those  who,  at  this  time,  made  homes 


I  here  were  Samuel  and  Jonathan  Allison,  whose  name  is 
|  borne  by  the  prairie  lying  principally  south  and  west. 

They  came  from  Kentucky  with  families.  Samuel's 
|  children  were  Daniel,  John,  Isaac,  Richard,  Samuel,  Jr., 
I  Nancy,  Lydia,  and  Phebe.  Jonathan  had  three  sons, 

I*aac,  David,  and  Joseph,  and  two  daughters,  Phebe  and 
I  Nancy.  Frederick  and  Ezra  Allison  were  married  sons 

of  Samuel,  having  families  when  the  Allisons  came  to 
]  prairie.  The  fort  was  built  in  the  spring  of  1812,  as  a 

protection  against  the  Indians,  and  stood  in  what 
|  is  now  the  northern  part  of  Russellville  It  was 
|  projected  and  built  by  Samuel  Allison.  About  this 

time,   1809    or    10,    or  shortly  after,   came    Thomas 

Mills,  William  Stockwell,  William  Hogue,  Daniel  and 

Henry  Kuykendall,  and  a  man  named  McBane,  all  of 


270 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


whom  became  inmates  of  the  fort,  and  probably  assisted 
in  its  construction.  Mills  was  from  Kentucky  and  had 
eight  children,  viz.,  Edward,  John,  Thomas,  Jr.,  Mary, 
Lydia,  Amy,  Rebecca,  and  Matilda.  He  had  prior  to 
entering  the  fort  made  an  improvement  about  two  hundred 
yards  north  of  its  site,  to  which  in  the  spring  of  1815, 
he  returned,  and  which  was  his  permanent  home.  Stock- 
well  was  likewise  a  Teunesseean.  Hischilden  were  Wm., 
Jesse,  Henry,  Thompson,  Michael,  Rachel,  and  Eliza. 
The  brothers  Kuykendall  came  from  Ohio.  Henry 
was  married  and  lived  on  the  present  site  of  Russellville. 
Hogue  immigrated  from  Kentucky,  and  had  one  son, 
Jeremiah.  He  settled  on  the  N.  W.  }  of  section  28, 
township  5,  range  10,  and  subsequently  moved  to  a  point 
opposite  Terre  Haute,  and  there  died.  McBane  had 
one  son  and  two  daughters,  Mary  and  Ellen.  He  located 
about  three-fourths  of  a  mile  north  of  Russellville.  The 
Ind'an  hostilities  checked  immigration  till  1815.  Then 
came  Peter  Price  from  Ohio,  with  nine  children,  Henry, 
Peter,  Jr ,  Michael,  David,  George,  John,  William, 
Mary,  and  Sarah,  and  settled  on  the  N  E.  i  of  the  S. 
W.  \  of  section  15,  township  4,  range  10.  In  1818  he 
moved  to  the  E.  i  of  S.  E.  }  of  section  33,  township  5, 
range  11.  With  Price  came  his  cousin  Jeremiah  Price, 
also  a  married  man.  One  Garner,  from  Ohio,  about 
this  time,  1815,  settled  on  the  S.  W.  J  of  section  10, 
township  4,  range  10.  In  the  same  neighborhood  lived 
a  family  of  Manns,  who  came  from  Ohio.  Joseph  and 
James  Baird,  probably  as  early  as  1814,  settled  on  the  N. 
W.  \  of  section  18.  James  was  shot  by  an  Indian  while 
plowing.  William  Miller,  in  1816,  brought  from  Ohio, 
a  family  of  nine  children,  viz ,  Robert,  John,  Jane, 
Thomas  A.,  Samuel,  Elizabeth,  Rachel,  and  Belinda, 
and  settled  on  the  N.  W.  i  of  section  28,  township  5, 
range  10.  Israel  Price  came  with  Miller,  and  settled 
in  the  township.  Samuel  and  Eli  Harris,  came  from 
Tennessee,  with  families,  in  1815,  and  settled  on  section 
13,  in  what  was  known  as  the  Christian  settlement. 
Samuel  had  two  sons,  John  and  Perzas,  and  two  daugh- 
ters. Eli  was  one  of  the  earliest  teachers  in  Centre 
school-house,  and  also  taught  singing  school  there. 
Chas.  Emmons,  formerly  from  Virgiuia,  came  to  the  town- 
ship from  Kentucky,  in  1818,  and  settled  permanently  on 
the  W.  i  of  section  3.  He  brought  with  him  nine 
children,  William,  Wesley,  Charles,  Sinclair,  Thornton, 
Wyley,  Martha,  Elizabeth,  and  Fannie.  In  this  year, 
came  the  Pinkstaff  families,  from  Kentucky.  Andrew 
Pinkstaff  settled  on  the  S.  \  of  the  N.  W.  i  of  section  2, 
where  he  made  his  permanent  home,  and  died  at  the  age 
of  about  ninety-nine  years.  He  had  served  as  a  soldier  in 
the  war  of  the  revolution.  His  son,  John,  brought  five 
children,  Andrew,  John,  Owen,  Nancy,  and  Cynthia, 
and  settled  on  the~N.  E.  }  of  the  S.  E.  1  of  section  3, 
township  4,  range  11,  where  he  died  at  the  age  of  about 
seventy-five  years.  The  Pinkstaff  family  is  a  quite  j 
numerous  one  in  the  northern  part  of  the  county.  John  j 
Felton,  came  from  Pennsylvania,  a  single  man,  in  1818.  j 
Married  Huldah  Harrimau,  and  settled  on  the  S.  E.  }  I 


of  section  29,  township  5,  range  11.  The  Harriman 
family  came  from  New  York.  The  children  were  John, 
Luke,  Stephen,  and  Huldah,  just  mentioned,  and 
Clarissa.  John  was  a  mechanic.  Samuel  Haskins,  also 
I  from  New  York,  in  1818,  had  a  family  of  five  children, 
Robert,  Hiram,  Samuel,  Abigail,  and  Maria.  He  settled 
about  a  mile  southeast  of  Russellville,  and  kept  a  hotel. 
|  One  Lamfere,  with  a  family,  was  among  the  earliest 
j  arrivals.  About  1818,  he  established  a  ferry  a  short 
1  distance  below  the  present  site  of  Russellville.  It  con- 
tinned  in  operation  about  ten  or  twelve  years.  The  boat 
was  sufficient  to  carry  a  team  and  wagon.  Austin  Tann, 
a  negro,  who  had  been  an  inmate  of  the  fort,  and  was 
afterward  a  member  of  the  Shaker  community,  about 
1820,  settled  on  the  N.  W.  i  of  section  10,  township  4, 
range  11.  He  was  quite  intelligent,  and  was  influential 
among  those  of  his  own  race.  The  central  portion  of  so 
much  of  Allison  prairie,  as  lies  in  the  township,  was  but 
little  settled  until  about  1829  or  '30.  At  this  time 
Adam  Lackey,  John  Ashbrook,  and  John  Organ,  all 
settled  in  section  8.  Peyton  Moler  settled  on  the  S.  \  of 
section  5  ;  James  Vance,  on  the  N.  W.  1  of  section  9 ;  Jas. 
Fisher,  on  the  N.  W.  \  of  section  17  ;  Abijah  Emmons, 
on  section  18 ;  and  James  Mickey,  on  the  S.  W.  t  of 
that  section.  The  latter  was  from  Pennsylvania  with  a 
family  of  seven  children. 

The  first  white  child  of  American  parents,  born  in 
^Lawrence  county,  was  E.  P.  Tyffe,  in  Russellville,  July 
17,  1812.     He  died  March  12, 1878. 

In  1817  a  school  was  taught  in  an  old  cabin  that  stood 
on  the  northwest  quarter  of  the  southeast  quarter  of  sec- 
tion 4,  township  4,  range  10.  A  round  log  school-house 
was  built  about  1822  on  ihe  southwest  quarter  of  section 
5.  Samuel  Borden,  a  young  man  from  New  Jersey, 
taught  the  first  school.  The  first  school  in  the  western 
part  of  the  township  was  taught  by  Borden  in  a  log 
school-house  about  1821.  Little  Village  Cemetery  was 
laid  out  by  John  Mills  m  1818,  just  north  of  Russell- 
ville. Old  Mr.  McBane  was  the  first  person  buried 
here ;  the  next  was  Samuel  Allison,  and  the  third,  Daniel 
Kuykendall. 

About  the  year  1809  or  10,  several  families  of  Baptists 
from  Kentucky  settled  north  of  the  site  of  Russellville, 
in  Lawrence  and  Crawford  counties.  Elder  Thomas 
Kennedy  and  Daniel  Parker  preached  for  this  commu- 
nity ;  and  in  1817  a  church  was  organized  at  the  house 
of  Thomas  Mills.  In  1821  the  society  built  a  log  house 
of  worship  on  the  site  of  the  cemetery,  now  owned  by 
Mr.  Tewalt,  above  the  village.  The  house,  after  years 
of  use,  rotted  and  went  to  decay,  but  the  venerable  so- 
ciety that  met  within  its  rude  walls  still  exists  under  the 
name  of  Canaan  Church,  whose  house  of  worship  now 
occupies  the  site  about  four  miles  north  of  Russellville, 
in  Crawford  county;  to  which  the  primitive  Little  Vil- 
lage church  was  removed.  Among  the  pious  families 
who  were  active  and  instrumental  in  the  affairs  of  this 
ancient  society  were  the  brothers  Samuel  and  Jonathan 
Allison,  Frederick  and  Ezra  Allison,  sons  of  Samuel  and 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  W ABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS.          271 


Richard  Allison,  and  Richard  Highsmith,  leaders  of  the 
flock,  and  the  Mills. 

Following  will  be  found  the  first  land  entries :  Aug. 
10,  1814,  William  Howard  entered  the  southwest  quar- 
ter of  section  14,  township  4,  range  11.  January  '24th, 
1815,  John  Duulap  entered  the  northeast  quarter  of  sec- 
tion 13.  May  13,  1815,  Samuel  Allison  entered  the 
southeast  quarter  of  section  13.  August  13,  1814,  Sa- 
muel Harris  entered  the  southwest  quarter  of  section  13. 
August  8,  1815,  Moses  Turner  entered  the  northeast 
quarter  of  section  15,  township  4,  range  11. 

The  following  is  a  list  of  supervisors,  with  their  terms 
of  office :  Andrew  Pinkstaff,  1857  ;  A.  C.  Baird,  1858- 
1859  ;  Capt.  John  Tilton,  1860,  1861  ;  James  N.  Alli- 
son, 1862,  1863  ;  D.  H.  Morgan,  1864 ;  J.  N.  Allison, 
1865-1867  ;  Josiah  Tewalt,  1868 ;  Francis  M.  Pinkstaff, 
1869  :  Josiah  Tewalt,  1870-1872;  H.  B.  Broyles,  lt<73; 
T.  E.  Adams,  1874  ;  Charles  Piukstaff,  1875 :  Joel  Har- 
mon, 1876;  Adam  Lackey,  1877;  Thomas  G.  Cecil, 
1878,  1879  (chairman  in  1880,  resigned,  and  John  P. 
Price  chosen  to  the  vacancy) ;  J.  P.  Price,  1881,  1882, 
1883. 

RUSSELLVILLE 

occupies  the  site  of  an  Indian  town  called  Little  Village. 
A  number  of  small  mounds  were  in  existence,  and  were 
burial-places.  The  grave  of  Little  Turtle  is  still  pointed 
out.  From  it,  a  few  years  since,  was  exhumed  the  figure 
of  a  turtle,  which  the  implacable  enemy  of  the  pale-face 
had  worn  with  a  chain  about  his  neck.  The  town  was 
laid  out  by  David  Price  on  location  5,  township  4,  range 
10,  and  was  surveyed  and  platted  by  S.  Dunlap,  county 
surveyor,  October  26,  27,  28,  1835.  It  was  named  in 
honor  of  August,  Andrew  and  Clement  Russell,  three 
brothers,  from  Kentucky,  who,  in  1835,  built  a  saw-mill 
and  manufactured  the  lumber  for  the  first  buildings  in 
the  town.  Since  that  time  the  village  has  had  eight 


I  saw  and  grist-mills.  The  present  frame  two-story,  two- 
run  flouring  mill,  erected  by  George  W.  Toreman  in 
1881,  is  a  rebuilding  of  that  put  up  by  T.  J.  Kyle  in 
1855,  which  was  burned  in  1880.  Ferdinand  Vande- 
burg  sold  the  first  goods  in  a  small  frame  store-house 
built  in  1834  or  '35.  A.  R.  Slosson,  now  of  Vincennes, 
built  the  first  blacksmith  shop  in  1837.  About  this 

j  time  David  Price  established  a  ferry  and  built  a  boat 
sufficient  to  carry  a  team.  The  first  (frame)  school- 

.  house  was  built  soon  after  the  town  was  laid  out,  and 
served  its  purpose  till  the  present  frame  two  room  house 
was  built  at  a  cost  of  about  $1600  in  the  fall  of  1861. 
The  post-office  was  established  in  1835.  A  frame  church 
was  built  by  the  Christian  Denomination  about  1845. 
In  1873  it  was  rebuilt  at  a  cost  of  $500  or  $600.  The 
town  was  first  incorporated  in  1872.  In  1875  it  was  a 
second  time  incorporated  under  the  general  law  of 
Illinois. 

PRESENT   BUSINESS. 

Physician.— T.  J.  Ford,  J.  J.  McKibbon. 

Druggists. — Anderson  Brothers. 

General  Stores  —W.  E.  Fitch,  J.  Leonard  &  Co. 

Grocer.— W.  H.  Thomas. 

Blacksmith  and  Cabinet  Maker. — W.  A.  Boring. 

Carpenter  and   Wagon  Maker. — Henry  Dugan. 

&koemaker.—T.  A  Hall. 

Post-master.— J.  B.  Regan. 

Hotel.— Mrs.  Diana  Falls. 

For  a  distance  of  one  and  a-half  miles  along  the  "Wa- 

!  bash,  south  of  Russellville,  including  its  site,  existed 

many  small  mounds  of  earth.     They  were  usually  about 

fifty  feet  in  circumference,  and  were  commonly  found  in 

small  groups.    Some  of  them  have  been  explored  in  the 

!  interest  of  science,  and  specimens  of  pottery,  implements 

of  war,  a  toy,  a  copper  kettle,  etc.,  have  been  removed. 

A  quantity  of  bones  were  also  exhumed,  showing  that 

these  mounds  were  burial-places. 


SHELBY 


EDWARDS    CO. 


| HIS  political  division  of  Edwards  county  occu- 
pies the  northwestern  part,  and  is  bounded  on 
the  north  by  Richland  county,  on  the  east 
by  Salem  and  Albion  precincts,  on  the  south  by  Albion 
and  on  the  west  by  Wayne  county,  from  which  its  terri- 
tory extends  east,  excluding  one  tier  of  sections  from 
range  10.  North  and  south  it  embraces  all  between 
the  northern  limit  of  the  southern  tier  of  sections  of 
town.  2,  north,  and  the  southern  line  of  the  third  tier, 
from  the  north  of  town.  1,  south.  The  surface  is  gener- 
ally level,  but  slightly  undulating  localities  occur.  It 
was  originally  timbered,  except  that  Long  Prairie  in 
the  east,  Village  Prairie  in  the  southeast  and  Sugar 
Creek  Prairie  were  open  areas.  Timber,  much  of  which 
is  of  recent  growth,  is  quite  abundant,  and  is  an  import- 
ant source  of  wealth.  The  varieties  of  hard  wood  are 
•well  represented.  Corn,  oats  and  wheat  are  the  princi- 
pal products,  the  last  being  the  staple.  Apples  are 
quite  abundant.  The  principal  streams  are  the  Little 
Wabash,  Fox  river  and  Sugar  creek.  The  latter  enters 
the  precinct  at  section  35,  town.  2,  north,  and  flows  south- 
west, into  the  Little  Wabash  at  section  17,  town.  1, 
north,  draining  the  northern  part  of  the  precinct. 

The  earliest  permanent  settlements  were  made  by 
Jonathan  Shelby,  after  whom  the  preciuct  was  named, 
Thomas  Carney,  John  Bell  and  Lot  Sams,  a  short  ac- 
count of  whose  life  will  be  found  in  the  chapter  devoted 
to  Salem  precinct.  These  pioneers  fixed  their  homes  in 
the  wilderness,  far  in  advance  of  civilization.  In  the 
year  1815,  Shelby  and  Carney,  with  their  families,  came 
in  company  from  Tennessee,  having  stopped  a  year  in 
Grayville.  i  The  former  settled  on  the  northwest  quar- 
ter of  section  34,  township  1  north,  range  10.  His 
children  were  Nile,  Jonathan,  Jr.,  William,  Jennings, 
Jackson,  Nancy,  Oripy,  Jency,  Seley  and  Patsey,  two 
or  three  of  whom  came  to  Illinois,  as  a  part  of  their 
father's  family.  He  was  an  active  and  energetic  man, 
and  held  the  office  of  justice  of  the  peace  for  many 
years.  In  1831  he  moved  to  the  northeast  quarter  of 
the  northeast  quarter  of  section  18,  township  1  north, 
and  there,  on  the  Little  Wabash,  in  1835,  built  the  first 
water-mill  in  the  .precinct.  It  w<s  of  a  rude  and  primi- 
tive character,  but  proved  a  substantial  benefit  to  the 
community.  His  death  occurred  at  the  mill  property 
about  the  year  1838.  The  Shelby  family  is  one  of  the 
most  numerous  in  the  preciuct.  Carney  settled  on  the 
southwest  quarter  of  the  southeast  quarter  of  seotion 
34,  township  1,  north.  Two  or  three  of  a  family  of 

272 


eight  grown  children  he  brought  to  the  precinct  with 
him,  and  was  a  leading  farmer  and  highly  respected 
citizen.  This  gentleman  held  the  office  of  county  com- 
missioner for  a  number  of  years.  To  him  belongs  the 
honor  of  erecting  the  first  mill  in  the  preciuct  in  the 
year  1832.  It  was  a  horse-power-mill,  and  rude  in  con- 
struction, but  a  valuable  aid  in  those  early  times. 
About  1844,  Carney  moved  to  Missouri  and  there  died 
twelve  or  fifteen  years  ago.  John  Bell  was  a  native  of 
South  Carolina,  of  German  descent.  He  moved  with 
his  parents  to  Kentucky,  where  he  married,  and  subse- 
quently went  to  Tennessee,  where  he  married  again,  his 
first  wife  having  died  in  Kentucky.  He  enlisted  in 
the  army  of  1812,  and  served  his  country  about  one 
year.  In  1815  he  moved  to  Illinois  with  his  family, 
consisting  of  his  wife,  Elizabeth  Carney,  sister  of  Thomas, 
already  mentioned,  and  five  or  six  children,  and  settled 
on  the  southwest  quarter  of  section  27,  where  he  resided 
all  his  life.  He  was  a  plain,  unassuming  farmer,  and 
was  noted  for  his  peaceable  disposition  and  good,  neigh- 
borly qualities.  Harrison  C.  Bell,  his  third  child,  now 
resides  on  the  southwest  quarter  of  the  southwest  quar- 
ter of  section  10,  township  1,  south,  and  is  a  farmer  and 
Baptist  minister. 

An  interruption,  accidental  or  otherwise,  occurs  at 
this  point,  in  the  course  of  immigration,  and  the  next 
permanent  settler  is  met  with  in  the  year  1826.  Then 
came  Stephen  Mounts  with  his  family,  which  consisted 
of  his  wife,  whose  maiden  name  was  May  Stinnett  and 
several  children,  from  Indiana.  Three  of  his  children 
are  yet  living.  Mr.  Mounts  was  a  plain,  unassuming 
farmer,  an  industrious  man  and  good  citizen.  This 
gentleman,  moreover,  was  a  patriot  and  served  in  the 
Black  Hawk  war,  in  Captain  C.  S.  Maddiug's  company. 
Henry  Warmouth,  a  Tennesseean,  with  his  wife  and 
children,  Mary,  Luciuda,  Judy,  John,  Isaac  and  Philip, 
(twins)  and  Margaret,  arrived  in  1827  or  1828,  and 
settled  on  the  southeast  quarter  of  the  southwest  quar- 
ter of  section  23,  which  was  his  permanent  home. 
Henry  Curtis  came  from  Tenneslee  in  the  year  1828. 
He  had  a  wife  and  six  children,  viz. :  William,  John, 
Isaac,  Mary,  Ann  and  Jincy.  This  gentleman  was  of 
an  unsettled  disposition,  changing  his  home  frequently. 
Field  sports,  such  as  hunting,  occupied  much  of  his  time 
and  attention,  but  he  worked  at  various  odd  jobs,  in- 
cluding carpentry.  Mr.  Curtis  died  about  the  year 
1848.  William,  his  son,  was  four  times  married,  and 
raised  quite  a  numerous  family  of  children.  The 


FARM  RES/D£NC£   Of  Wf  H  MEDLER,  SIC.  34,  T.I,  S.R.  IO  £..   ALB/ ON  PRECINCT;  EDWARDS  CO.  ILL. 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


273 


Curtises  are  among  the  wealthiest  and  most  prominent 
citizens  of  Shelby  precinct.  In  the  same  year  and  from 
the  same  state  came  Rese  Shelby,  with  his  wife  and 
eight  children,  viz  :  David,  Evans,  Garrison,  Semple, 
Moses,  Lotta,  Betsy  aud  Holdeu.  He  settled  on  the 
southwest  quarter  of  section  84,  township  1  N.  He  was  j 
a  plain  farmer  and  good  citizen.  His  death  took  place 
more  than  twenty  years  ago.  His  widow  died  in  1880, 
at  an  advanced  age.  To  the  year  1828  belongs  also  the 
immigration  of  Champion  S.  Madding.  He  was  a 
native  of  Virginia,  and  when  seven  or  eight  years  of 
age,  left  that  state  and  moved,  with  his  father's  family, 
to  Tennessee,  where  he  married  and  followed  farming 
till  he  set  out  for  Illinois,  with  his  wife  and  five  children, 
William  C.,  Isabel,  L.  B.,  Sallie  and  J.  M.  After  a 
short  sojourn  in  Richland  county,  he  settled  on  section 
11,  township  1  N.  He  had,  at  different  times,  three 
wives,  and  reared  eight  children.  Mr.  Madding  was  a 
soldier  in  the  Florida,  and  a  captain  in  the  Black  Hawk 
wars,  commanding  a  company  on  the  banks  of  the  Mis- 
sissippi, in  the  battle  resulting  in  the  surrender  of  Black 
Hawk.  He  was  a  large,  powerful  man,  weighing  225 
pounds.  He  was  one  of  the  early  regular  Baptist  min- 
isters aud  the  frequent  companion,  in  preaching,  of  Rev. 
Jere  Doty.  The  oldest  living  settler  of  Shelby  precinct 
is  Starling  Hill.  He  was  born  in  Washington  county, 
Kentucky,  in  the  year  1803.  Limited  as  were  his  early 
educational  advantages,  he  has,  by  indomitable  persever- 
ance and  steady  effort,  made  himself  thoroughly  well 
informed.  While  in  his  native  state  he  followed  farm- 
ing and  shoemaking.  At  the  age  of  twenty-five,  with  his 
wife  and  three  children,  Clarissa,  Mary  M.  and  Sidney, 
in  a  four  horse  wagon,  he  came  to  Illinois,  and  first  settled 
near  the  site  of  the  village  of  West  Salem,  where  he 
built  a  log  house  and  cleared  some  land.  In  1829  he 
moved  to  the  northwest  quarter  of  section  11,  township 
1  south,  range  10  east,  entered  land  and  began  improve- 
ment. Mr.  Hill's  occupation  has  been  that  of  a  farmer 
and  stock-raiser.  He  is  now  retired  and  resides  with 
his.  son,  on  the  old  homestead,  at  the  age  of  eighty  years. 
His  wife  was  Elizabeth  Bassett,  by  whom  he  had  sixteen 
children,  and  in  addition  to  these  he  also  reared  twelve 
orphans.  For  a  period  of  three  months  he  served  in 
the  Black  Hawk  war  in  Captain  Madding's  company. 
Marcus  Johnson  and  family  came  to  the  precinct  among 
the  early  settlers,  and  lived  in  the  northeastern  part  of 
section  35.  Thomas  Gill,  who  lives  on  section  15,  town- 
ship 1  south,  was  born  in  Albion  precinct  in  1826. 
His  father,  Thomas  Gill,  was  a  native  of  England  and 
came  to  Edwards  county  in  the  year  1818.  A  large 
encampment  of  Indian  hunters  roamed  over  the  terri- 
tory of  Shelby  precincc  about  the  year  1820.  It  is  re- 
ported that  during  one  season  they  killed  five  hundred 
does,  which  they  decoyed  from  their  feeding-places  by 
imitating  the  cry  of  a  fawn.  For  a  number  of  years 
after  most  of  the  deer  shot  by  the  settlers  were  males. 
The  first  church  society  was  of  the  regular  Baptist 
denomination,  and  was  organized  in  1825.  It  held  its 
35 


first  meeting  in  a  building,  used  for  school  purposes,  on 
the  southwest  quarter  of  the  southeast  quarter  of  section 
34,  township  1  north.  At  this  place,  about  1836,  the 
congregation  built  a  log  house  of  worship,  48x24  feet. 
The  first  minister  was  Rev.  Jere  Doty.  He  was  what 
was  then  denominated  a  "  cornfield  "  (farmer)  preacher, 
and  was  much  respected.  He  was  fond  of  relating  the 
story  of  his  conversion,  which  he  told  so  often  in  his 
sermons  that  the  boys  of  the  settlement  learned  it  by 
heart,  and  frequently  repeated  it  in  merriment.  One 
McCowen  taught  a  school  in  a  long  cabin  on  the  north- 
west quarter  of  the  southeast  quarter  of  section  33,  town- 
ship 1  north,  as  early  as  1827.  A  gentleman  by  the  name 
of  Moore  taught  here  in  1828.  The  first  building  put 
up  for  school  purposes  was  a  frame,  erected  in  1856,  on 
the  southeast  of  the  northeast  of  section  33,  township  1 
north.  Edgar  Brandon  was  its  first  occupant.  The 
precinct  was  represented  in  the  Black  Hawk  war  by 
Captain  C.  S.  Madding,  James  Ball,  Josiah  Lay,  William 
Curtis,  David  Shelby,  Thomas  Sanders,  I.  Shelby, 
Robert  Russel,  Jonathan  Shelby,  Jr.,  Matthew  Mays, 
Harrison  Moore,  Joseph  Mounts,  Hugh  Mounts,  Robert 
Doherty,  John  Stinnett,  Benjamin  Wilson,  J.  Wilson, 
Samuel,  John  aud  James  Edmanson,  James  Ellison,  and 
James  Jennings.  The  following  are  the  first  land 
entries:  September  6,  1817,  L.  White  and  L.  May 
entered  the  west  half  of  the  northeast  quarter  of  sec- 
tion 7.  September  15,  1817,  Charles  Stinnett,  the 
northeast  quarter  of  section  9.  September  27,  1817, 
Henry  Ayers,  the  southwest  quarter  of  section  10. 
January  19, 1818,  Mathias  Mounts  the  southwest  quar- 
ter of  section  17.  September  17,  1818,  J.  and  J.  Dun- 
lap  the  southeast  quarter  of  section  3.  The  above  are 
in  township  1  S.  The  following  are  in  township  1  north. 
May  12,  1820,  Isam  Roger  the  west  half  of  the  south- 
west t  sec.  33.  Feb.  8, 1822,  Thomas  Carney  the  west  half 
of  the  southeast  quarter  of  section  34.  March  9,  1822, 
Matthew  Doherty,  the  west  half  of  the  southwest  quarter 
of  section  32,  township  2  north. 

Bennington,  of  which  nothing  but  the  name  remains, 
had  its  origin  in  Shelby's  mill  already  spoken  of.  Here 
Dr.  Baker,  the  proprietor  of  Bennington,  built  a  frame 
water-mill  about  1 842.  James  Jones  and  Henry  Walser, 
in  1865,  erected  a  frame  mill,  two  and  a  half  story,  30 
by  40,  which  was  of  considerable  importance.  It  burned 
in  1870  as  the  property  of  Ulsehouse  and  Potter.  A 
short  distance  above  its  site  now  stands  Philander 
Gould's  saw  mill.  Bennington  was  laid  out  in  1841  or 
1842  by  Dr.  Baker,  and  two  or  three  town  lots  were 
disposed  of.  Centreville,  on  section  33,  township  1  north, 
consists  of  a  store-house,  a  blacksmith-shop  and  two  or 
three  dwellings.  Maple  Grove  post-office  was  established 
about  1850,  and  Robert  Marshall,  of  section  2,  township 
1  north,  the  present  incumbent  was  the  first  post-master. 
The  population  of  tl~e  precinct  consists  of  Tennesseeaus, 
Kentuckians,  English  and  Germans  and  their  descend- 
ants. The  evidences  of  industry  and  economy  are 
everywhere  apparent. 


BIOGRAPHIES. 


WAS  born  in  Edwards  county,  January  3,  1826.  His 
parents,  Thomas  and  Mary  Gill,  whose  maiden  name 
was  May,  were  both  natives  of  England,  and  were 
among  the  pioneers  of  this  county,  having  located 
here  in  1818.  The  family  consisted  of  eight  children, 
equally  divided  as  to  sex.  Thomas  Gill  was  the  second 
of  the  sons  in  the  order  of  birth.  Farmers'  sons  in  the 
early  days  of  Edwards  county  had  but  little  opportunity 
for  acquiring  an  education  ;  this  was  the  lot  of  Thomas. 
However,  he  being  possessed  of  natural  ability  of  a  high 
order,  made  the  best  of  his  chances,  and  obtained  a  fair 
knowledge  of  books.  He  has  always  pursued  farming 
274 


as  a  vocation.  He  was  united  in  marriage  to  Eliza  Gil- 
lard,  May  16,  1849.  By  her  he  had  eight  children, 
namely  :  Madaline,  died  November  3,  1876  ;  Bradford 
J.,  died  September  21,  1876;  Hannah,  now  the  wife  of 
Albert  Stafford;  Franklin,  Mary  E.,  Jethro  and  two 
that  died  in  infancy.  Mrs.  Gill  died  October  1,  1874. 
He  was  married  to  his  present  wife,  Hannah  M.,  daughter 
of  William  and  Hannah  Stanhope,  from  Linconshire, 
England,  February  6,  1876.  The  Stanhopes  came  to 
this  county  in  1833.  Mr.  Gill  is  a  member  of  the  Grange, 
of  the  Masonic  order  and  of  the  Christian  church. 


:^.~  ....... -.-•-- 

'  ~&  RESIDENCE  Or  JAMES  N.  SMITH,    SEC.  -4,  T,  I ,  R.  IO,  SHELBY  PR1C/NCT ,  EDWARDS  CO.  ILL. 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


27-r> 


IN  the  northern  part  of  Shelby  precinct  are  so  many 
from  Kentucky  as  to  give  to  the  section  the  appel- 
lation of  "Little  Kentucky."  Among  them  none  are 
more  respected  than  James  P.  Frost,  who  was"  born  in 
Allen  county,  that  state,  February  17, 1842.  His  father, 
William  B.  Frost,  was  also  a  native  of  Kentucky,  a 
farmer.  He  died  in  the  old  home  July  3,  1850.  His  j 
mother,  whose  maiden  name  was  Sarah  Holloway,  moved 
with  her  family  of  six  children,  of  whom  the  subject  of  i 
this  sketch  was  second  in  order  of  birth,  to  Franklin 
county,  Illinois,  in  1854,  where  she  died,  December  9, 
1882,  aged  ssventy-one  years.  James  P.  came  to  Ed-  ' 


wards  county  in  1860.  Here  he  was  married  to  Julia 
Shelby,  daughter  of  Jonathan  Shelby,  one  of  Edwards 
county's  most  honored  citizens,  March  28, 1864.  By  this 
union  there  have  been  born  eight  children,  two  of 
whom,  Franklin  and  Alia,  died  quite  young,  and  six 
Laura,  Sarah,  Luella,  Amy,  Mollie  and  Mayo  are  living. 
Mr.  Frost  is  one  of  the  pushing,  wide-awake  progressive 
farmers  of  his  section.  He  is  a  prominent  Democrat 
politically;  a  man  of  pleasing  address,  high  social 
qualities  and  excellent  judgment,  he  has  made  for  him- 
self a  host  of  friends. 


276 


hiSTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  W ABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


JOHN  M.  BLOOD  (DECEASED) 
WAS  one  of  the  most  respected  citizens  of  Edwards 
county.  He  was  born  in  New  York,  August  6,  1820, 
and  came  to  this  county  in  1838.  By  trade  he  was  a 
miller.  When  a  young  man  he  went  as  a  hand  on  a 
flat-boat  laden  with  hoop-poles,  corn,  meat,  etc.,  down 
the  Little  Wabash  from  near  Bennington,  Wabash, 
Ohio  and  Mississippi  rivers,  to  New  Orleans.  He 
started  in  life  with  a  very  small  capital,  but  by  honest 
industry  and  economy  accumulated  considerable  pro- 
perty. For  a  number  of  years  he  kept  a  store  at 
Bennington,  of  which  office  he  was  postmaster  until 
the  time  of  his  death,  He  was  married  to  Sarah  A. 
Vyce,  a  native  of  Stowe,  Norfolk,  England,  March  8, 


1848,  by  whom  he  had  six  children,  two  of  whom  died 
young,  and  four,  James  H.,  Mary  C.  Ridgeley,  Frank  L. 
and  George  C.  are  living.  Mrs.  Blood  was  brought  to 
this  country  when  a  child,  first  to  New  York,  then 
Ohio,  and  then  here.  Two  of  their  children  are  mar- 
ried, James  H.  to  Permelia  A.  Holthausen,  October  14, 
1877,  and  Mary  C.  to  W.  S.  Ridgeley,  December  27, 
1877. 

During  the  last  few  years  of  his  life  Mr.  Blood 
was  in  failing  health,  and  thinking  to  improve  it,  took  a 
trip  to  Minnesota,  remaining  some  time,  in  1866.  All 
efforts  were  useless,  and  lamented  by  a  large  circle  of 
friends  and  acquaintances,  he  passed  away,  April  30, 
1876. 


ALLISON. 


LAWRENCE    CO. 


.LISON  TOWNSHIP  was  first  organized 
under  the  name  of  Thompson,  but  sub- 
sequently received  its  present  name,  derived 
from  the  prairie  of  whicli  its  surface  is 
almost  entirely  composed.  It  is  bounded  on  the  north  by 
Russell  township,  on  the  east  by  Indiana,  and  on  the  south 
by  Dennison  township,  which  with  Lawrence  forms  its 
western  boundary.  The  surface  is  that  of  a  level  prairie, 
largely  subject  to  overflow  when  not  properly  protected 
by  levees.  The  soil  consists  of  sand,  with  an  admixture 
of  black  loam.  Timber  is  not  abundant,  and  is  confined 
to  the  southern  part  and  to  a  narrow  belt  along  the 
Wabash. 

The  first  settlement  in  the  township  was  opposite  the 
city  of  Vincennes,  on  the  west  bank  of  the  Wabash  river. 
It  never  attained  to  much  prominence,  and  is  mainly  of 
interest  on  account  of  its  antiquity.  It  lacked  the  es- 
sential feature  of  an  advantageous  locality  for  husbandry, 
and  was  largely  an  incident  of  the  ferry  that  accommo- 
dated travel  along  the  Cahokia  and  Kaskaskia  traces. 
The  ferry  was  established  as  early  as  the  beginning  of 
the  present  century.  At  that  time,  it  was  operated  by 
Joseph  La  Motte,  a  Frenchman  and  Indian  trader, 
whose  round  log  cabin,  that  stood  at  the  entrance  of  the 
ferry,  was  probably  the  first  house  built  by  a  white 
man,  in  the  territory  of  Lawrenoe  county.  He  had 
several  adventures  with  the  natives,  an  account  of  which 
will  be  found  in  the  pioneer  chapter.  At  their  hands 
he  met  his  death,  on  the  banks  of  the  creek  that  bears 
his  name,  in  Crawford  county,  some  time  prior  to  1812. 
After  his  death,  his  widow  conducted  the  ferry,  till 
1812,  when  it  passed  under  the  management  of  her 
son-in-law,  James  Gibson,  who  was  its  proprietor  for 


some  time.  It  was  also,  at  one  time,  operated  by  John 
Small.  Just  across  the  way  from  La  Motte's,  lived  a 
family  named  White.  In  this  vicinity  also  dwelt  the  ill- 
fated  Buntons,  something  about  whom  will  be  found  in 
the  pioneer  chapter.  One  Senette,  a  Frenchman,  lived 
about  a  mile  below  the  ferry,  at  the  "ford."  Charles 
Bonaute  was  also  an  early  settler,  west  of  the  Wabash, 
south  of  Vincennes.  The  most  conspicuous  early  settle- 
ment was  that  of  the  Dubois  family,  about  a  mile  north 
of  the  present  railroad  bridge,  on  the  bluff  known  as 
Dubois'  hill.  Here  was  planted  the  first  orchard,  set 
out  in  the  township.  The  Dubois  brothers,  Toussaint, 
Lawrence  and  Killgore,  especially,  the  first,  acted  an 
important  part  in  the  business  and  civil  affairs  of  the 
county.  His  residence  occupied  the  hill,  and  was  a 
center  of  note  and  influence  in  its  time.  Something  ad- 
ditional concerning  the  Dubois  family  may  be  found  by 
consulting  the  chapter  on  Lawrence  township.  An 
early  resident  on  Dubois  hill  was  "Billy  o'  the  Bow,"  a 
colored  man,  who,  with  his  wife  Seeley,  had  their  apart- 
ments in  a  hollow  sycamore  tree.  Here  they  dwelt  to- 
gether in  conjugal  bliss,  till  the  latter  was  cruelly  shot 
by  an  Indian.  At  the  north  foot  of  the  hill,  was  the 
home  of  Archibald  George,  who,  with  a  family  of  four 
or  five  children,  settled  there  about  1820.  Near  this 
date,  John  Richardson,  of  Butler  county,  Ohio,  came 
and  settled  opposite  Vincennes,  on  the  bluff.  His  family 
consisted  of  his  wife  and  four  children,  Luciuda,  Jane, 
John  and  Harriet. 

The  most  important  early  settlements  were  formed  in- 
to a  neighborhood,  iu  the  vicinity  of  Centerville,  by  a 
number  of  families,  mainly  from  Tennessee.  The 
neighborhood  was  called  the  "  Christian  settlement," 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


277 


from  the  circumstance  that  most  of  its  members  were 
Christians,  and  was  formed  in  1815.  In  this  year  Scott 
Riggs  settled  on  the  N.  W.  quarter  of  section  26,  T.  4  j 
E.  11.  He  brought  to  the  settlement  a  family  of  four  ! 
children,  viz :  Sally,  Polly,  Cynthia,  and  Harriet.  He  j 
was  a  blacksmith  by  trade,  and  a  minister  of  the  gospel  '• 
He  subsequently  moved  to  Scott  county,  where  he  died 
Henry  Palmer,  also  a  minister,  settled  on  section  23 
William  Howard  was  a  native  of  North  Carolina.  He 
moved  to  Tennessee,  and  thence  to  Kentucky,  and  from 
that  state  to  Illinois,  in  1814  or  15,  with  five  children, 
John,  Eli,  Abigail,  Prudence  Jane  and  Martha,  and  set- 
tled in  section  23,  T.  4,  R.  11  W.  He  had  a  natural 
gift  of  mechanical  skill,  and  manufactured  his  own 
agricultural  implements.  He  planted  the  first  orchard, 
and  laid  out  the  first  graveyard  in  the  settlement.  His  j 
death  took  place,  about  1832.  His  son,  John,  became  a 
minister  and  moved  to  Kansas  in  1881.  His  son-in-law, 
William  Childress,  came  from  North  Carolina,  about 
the  same  time,  and  after  his  marriage  to  Prudence,  also 
settled  on  section  23.  After  a  residence  of  short  dura- 
tion here,  he  moved  to  section  5,  T.  4,  R.  11,  and  there, 
after  improving  a  good  farm,  died,  in  1838.  W.  B. 
Childress  of  Lawrenceville,  is  his  son.  Three  other 
children  are  yet  living.  Daniel  Travis  from  Tennessee, 
in  1815,  settled  on  the  N.  E.  quarter  of  the  N.  W.  quar- 
ter of  section  23.  He  moved  to  the  western  part  of  the 
state  prior  to  1828.  Henry  Johnson,  who  came  with  a 
family,  in  1815,  settled  on  the  N.  W.  quarter  of  section 
23,  where  he  remained  till  some  time  prior  to  1828,  when 
he  moved  to  Vermillion  county.  Samuel  Leneve, 
with  four  children,  Obadiah,  John,  Sarah,  and  Nancy) 
settled  on  the  N.  W  quarter  of  section  25,  where  he  died 
at  an  advanced  age.  Moses,  Ezekiel,  Robert,  and  Alex- 
ander Turner  came  to  the  settlement  from  Tennessee,  in 
1815  or  '16.  They  all  had  families  and  were  all  mem- 
bers of  the  Christian  church.  After  a  residence  of  some 
years  they  moved  away.  Thomas  Anderson,  with  a 
family,  in  1815,  settled  on  the  N.  W.  quarter  of  section 
26.  His  son  Richard  located  near  him.  They  moved 
to  Morgan  county  about  1825.  Richard  B.  McCorcle, 
who  came  from  Tennessee  with  a  family  in  1815,  moved 
to  Bloomington,  Indiana,  about  1825.  John  and  Joseph 
Berry,  brothers,  and  brothers-in-law  of  Mrs.  Scott  Riggs, 
alsu  from  Tennessee,  in  1815  likewise  moved  to  Bloom- 
ington, Indiana.  John  had  settled  on  the  N.  E.  quarter 
of  section  27.  John  R.  Adams  came  from  Tennessee 
with  a  family  in  1815,  and«settled  on  the  N.  E.  quarter 
of  section  27,  where  he  resided  permanently  and  reared 
a  family  of  twelve  children,  though  sickness,  originating 
from  purgatory  swamps,  had  driven  many  from  the  set- 
tlement. Mr.  Adams  was  a  colonel  of  the  militia  and 
frequently  mustered  them  for  drill.  John  Dunlap  set- 
tled on  the  N.  E.  quarter  of  section  22,  where  was  his 
permanent  home  and  where,  at  an  early  day,  he  planted 
an  orchard,  the  last  trees  of  which  were  recently  (1883) 
cut  down.  On  the  S.  E.  quarter  of  this  section,  settled 
John  Ashbrook,  who  came  from  Kentucky,  with  a  fam- 


ily of  four  children,  John,  Levi,  Thomas,  and  Margaret, 
in  1815.  Levi  and  Thomas  married  and  settled  in  the 
vicinity  of  Centerville.  John  having  married  Ellen 
Robinson,  located  a  mile  and  a  half  south  of  Russellville. 
All  became  permanent  residents.  David  Ruby  came  to 
the  settlement  in  1816,  and  located  permanently  on  the 
N.  W.  quarter  of  section  27.  In  this  year  a  family  of 
Clevingers,  from  Tennessee,  settled  in  the  Christian 
neighborhood. 

William  Huston,  a  Kentuckiau,  in  1816,  settled  on 
the  S.  E.  i  of  sec.  36.  His  children  were  Chambers, 
William  and  Desmal.  Samuel  Lemon,  with  four  chil- 
dren, George,  Thomas,  Polly  and  Susan,  came  from  North 
Carolina,  about  1818,  and  settled  on  the  N.  E.  i  of  sec. 
26.  He  was  a  farmer  and  shoemaker,  and  resided  per- 
manently where  he  first  settled.  The  family  were  mem- 
bers of  the  Christian  Church.  Charles  Thompson  was 
an  immigrant  from  Ross  county,  Ohio.  In  1820,  he  set- 
tled on  the  N.  W.  i  of  section  25,  where  he  lived  till  his 
death.  Three  children,  James,  Matthew  and  William, 
accompanied  him  to  the  county.  James  and  William 
settled  in  the  vicinity  of  Centerville ;  the  latter  (hav- 
ing married  Jane  Richardson),  located  on  the  S.  W.  t  of 
sec  26,  where  he  still  resides  at  the  age  of  eighty  years. 
Enoch  Organ,  a  Virginian,  came  to  the  county,  about 
1820,  from  Tennessee,  where  he  had  for  some  time  so- 
journed, and  settled  on  sec.  36.  Chaney,  John,  Enos, 
Cornelius,  Daniel,  Jesse  and  Betsey  Organ  were  his  chil- 
dren. He  was  a  blacksmith  by  trade,  and  soon  after  his 
coming,  constructed  the  first  cotton  gin  in  the  county, 
and  operated  it  on  his  farm  for  a  number  of  years.  He 
died  in  1845,  of  a  disease  called  the  Black  Tongue,  an 
epidemic,  of  which  many  died  on  the  prairie.  The  fam- 
ily married,  most  of  them  prior  to  1830,  and  settled 
down.  The  widow  of  Cornelius  lives  on  the  S.  E.  i  of 
section  23,  where  she  has  resided  since  her  marriage,  in 
1828,  and  where  her  husband  died,  in  1847,  at  the  age 
of  forty-one  years.  Her  place  was  first  improved  by 
Nathaniel  Jones.  Lewis  Goings  made  his  permanent 
home  in  the  township,  in  1820.  He  reared  a  con- 
siderable family  of  children.  David  Phelps,  in  1821 
or  '22,  settled  on  the  S.  E.  i  of  section  25,  where  he  re- 
sided permanently,  and  died.  About  forty  years  ago 
he  planted  a  walnut  grove  which  yields  quite  abundant- 
ly- 

In  the  vicinity  of  section  27,  T.  4,  R  10,  a  neighbor- 
hood of  permanent  settlers  was  formed  in  1820.  In  this 
neighborhood  settled  Jesse  Slawsou,  who  came  from  Can- 
ada with  a  family  of  four  children,  viz.,  William,  Polly, 
Eliza,  and  Abner,  who  afterward  married  and  settled  in 
i  he  county.  James  Tims,  a  Virginian,  with  one  son, 
Littleton,  settled  on  land  adjoining  Slawson's,  and  lived 
there  permanently.  David  Wilbur  settled  about  a  mile 
from  the  river,  in  the  same  vicinity.  At  a  little  later 
date,  about  1828,  Benjamin  Caughran  came  into  the 
neighborhood,  from  Indiana,  with  a  family  of  six  chil- 
dren. Also,  about  this  time,  arrived  Joseph  Tims,  with 
a  family,  from  the  same  state.  Families  named  Kimsey, 


278 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


Long  and  Cunningham  also  settled  in  this  vicinity. 
George  Cunningham  lived  in  section  28,  and  William, 
in  section  33,  T.  4,  R.  10.  John  Long  was  the  most  ac- 
tive business  man  in  his  part  of  the  county.  As  early 
as  1825,  he  did  an  extensive  flat-boating  trade  on  the 
Wabash.  Thomas  Eads,  the  brothers,  John  and  Silas 
Andrews,  and  Jesse  Perdu  were  also  early  settlers.  W. 
J.  Crews,  one  of  the  oldest  living  settlers,  came  to  Law- 
rence from  Crawford  county,  Illinois,  with  his  father,  in 
1829.  The  latter  purchased  some  land  of  Samuel  Har- 
ris in  the  vicinity  of  Center  school-house,  and  settled 
upon  it.  Mr.  Crews  is  a  lawyer  by  profession,  having 
been  admitted  to  practice  in  the  Supreme  Court,  in  1846, 
but  his  principal  occupation  has  been  that  of  farming, 
in  which  he  has  been  very  successful.  In  1869,  he  was 
elected  judge  of  the  county  court,  but  resigned  in  1872, 
to  take  the  place  to  which  he  had  been  elected  in  the 
State  Senate. 

Some  account  of  Small's  mill  is  contained  in  the  pio- 
neer chapter,  where  it  may  be  found  by  the  reader.  In 
the  vicinity  of  where  afterward  stood  this  early  object 
of  interest,  occurred  the  capture  of  Col.  Francis  Vigo 
by  the  Indians,  in  1778.  Vigo,  with  his  servant,  as  the 
messenger  of  Gen.  Clark  was  proceeding  on  his  way  from 
Kaskaskia  to  Vincennes,  when  he  was  seized,  stripped 
of  everything  he  possessed  and  carried  a  captive  before 


Gen.  Hamilton.  The  result  is  a  matter  of  general  his- 
tory. 

The  following  are  the  earliest  land  entries  in  the  town- 
ship-all in  T.  4,R.  11 :  August  10,  1814,  Samuel  Har- 
ris entered  the  N.  E.  1-  of  sec.  22 ;  July  1,  1815,  Daniel 
Travis,  the  S.  W.  1  of  sec.  23 ;  July  5,  1815,  Ezra  Alli- 
son, the  N.  E.  J  of  sec.  24;  July  8,  1815,  Moses  Turner, 
the  N.  E.  i  of  sec.  26;  February  3,  1815,  Henry  John- 
son, the  N.  W.  \  of  section  23.  The  following  are  the 
names  of  those  who  have  represented  the  township  in  the 
board  of  supervisors :  William  D.  Adams,  chairman, 
1857,  1858  ;  J.  M.  D.  Chenoweth,  1859  to  1861 ;  J.  M. 
Caughran,  1862,  1863;  John  Jackson,  1864 ;  J.  W. 
Caughran,  1865 ;  William  D.  Adams,  1866 ;  J.  M.  D. 
Chenoweth,  1867 ;  D.  M.  Bishop,  1868  to  1871 ;  J.  P. 
Scott,  1872  to  1876  ;  Henry  Riley  died  in  office  ;  G.  A. 
North  to  fill  the  vacancy,  1877  ;  G.  A.  North,  1878;  W. 
A.  Organ,  1879,  1880 ;  G.  A.  Norton,  1881,  1882;  Wil- 
liam A.  Organ,  1883. 

Centerville  is  a  little  hamlet  at  the  adjoining  corners 
of  sections  23,  24,  25  and  26,  T.  4,  R.  11.  Allison  post- 
office  was  established  here,  about  ten  years  ago.  A  half 
mile  west  of  the  village  is  the  site  of  the  old  Center 
school-house  described  in  the  pioneer  chapter.  The  vot- 
ing place  of  the  township  is  at  Westport  opposite  Vin- 


FRIENDSVILLE. 


WABASH    COUNTY. 


SRIENDSVILLE  PRECINCT  is  bounded  on 

the  north  by  Richland  county,  on  the  east  by 
Wabash,  on  the  south  by  Mt.  Carmel,  and 
on  the  west  by  Lick  prairie  and  Lancaster. 
Its  boundary  line  is  described  as  follows :  Beginning  at 
the  northeast  corner  of  the  east  half  of  section  32,  twp. 
2  north,  range  12  W.,  and  extending  west  along  the  sec- 
tion line  to  the  northwest  corner  of  the  east  half  of  sec- 
tion 35,  range  13  W.;  thence  south  along  the  half-section 
line  to  the  southwest  corner  of  the  east  half  of  section  11, 
twp.  1  north/range  13  west;  thence  west  to  the  north- 
west corner  of  section  15,  same  town  and  range;  thence 
south  along  the  section  line  to  the  southwest  corner  of 
section  34,  same  town  and  range ;  thence  west  to  the 
southeast  corner  of  section  32 ;  thence  north  to  the 
place  of  beginning. 

The  surface  is  generally  level,  and  is  diversified  by 
prairie  and  timber.     Near  the  center  is  the  beautiful 
and  fertile  area  of  Barney's  prairie,  about  three  miles 
long  from  north  to  south,  and  two  miles  wide.     Like  [ 
the  sirens  that  sang  by  the  seashore,  its  smiling,  sun-lit  j 


surface  and  its  song-filled  borders  lulled  to  forgetfulness 
of  home  and  fireside  the  sturdy  pioneer  of  three-quarters 
of  a  century  ago.  A  portion  of  Decker's  prairie  lies  in 
the  north,  and  Bald  Hill  in  the  west.  The  balance — 
especially  the  more  elevated  portions — was  originally 
quite  heavily  timbered ;  and  parts  that  were  at  first 
treeless,  are  now  covered  with  forests.  On  the  old  Van 
Wike  place,  the  northwest  quarter  of  section  13,  where 
there  was  once  a  corn-field,  there  is  a  wood,  with  trees 
from  eighteen  to  twenty  inches  in  diameter.  There  is 
quite  an  area  of  waste  land  called  Crawfish  prairie — it  is 
a  sloughy  area  lying  in  the  eastern  part  of  the  precinct, 
about  three  miles  long  northwest  and  southeast,  and 
three-fourths  of  a  mile  wide.  With  its  outlet,  Crawfish 
creek,  it  is  the  principal  source  of  drainage.  The  first 
settlers  found  game  very  abundant.  Elk  and  buffalo 
had  roamed  in  large  numbers  over  the  prairies,  and  left 
their  bones  as  witnesses  of  their  former  existence. 
"  Licks  "  were  quite  numerous.  On  the  McNair  place, 
three-fourths  of  a  mile  northeast  of  Friendsville,  there 
was  a  buffalo  lick  comprising  an  area  of  about  one  and 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WAS  ASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


279 


a-half  acres.  Occasionally,  a  buffalo  might  be  seen 
passing  through  the  settlement,  but  the  elk  had  entirely 
disappeared.  Bears  and  wolves  were  a  source  of  much 
annoyance  to  farmers.  Not  infrequently  the  unmusical 
voice  of  a  pig  would  break  the  stillness  of  the  midnight  i 
hour,  as  in  the  arms  of  bruin  he  was  carried  with  appa- 
rent fondness  and  care  towards  the  neighboring  wood. 
One  night,  in  Barney's  prairie,  a  wolf  stole  quietly  up 
behind  Jere  Wood,  and,  leaping  upon  him,  caught  him 
by  the  coat,  near  the  shoulders,  tearing  it  and  nearly 
pulling  him  down.  He  turned  suddenly  and  struck  the 
animal  with  his  gun,  which  was  so  injured  by  the  act 
that  it  missed  fire.  The  negro  Dennis  was  also  attacked 
by  one,  but  succeeded  in  frightening  it  off.  His  cries 
were  heard  by  a  number  of  settlers.  In  the  year  1836, 
the  wolves  assembled  in  large  flocks  and  left  the  settle- 
ment. Their  preparation  and  departure  were  heralded 
by  a  great  ado,  and  what  might  seem  sad  lamentation  at 
the  fate  to  which  civilization  had  brought  them.  The 
last  black  wolf  in  the  county  was  killed  by  William 
Higgius,  a  half-mile  west  of  Friendsville,  in  1839.  Hez- 
ekiah  Clark  killed  the  last  panther,  some  three  miles 
north  of  the  town,  about  1838 ;  it  was  supposed  to  have 
been  one  that  had  straggled  beyond  its  latitude.  It 
seems  at  first  thought  singular  that  rabbits  were  less 
numerous  prior  to  1840  than  they  are  to-day.  The  fact 
is  due  to  the  ravages  made  upon  rabbit-life  by  the  foxes. 
An  interesting  locality  called  "Indian  Arrow  Point,"  is 
to  be  found  two  and  a  half  miles  east  of  Friendsville,  on 
Crawfish  creek.  "  Arrow-heads  of  jasper,"  and  great 
quantities  of  chips  and  pieces  of  flint,  seem  to  show  that 
at  this  place  the  Indians  made  and  repaired  their 
arrows. 

The  honor  of  making  the  first  permanent  settlement 
in  what  is  now  Friendsville  precinct  belongs  to  John 
Wood,  who  iii  the  spring  of  1809  came  from  Barren 
county,  Kentucky,  and  put  up  a  small  hickory  round- 
log  cabin  on  the  northeast  quarter  of  section  36,  township 
1  north,  range  13  west.  His  cabin  completed,  he  re- 
turned to  Kentucky,  and  in  the  fall  brought  his  family, 
consisting  of  his  wife  and  seven  children  :  Alexander, 
Jeremiah,  Eli,  John,  Mary,  Betsey  and  Martha.  This 
same  fall  he  planted  an  apple  orchard,  having  brought 
the  young  trees  with  him.  From  it  originated  the 
«'  Wood"  apple,  a  choice  variety.  In  the  year  1810  he 
and  his  neighbors  constructed  Fort  Wood,  as  a  protec- 
tion against  the  Indians.  It  was  the  first  thing  of  its 
kind  in  that  vicinity,  and  was  occupied  by  the  Barneys, 
Higgins,  Ingrams  and  others.  It  consisted  of  an  iu- 
closure  about  eight  or  ten  feet  high,  formed  by  setting 
halves  of  small  hickory  logs  side  by  side  in  the  ground. 
The  specific  inducement  to  the  building  of  this  as  well 
as  of  Forts  Barney  and  Higgins,  was  the  Herriman  mas- 
sacre in  Lawrence  county  about  the  year  1809.  None 
of  these  defenses  were  ever  attacked,  the  inmates  sleep- 
ing securely  while  two  of  their  number  stood  guard  by 
night.  On  one  occasion  the  sentries,  Jeremiah  Wood 
and  William  Barney,  deserted  their  posts,  and  took  the 


dogs  that  had  been  put  out  to  watch,  and  went  coon- 
hunting.  John  Wood,  the  only  survivor  of  the  pioneer 
family,  lives  on  a  part  of  the  old  place  where  his  father, 
John  Wood,  sr  ,  settled.  Joseph  Wood,  a  grown  son  of 
the  latter,  preceded  his  father  to  the  county,  but  settled 
a  little  later  on  the  southwest  quarter  of  section  30,  twp. 
1  north,  range  13  west,  and  there,  after  raising  a  family 
of  children,  died. 

In  the  spring  of  1808  William  Barney,  who  lived  in 
western  New  York,  on  the  banks  of  the  Genesee,  sold 
his  small  possessions  for  live  stock,  which  he  drove  to 
the  Alleghany  river  and  exchanged  for  a  raft  of  lum- 
ber, upon  which  he  and  his  family  floated  down  to  the 
mouth  of  the  Wabash.  He  there  disposed  of  the  raft, 
purchased  a  keel  boat  and  pushed  up  the  stream  to 
Ramsey's  rapids,  afterward  the  site  of  Bedell's  mill 
The  male  members  of  the  family  struck  through  the 
heavy  forest  to  explore  and  select  a  spot  for  erecting  a 
cabin.  They  reached  a  beautiful  stretch  of  land,  cov- 
ered with  grass,  ten  feet  high,  and  afterward  known  as 
Barney's  prairie.  The  Barney  cabin  was  built  shortly 
after  the  Woods,  near  where  the  Friendsville  academy 
now  stands.  The  family  consisted  of  the  father  and 
mother  and  nine  children,  viz. :  George,  William,  Rich- 
ard, James,  Betsey,  Jane,  Sarah,  Clara  and  Ann.  With 
Mr.  Barney,  or  shortly  after  his  arrival,  came  his  three 
sons  in-law,  Ransom  Higgins,  Philo  Ingram  and  Wil- 
bour  Aldridge.  In  the  spring  of  1811  it  was  thought 
necessary  to  build  Fort  Barney.  It  was  a  large  in- 
closure,  protected  by  trees  split  and  set  in  the  ground, 
with  the  bark  out,  the  pointed  tops  being  about  twelve 
feet  high.  It  stretched  from  a  point  north  of  the  semi- 
nary to  a  considerable  distance  south  of  it,  and  was 
sufficient  to  accommodate  several  hundred  inmates.  In 
one  corner  of  the  inclosure  was  a  log  house,  eight  feet 
higher  than  the  palisades,  with  port-holes ;  a  well  now 
marks  its  site.  In  1812  the  fort  was  felt  to  be  insuffi- 
cient, and  all  parties  removed  to  Indiana  and  passed  the 
winter  in  a  block-heuse  in  the  "  Neck."  In  the  spring 
of  1813  they  returned,  and  although  the  Shawnees,  who 
claimed  nearly  the  whole  of  the  Wabash  valley,  and 
had  their  towns  and  camps  all  along  the  river,  were  yet 
hostile,  the  settlers  of  Barney's  prairie  and  vicinity  were 
unharassed.  William  Barney  was  a  representative  man 
and  did  much  by  his  influence  and  example  to  develop 
that  portion  of  the  county  in  which  he  settled.  His 
permanent  home  was  in  the  S.  W.  quarter  of  section 
23,  a  little  southwest  of  Friendsville,  where  he  died. 
Ransom  Higgius  also  built  a  fort,  which  bore  his  name. 
He  was  a  man  of  large  stature  and  much  physical 
courage :  he  figured  quite  conspicuously  as  a  miller  in 
early  times,  and  built  a  water-mill  on  what  is  popularly 
known  as  Barney's  prairie  creek,  about  the  year  1813. 
His  oldest  child,  Willis,  was  shot  by  one  of  the  rangers 
stationed  at  Barney's  fort,  while  practicing  rifle-shooting. 
The  ranger  put  spurs  to  his  horse  and  sped  away  to 
Vincennes  for  a  physician,  but  though  the  horse  was 
killed  by  the  ride,  medical  aid  came  too  late.  The  boy 


280 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WAS  ASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


was  buried  about  the  year  1813  or  1814,  in  what  is  NOW 
the  Friendsville  graveyard,  the  oldest  iu  the  precinct. 
Joseph  Preston,  who  died  in  Barney's  fort,  was  the 
second  person  buried  in  this  yard.  The  Preston  home- 
stead was  on  the  W.  half  of  the  N.  E.  quarter  of 
section  23.  Philo  Ingram  on  his  arrival  had  two  sons, 
William  and  Daniel.  He  settled  on  the  N.  E.  quarter 
of  section  20,  where  he  lived  till  1840,  when  he  moved  to 
Clay  county,  I'linois.  He  was  a  plain,  industrious 
farmer  and  good  citizen.  Wilbour  Aid  ridge  had  one  or 
two  children,  and  settled  on  the  N.  W.  quarter  of  sec.  24. 
Nathaniel  Claypole,  in  1814,  settled  on  the  W.  half 
of  section  32.  He  was  a  prominent  citizen,  and  in  1815 
was  acting  as  clerk  of  Edwards  county.  In  the  same 
year  came  Thomas  Pulliam ;  he  settled  on  the  N.  W. 
quarter  of  section  32,  tp.  2  N.,  range  12  W.  This  was 
his  permanent  home.  Near  Pulliam  lived  John  and 
Moses  Decker,  who  settled  here  about  1814.  Decker's 
prairie  bears  their  name.  William  Higgius,  an  early 
justice  of  the  peace,  and  his  brothers  E.  and  A.  Higgius, 
came  from  Pennsylvania  in  1815  ;  he  settled  on  the  S. 
E.  quarter  of  section  24,  where  he  lived  a  few  years  and 
then  moved  about  two  miles  south  of  Friendsville,  and 
there  died.  E.  and  A.  settled  on  the  S.  E.  quarter  of 
section  18,  but  did  not  remain  long  in  the  country. 
Jarvis  Dale  came  in  1815,  and  settled  on  the  S.  W. 
quarter  of  section  20.  He  married  Patience  Chaffee, 
whose  family  were  early  settlers.  Dale  was  a  farmer 
and  mechanic,  and  had  a  fondness  for  horse  trading. 
Henry  McGregor,  1815,  settled  on  the  W.  half  of  the 
S.  W.  quarter  of  section  31,  tp.  1  N. ;  he  was  a  plain 
farmer  and  died  on  the  old  place.  A  number  of  his 
descendants  live  in  the  precinct.  John  Smith,  Jr.,  from 
Ohio,  in  1815,  settled  on  the  N.  E.  quarter  of  section 
31,  tp.  2  N.  He  was  familiarly  known  as  "  Tinner  "  Smith, 
from  the  trade  he  exercised.  He  was  somewhat  dissi- 
pated, and  something  of  a  joker ;  he  used  to  say,  that 
when  he  went  home  intoxicated,  he  would  throw  his  hat 
in  at  the  door,  and  if  his  wife  did  not  kick  it,  he  could 
safely  venture  in.  One  day  she  told  him  to  go  and  get 
some  wood  ;  he  took  his  hat,  went  out,  and  at  the  end  of 
two  years  appeared  with  a  small  armful  of  wood,  which 
he  laid  down  upon  the  floor  and  said,  "  There,  Beck's 
your  wood."  William  and  James  Pool,  brothers,  were 
from  Hamilton  county,  Ohio.  They  settled  on  the  S. 
E.  quarter  of  section  14,  in  1815.  The  former  had  been 
to  the  country  before,  and  had  entered  land  in  1814. 
He  remained  only  five  or  six  years,  and  returned  to 
Ohio.  James  settled  permanently.  He  was  one  of  the 
earliest  ministers  in  the  county,  and  the  first  in  the 
precinct.  Josiah  Higgins,  in  1815,  settled  on  the  S.  W. 
quarter  of  section  13.  Ephraim  Keed,  1815,  settled  on 
the  W.  half  of  the  S.  W.  quarter  of  section  13.  The 
Knapps  were  from  the  state  of  New  York.  James 
Knapp  was  county  surveyor  for  a  number  of  years. 
John  Shadle,  a  German,  from  Pennsylvania,  in  1815, 
settled  on  the  N.  W.  quarter  of  section  31,  tp.  1  N. 
,He  brought  two  children,  Henry  and  John ;  he  was  a 


carpenter,  a  good  farmer,  and  was  sai  I  to  be  the  only 
man  who  could  raise  wheat.  The  brothers  Charles  and 
John  McNair  came  from  New  York  about  1815.  The 
latter  did  not  remain  long.  Charles  was  a  prosperous 
farmer,  and  also  followed  the  tanning  and  currying 
business  for  a  number  of  years.  The  McNair  family  is 
one  of  the  most  prominent  in  the  precinct.  Gervase 
Hazelton,  about  1815,  settled  on  the  S.  E.  quarter  of 
section  32,  tp.  2  N.  He  was  a  large  land-owner  and 
prominent  man  in  his  day.  His  possessions  were  not 
confined  to  Wabash  county,  but  extended  to  the  present 
site  of  Hazelton,  Indiana.  He  was  a  member  of  the 
legislature  and  an  auctioneer,  and  as  early  as  1816  a 
justice  of  the  peace;  he  also  operated  a  horse-mill  on 
liis  place.  On  the  county  records  at  Albion  appears 
the  marriage  of  Gervais  Hamilton  to  Eliza  Osgood,  by 
•Squire  G.  W.  Smith,  in  1816.  The  Osgood  family 
were  prominent  among  the  early  settlers. 

Willis  Higgins  came  from  Alleghany  county,  N.  Y. 
in  1816,  and  settled  on  the  S.  half  of  N.  E.  quarter  of 
section  14.  He  was  fond  of  the  chase,  and  not  only 
repaired  his  own  gun,  but  those  of  his  neighbors  also,  at 
his  shop.  He  taught  school  about  1821  or  1822  in  an 
old  cabin  on  his  own  farm.  Coles  Besley  was  a  large 
and  powerful  man,  and  with  a  family  of  children, — 
James,  William,  Catharine  and  Susan, — settled  on  theN. 
VV.  quarter  of  section  18.  George  Letherland  came 
in  1816,  bringing  with  him  three  children,  William, 
Matthew  and  Mary.  He  settled  on  tiie  §.  E.  quarter  of 
section  24,  and  was  a  good  farmer.  William  Brown, 
from  New  York,  in  1816,  settled  on  the  N.  E.  quarter 
of  section  11,  where  he  made"  his  permanent  home,  and 
reared  a  family  of  children.  He  was  a  powerful  man 
physically,  and  he  had  been  blind  some  years  before  his 
death.  John  White,  also  from  New  York,  in  1816, 
settled  on  the  N.  W.  quarter  of  section  12.  Here, 
having  been  three  times  married,  he  reared  a  large 
family  of  children,  some  of  whom  he  brought  to  the 
country  with  him.  The  S.  W-  quarter  of  this  section 
was  settled  by  Reuben  Blackford,  in  1815.  Benjamin 
Taylor,  from  Ohio,  in  1816,  settled  on  the  E.  half  of 
the  S.  W.  quarter  of  section  13.  He  brought  to  the 
precinct  a  son,  Theoron,  and  one  or  two  daughters.  He 
possessed  some  knowledge  and  skill  in  medicine,  which 
to  some  extent  he  put  in  practice  in  the  settlement;  he 
was  also  the  proprietor  of  a  cotton  gin,  which  he  had  in 
operation.  Edward  Brines,  Lemuel  Haskins  and  Henry 
Utter  came  in  company  with  seven  or  eight  other  fami- 
lies, from  Alleghany  county,  New  York,  in  1816.  They 
all  settled  in  the  vicinity  of  Bald  Hill,  and  became 
prosperous  and  useful  citizens.  Their  descendants, 
who  are  quite  numerous  in  the  county,  are  following 
in  the  footsteps  of  their  illustrious  ancestors.  Utter  was 
an  influential  man  and  a  member  of  the  legislature. 
He  was  one  of  the  leaders  in  the  movement  that  re- 
sulted in  the  separation  of  Wabash  from  Edwards 
county,  and  was  a  member  of  the  first  court.  Z. 
Warner  came  from  New  York,  in  1816,  and  with  a 


Of 
UNIVERSITY 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS.         281 


family,  settled  on  the  W.  half  of  section  20.  David 
Daily  settled  on  the  W.  half  of  the  N.  W.  quarter  of 
section  20,  about  the  year  1816.  Henry  Chrisman, 
from  Indiana,  settled  on  the  S.  W.  quarter  of  section 
20.  He  was  a  carpenter  and  millwright,  and  helped 
build  the  Bedfell  mill,  on  the  Wabash  ;  he  had  great 
physical  strength,  and  was  pronounced  the  stoutest  man 
present  at  the  raising  of  that  building.  William  Cour- 
ter,  a  Christian  minister  and  the  progenitor  of  the 
Courter  family  in  the  county,  came  from  Indiana,  and 
settled  about  two  miles  east  of  Friendsville.  Joseph 
E.  Thompson,  son  of  a  Tennesseean,  came  to  the  county  in 
1830,  settled  some  distance  north  of  Friendsville.  His 
children  were  Polly,  Henry,  Carrol,  Francis  M.  and 
Louisa  J.  James  Thompson,  who  was  a  deputy  county  , 
surveyor  and  a  justice  of  the  peace  for  a  number  of  j 
years,  was  an  early  settler  who  lived  on  the  W.  half  of 
section  32,  tp.  2  N.,  range  12  W.  William  H.  Ridgely 
was  an  early  settler  in  the  precinct  and  raised  a  good- 
sized  family.  J.  Fordice  came  from  Indiana,  and  settled 
on  the  N.  VV.  quarter  of  section  34.  It  appears  from 
the  records  at  Albion  that  James  Fordice  was  married 
to  Susan  Gard,  by  Rev.  Jere.  Ballard,  June  28,  1815. 

Colonel  Simmonds,  with  a  family 'of  four  children, 
Stephen,  Medad,  and  two  daughters,  settled  on  the  W.  * 
of  the  N.  W.  k  of  section  1,  and  then  about  1820  laid  off 
the  old  town,  Mt.  Pleasant.  The  locality  is  now  known 
as  darks'  corners.  Here  Simmonds  built  a  horse-mill 
of  some  importance.  Dr.  Dake  located  here  shortly 
after  the  year  1820,  and  a  man  named  Hunt  kept  a  store. 
The  town  also  contained  u  blacksmith  shop,  but  was 
short-lived  and  went  to  decay.  One  Tuttle,  a  hatter, 
came  from  Conn.,  in  1817,  with  a  family  of  five  children. 
Horace,  who  was  blind,  John,  Betsey,  Sarah  Ann,  and 
Nancy,  and  settled  on  the  E.  J  of  section  1.  Betsey 
married  Capt.  Clark,  who  settled  near  his  father-in- 
law,  on  the  edge  of  old  Mt.  Pleasant.  He  died  over 
fifty  years  ago.  His  body  was  exhumed  and  subjected 
to  an  autopsy,  which  showed  that  death  had  resulted 
from  poison.  A  family  of  Melsons,  about  1816  or  '17 
settled  on  the  S.  i  of  section  8.  One  Fields,  also  an 
early  settler,  lived  on  the  N.  J  of  this  section. 

Robert  Bell,  a  revolutionary  soldier,  came  from  Rock- 
bridge,  Va.,  in  1818,  with  a  family  of  three  children, 
George,  Hiram,  and  Jane,  and  settled  on  the  S.  E.  I  of 
N.  W.  k  of  section  22,  where  he  died  in  1837.  Hiram 
became  the  first  recorder,  circuit  clerk,  and  first  county 
clerk,  and  county  surveyor  of  the  county  of  Wabash, 
and  retained  the  first  office  till  1860,  and  the  second  till 
1853.  Under  the  old  militia  law  he  was  Brigadier- 
General  of  the  Second  Brigade  and  Second  Division  of 
the  Illinois  militia.  He  died  in  Mt.  Carrael,  in  1867. 
Samuel  Putman,  came  from  Knox  county,  Indiana,  and 
lived  first  in  the  "  Timber  Settlement,"  and  then  moved  j 
to  the  S.  E.  i  of  section  19.  John  Harmon,  a  teache^  j 
was  among  the  early  citizens  of  the  precinct.  Asa  Smith, 
in  1818,  settled  on  the  W.  i  of  the  S.  W.  t  of  section  5. 
George  Omen,  came  from  New  York,  in  1818,  with  a 


family  of  nine  children,  John,  George,  Mary,  Priscilla, 
Anna,  Minerva,  Jacob,  Eliza  and  Henry,  and  settled 
on  the  N.  W.  t  of  section  18,  where  he  died  about  1840. 
Henry  shot  and  killed  Ezra  Wanser,  as  was  supposed 
from  motives  of  jealousy.  The  Wanser  family  came 
from  New  York,  about  1817.  Asa  Hammond,  in  1818, 
settled  on  the  E.  }  of  the  S.  E.  t  of  section  7,  where  he 
lived  a  number  of  years,  and  then  moved  away.  Jere- 
miah Wilson  settled  on  the  E.  J  of  the  N.  E.  t  of  section 
7,  in  1818.  He  was  a  boat  builder  and  carpenter. 
Cyrus  Danforth,  with  his  family  in  1818,  came  from  N. 
Y.  in  a  keel  boat.  His  destination  was  Terre  Haute, 
but  being  unable  to  pass  farther  up  the  Wabash  he  landed 
at  the  Grand  Rapids,  intending  to  pursue  his  way  as 
soon  as  a  rise  in  the  river  would  permit.  Fearing  sick- 
ness on  the  river  he  brought  his  family  out  into  Barney's 
prairie,  and,  pleased  with  the  appearance,  there  made 
his  home.  About  1818,  Adam  Corrie,  Jr., came  from  Eng- 
land and  purchased  a  large  tract  of  land  in  Decker's 
Prairie,  Wabash  county.  In  1822,  the  Corries, 
five  brothers  and  several  sisters,  and  the  Milli. 
gans,  came  from  Scotland  and  settled  upon  it.  Samuel 
and  William  Schrader  married  into  the  Corrie  family, 
and  also  settled  upon  this  tract.  Dr.  Ezra  Baker,  Jr , 
came  from  Philadelphia,  with  a  family  of  two  children, 
Edwin  and  Dorsey,  about  1820,  and  located  on  a  farm 
near  Gird's  Point.  He  was  wealthy,  of  fine  appearance, 
sociable  and  pleasing  in  his  manners  and  address.  He 
was  the  leading  spirit  of  old  Centerville,  the  founder  of 
Rochester,  that  at  one  time  surpassed  Mt.  Caruiel  in 
business  importance,  and  the  proprietor  of  Bennington 
in  Edwards  county.  His  life  may  serve  as  an  example 
and  a  warning  to  the  young  of  Wabash  county  :  First, 
prosperity,  and  over-reaching  in  business  speculations, 
then  domestic  infelicity,  and  finally  the  cup  to  excess, 
and  poverty  and  pauperism  in  Philadelphia.  Harry 
Ingram,  from  N.  Y.,  about  1820,  settled  on  the  W.  *  of 
the  N.  W.  J  of  section  19.  Edward  Mundy,  came  from 
N.  Y.,  in  1820,  bringing  a  wife  and  one  son,  Phiueas. 
He  was  an  attorney,  and  practiced  his  profession  a  num- 
ber of  years,  and  then  went  to  Michigan  where  he  be- 
came circuit  judge  and  lieutenant  governor  of  the  state. 
John  Pension,  came  from  N.  J.,  in  1823,  and  settled 
first  in  Mt.  Carmel,  remained  there  about  two  years, 
and  then  moved  to  the  precinct.  His  family  consisted 
of  Risley,  Rebecca,  Daniel,  Richard,  step-children  named 
Tilton  and  Diana,  Elizabeth  and  Sarah.  Guy  Smith 
about  1823  or  '24,  moved  to  the  farm  one  mile  south  of 
Friendsville,  for  which  he  had  traded  his  store-house 
in  old  Palmyra.  The  frame  of  this  building  is  in  Ira 
Keen's  dwelling  in  Friendsville.  Dr.  Norton,  who  had 
practiced  in  Palmyra,  moved  to  Barney's  prairie,  and 
there  died  about  the  year  1822.  Nicholas  Hazelton, 
came  from  New  York,  in  1830.  He  had  a  family  of  nine 
children,  Sally,  Samuel,  William,  Joseph,  Anna,  Abbie, 
Lois,  Arena,,and  Mary.  He  settled  in  the  W.  I  of  the 
N.  W.  i  of  section  6,  township  1,  range  12. 

The  first  water-mill  in  the  precinct  was  built  by  Je:e- 


282 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  W ABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


miah  Wood  about  1817  or  '18.  It  stood  on  Crawfish 
creek,  about  three-fourths  of  a  mile  above  the  wagon 
road  leading  from  Friendsville  to  Fatten.  The  Osburn 
horse-mill  and  distillery  were  built  about  1825  by  Jo- 
seph Otburn,  who  came  from  Ohio.  They  stood  about 
three  miles  north  of  Fiiendsville,  The  first  school  was 
taught  in  a  log  cabin  near  Barney's  Fort  in  1815  or  '16. 
The  first  teachers  were  John  Griffith  and  Betsey 
Osgood.  About  1820  a  school  was  taught  a  quarter  of  a 
mile  east  of  Friendsville,  in  a  building  put  up  for  school 
purposes.  The  Black  Hawk  soldiers  of  Friendsville 
precinct  were  Ira  Keen,  James  Besley,  both  living, 
William  Besley,  William  Ridgeley,  George  Danforth, 
William  and  John  Gaddy,  Matthew  Litherland  and 
Hiram  Couch.  The  following  are  the  land  entries  for 
the  year  1814:  May  10,  Philo  Ingram,  the  N.  E.  t  of 
section  26;  May  14,  William  Pool,  the  S  W.  t  of  sec- 
tion 19  ;  May  16,  Seth  Card,  the  N.  E.  t  of  section  22, 
and  Peter  Keen,  the  N.  E.  \  of  section  34 ;  June  22, 
Ransom  Higgins,  the  N.  E.  }•  of  section  14;  September 
2,  John  Hart,  the  S.  E.  }  of  section  35  ;  September  9, 
Thomas  Pulliam,  the  N.  W.  1  of  section  32,  T.  2  N. 
The  following  entries  were  made  in  1815  :  May  23? 
William  and  Thomas  Pool,  theS.  }  of  section  14;  June 
10,  Ephraim  Reed,  the  W.  J  of  the  S.  W.  1  of  section 
13;  June  29,  William  Barney,  the  S.  W.  1  of  section 
24;  July  29,  John  Shadle,  the  N.  W.  J  of  section  31 ; 
July  31,  Henry  McGregor,  the  W.  J  of  the  S.  W.  i  of 
the  same  section  ;  July  25,  Reuben  Blackford,  the  S. 
W.  \  of  section  12  ;  August  29,  William  Higgins,  the  S. 
W.  i  of  section  24. 

FRIENDSVILLE. 

The  first  house  that  occupied  the  present  site  of  the 
town  was  the  log  dwelling  of  Job  Pixley,  built  about  1818- 
He  came  from  the  vicinity  of  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  with  his 
wife  and  two  sons,  William  and  Asa,  and  a  daughter, 
Abigail.  The  latter  married  James  Andrews,  who 
built  the  second  house.  Robert  Parkinson,  of  the  firm 
Wood  and  Parkinson,  sold  the  first  goods  in  a  part  of 
John  F.  Youngken's  house  about  1835.  In  1838, 
Parkinson  built  the  first  store,  a  one-story  frame  build 
ing,  on  the  corner  of  Main  and  Cyrus  streets.  The  first 
drug  store  was  established  by  William  R.  Wilkinson,  on 
the  S.  E.  corner  of  Main  and  Cyrus  streets.  The  post- 
office  was  established  in  1839,  and  Robert  Parkinson 
•was  the  first  post-master.  The  town  derived  its  name 
from  Friendsville,  Susquehanna  county,  Pa.  It  was 
laid  out  on  the  S.  E.  J  of  section  23,  T.  1  N.  R.  13  W., 
and  surveyed  and  platted  by  Robert  Buchanan  in  1854. 
The  original  proprietors  were  William  R.  Wilkinson, 
John  F.  Youngken  and  Cyrus  Danforth.  In  1816  the 
town  was  re-surveyed  and  platted  by  Buchanan,  and  the 
plat  filed  for  record  in  the  office  of  the  circuit  clerk 
April  10th  of  that  year.  The  Presbyterian  church,  a 
brick  structure,  was  built  in  1849  at  a  cost  of  $1200. 
The  Wyoming  Flouring  Mills,  so  named,  from  the 
Wyoming  Valley  in  Pennsylvania,  were  built  by  Wil- 


liam R.  Wilkinson  in  1860-'61  at  a  cost  of  $1100.  The 
building  is  a  four  story  frame,  with  a  foundation  40x60 
feet.  It  has  two  run  of  burrs,  and  is  equipped  with 
elevators,  screens,  cleaners,  etc.  Its  capacity  is  one 
hundred  barrels  of  flour  a  day.  It  is  now  under  the 
management  of  R.  F.  and  George  Wilkinson.  The 
school-house,  a  frame  building,  49x30  feet,  was  put  up 
about  1866  The  Academy,  a  frame  building,  40x60 
feet,  surmounted  by  a  tower  and  bell,  was  erected  for 
high  school  purposes  in  1866.  Prior  to  this  a  high 
school  had  been  taught  in  the  church  by  Rev.  Samuel 
Baldridge.  The  Friendsville  Library  Association  was 
established  by  charter  in  1840.  During  the  twenty 
years  of  its  active  existence  it  collected  a  library  of  over 
three  hundred  volumes  of  books.  Among  the  charter 
members  of  this  association  it  is  fitting  to  mention  the 
name  of  Dr.  David  R.  Allison,  from  Pennsylvania,  who 
settled  in  section  15  in  1834.  He  was  a  gentleman  of 
education  and  of  scholarly  tastes  and  habits,  which  had 
been  developed  and  improved  by  several  years  travel  in 
different  European  countries. 

PRESENT  BUSINESS. 

Physicians. — James  Leeds,  George  E.  Kingsbury,  M. 
E.Warner. 

General  Stores.— Baggis  Bros.,  A.  C.  Kelsey,  George 
Wilkinson. 

Drug  Store. — James  A   Leeds,  Jr. 

Wagonmakers. — John  Shoaff,  Joseph  Price,  William 
Curreu. 

Carpenter. — Franklin  M.  Crosson. 

Shoemaker. — John  Pool. 

Blacksmiths.— John  C.  Gilkinson,  George  W.  Shoaf. 

Dressmakers  — Mahala  Snyder,  Agnes  Crum. 

Hotel-keeper. — Thomas  Wilkinson. 

Justice.— J.  P.  McNair. 

Postmaster.— William  R.  Wilkinson. 

Machinery  Agents  — M.  J.  Foster,  Matthew  Birkett. 

Orio,  formerly  called  Corrieville,  is  a  pleasant  little 
hamlet  on  the  W.  I  of  section  32,  T.  2  N.  The  name 
of  the  post-office  is  Lynn.  The  tile  factory  of  W.  P. 
Beasley  does  quite  a  large  business  in  its  line.  There 
are  two  general  stores  kept  respectively  by  Schrader  & 
Beasley  and  Henry  Thompson.  The  post-office  was 
established  in  1879,  and  is  kept  by  W.  P.  Beasley. 
Albert  Shepard  has  a  broom  factory,  and  Germane 
Shepard  a  molasses  factory.  There  is  also  a  wagon  and 
a  blacksmith  shop  kept  respectively  by  S.  J.  Underwood 
and  Martin  Pheil.  Dr.  McMurray  is  the  village  physi- 
cian. The  church  belongs  to  the  Presbyterian  denom- 
ination, and  was  built  about  1839.  The  locality  of 
Orio  was  the  scene  of  the  labors  of  Rev.  Stephen  Bliss, 
a  sketch  of  whom  appears  in  the  chapter  on  the 
churches.  He  preached  and  taught  in  a  log  school- 
house  that  stood  near  the  site  of  Henry  Thompson's 
well  in  his  door-yard.  Adams  Shepard,  from  New 
England,  settled  at  this  point  about  1830.  He  was  an 
educated  man,  and  a  classmate  of  Daniel  Webster. 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


Adams'  Corners,  so  named  after  Daniel  Adams,  is 
situated  in  the  southeast  corner  of  section  18.  It  con- 
tains two  churches,  a  Christian  and  a  United  Brethren, 
a  frame  school-house,  a  store  kept  by  Franklin  Seiberts, 
and  eight  or  nine  dwellings. 

Friendship  precinct  had  the  first  "  Free  Soil "  organi- 
sation in  southern  Illinois.  It  was  established  in  1848 
with  six  members,  Cyrus  Danforth,  William  R.  Wilkin- 
son, Charles  W.  McNair,  James  and  David  Ballard  and 
John  F.  Youngken.  These  six  cast  six,  and  the  only 


votes  in  Wabash  county  for  Martin  Van  Buren.  The 
youngest  soldier  in  the  Union  array  of  the  late  war,  in 
Illinois,  and  with  one  exception,  in  the  United  States, 
was  furnished  by  Frieudsville  precinct,  in  the  person  of 
George  W.  Shoaff,  at  the  age  of  about  eleven  and  a  half 
years.  It  has  supplied  one  member  of  the  constitutional 
convention  of  1818;  two  judges  of  the  probate  court; 
one  judge  of  the  county  court;  two  clerks  of  said  court  ; 
one  county  surveyor,  and  three  members  of  the  General 
Assembly. 


BIOGRAPHIES. 


'THOMAS  WILKINSON. 

THE  native  country  of  the  Wilkinson  family  is  York- 
shire, England,  town  of  Sedgeborough.  The  family 
have  generally  followed  the  peaceful  avocation  of 
farmers.  The  family  farm  was  HolexHouse,  Howgill. 
The  record  of  the  Wilkinson  family  in  the  old  Episcopal 
church,  to  which  they  all  belonged  for  many  generations, 
is  as  follows:  Robert  Wilkinson,  the  grandfather,  was 
born  at  Hole  House.  He  spent  most  of  his  time  fishing 
for  trout  and  salmon,  when  not  occupied  by  his  duties 
on  the  farm.  He  married  Miss  Mary  Wilson,  who  was 
of  a  Quaker  family,  and  was  a  most  modest  and  admir- 
able Christian  woman,  wife  and  mother  whose  memory 
was  revered  and  cherished  by  her  offspring.  Robert 
Wilkinson's  politics  were  "Free  Trade,"  "Bread  for 
All."  Lord  Brown,  the  standard-bearer  for  the  West 
Riding  of  Yorkshire  ;  his  three  sons,  Thomas,  Anthony 
and  William,  were  of  the  same  political  cast. 

The  second  son,  Anthony,  became  very  rich  in  the  East 
Indies.  He  left  England  in  1788,  and  remained  abroad 
twenty-two  years,  and  bought  several  estates.  He  mar- 
ried Miss  Jane  Sedgwick,  daughter  of  an  Episcopalian 
minister.  They  had  ten  sons  and  daughters.  He  died 
at  Hole  House  in  1842,  at  the  age  of  about  seventy 
years.  Their  ancestors,  being  large  people,  combined 
with  healthy  climate  and  good  constitutions,  gave  to 
those  three  brothers  (Thomas,  Anthony  and  William) 
more  than  ordinary  size  and  stature.  Thomas  was  five 
feet  eleven  inches  high,  and  weighed  294  Ibs.  Anthony 
was  six  feet  in  height,  and  weighed  322  Ibs.  William 
was  six  feet  two  inches,  and  weighed  266  Ibs.  William, 
the  youngest,  entered  the  service  of  his  country  under 
Sir  Arthur  Wellesley,  who  was  afterwards  elevated  to 
Viscount  Wellington.  After  leaving  the  service  of  his 
country,  he  came  to  America,  and  entered  a  school  at 
Baltimore,  Md.,  preparatory  to  going  to  his  brother 
Anthony,  who  resided  at  East  End  of  Water  Lane, 
Kingston,  Jamaica,  a  British  island.  The  latter 's  plan- 
tation was  some  sixty  miles  from  Kingston.  The  labor 


on  the  plantation  was  all  accomplished  by  slaves.  An- 
thony, finding  himself  failing  in  health,  the  result  of  a 
too  energetic  character  and  tropical  climate,  left  the 
island  for  his  home  in  England,  and  never  returned  except 
for  a  short  time.  William  remained  on  the  island  until 
1815,  when  he  returned  home  and  died  at  Sedgeborough 
in  1837,  at  the  age  of  sixty-two  years.  In  England  he 
was  a  farmer.  The  main  products  of  the  farm  were 
oats,  grass,  potatoes,  barley  and  turnips, — sheep  and 
cattle  the  principal  stock.  Thomas  Wilkinson's  father 
married  Miss  Mary  Wilson,  about  the  year  1790.  They 
had  one  son,  Robert,  who  went  to  Jamaica  in  1820  and 
died  there ;  and  two  girls,  An  n  and  Mary.  The  latter 
married  James  Mattison,  aud  had  four  children.  Ann, 
the  eldest  daughter,  died  without  issue.  Thomas  Wil- 
kinson, sr.'s  second  marriage  way  with  Miss  Ann  Rah,  a 
Scotchwoman.  She  was  born  in  1784, — was  a  woman  of 
wonderful  energy  and  perseverance,  and  possessed  those 
marked  characteristics  of  the  hardy  Scotch  people.  She 
was  a  member  of  the  Episcopal  church,  a  model  woman 
and  farmer's  wife,  with  strong  attachments  for  her  chil- 
dren, and  kind  and  benevolent  to  all,  especially  to  those 
in  distress.  She  would  say :  "  Poor  things,  they  are 
somebody's  bairns  "  (children).  She  had  by  her  mar- 
riage with  Thomas  Wilkinson  fifteen  children — all  lived 
to  maturity  except  the  youngest,  who  died  in  infancy. 
The  names  of  the  children  were  :  Anthony,  Margaret, 
Betty,  Nanny,  Rose,  Jane,  Sophia,  Hannah,  William 
•R.,  Isabella,  Ellen,  Sarah,  Thomas  and  John  F.  An- 
thony emigrated  in  1828,  and  Mr.  Wilkinson,  wife,  and 
nine  children  came  to  America  in  1830.  They  left  home 
in  May,  and  were  eight  weeks  on  sea.  They  reached 
Wilkesbarre,  Pennsylvania,  where  they  first  settled  in 
|  July  of  the  same  year.  Arriving  at  Mrs.  Metcalf 's,  an 
!  old  acquaintance  in  England  who  had  preceded  them 
[  here,  the  family  remained  there  until  money  was  saved 
sufficient  to  bring  them  west.  They  left  Wyoming 
Valley,  Penn.,  in  May,  1837,  going  by  canal  to  the  Al- 
legheny mountains,  over  the  inclined  railway,  and  then 


284 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


to  Pittsburg  by  canal,  and  from  there  down  the  river  to 
Shawneetown  on  steamboat.  Teams  hauled  them  to 
Edwards  county.  Mr.  Wilkinson  bought  forty  acres  of 
laud  in  White  county,  Ills.,  where  he  lived  the  balance 
of  his  life.  Some  of  his  children  settled  near  him,  and 
others  in  Edwards  county — all  buying  land  and  making 
homes  as  fast  as  circumstances  would  admit.  Most  of 
the  land  still  remains  in  the  family.  Subsequently,  the 
family  became  separated ;  some  went  up  north  to 
Friendsville,  Wabash  county,  where  the  subject  of  this 
sketch  and  several  others  reside. 

Thomas  Wilkinson,  sr.,  was  born  Nov.  30,  1768,  and 
died  Aug.  15, 1840,  and,  at  his  own  request,  was  buried 
on  his  land.  His  wife  then  removed  to  Friendsville, 
and  there  died  in  1852.  After  the  death  of  his  mother, 
Thomas  Wilkinson,  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  went  to 
school  at  what  was  known  as  the  Ridge  school-house, 
which  was  erected  in  1841  or  1842,  on  section  14,  twp. 
3,  5,  in  Edwards  county.  The  house  was  erected  by 
the  neighbors,  who  contributed  their  work.  Mr.  John 
Spencerand  Mr.  Wilkinson  built  the  chimney,  which  was 
of  stone.  It  was,  in  fact,  a  pioneer  school  house,  with 
split  logs  for  benches,  plauk  floors,  and  everything  cheap 
to  suit  the  circumstances.  That  house  was  also  used  as 
a  place  of  divine  worship  for  a  number  of  years.  From 
that  school-house  Mr.  Wilkinson  graduated  under  Mr. 
John  Correy,  a  Scotchman,  who  took  a  great  interest  in 
him,  and  towards  whom  Mr.  Wilkinson  has  always  en- 
tertained the  greatest  respect  and  esteem. 

The  forty  acres  lying  south  of  the  school-house  was 
entered  by  Robert  Willis,  and  donated  for  church  and 
cemetery  purposes,  and  named  Bethsaida.  In  1844,  Mr. 
Wilkinson  was  united  in  marriage  to  Mrs.  Eliza  Chap- 
man, daughter  of  Rev.  John  Scott.  She  had  one  son  by 
her  former  marriage,  whose  name  was  Thomas  S.  Chap- 
man. Her  parents  were  natives  of  Leeds,  England,  and 
came  to  America  in  1841,  and  settled  and  bought  land 
in  Edwards  county,  where  Mr.  Scott  died  October  9lh, 
1845.  His  wife,  Sarah,  died  November  29th,  1851,  and 
their  daughter  Elizabeth  died  December  10th,  1847. 
After  Mr.  Wilkinson's  marriage,  both  he  and  his  wife 
set  industriously  to  work  to  make  a  home,  determining 
not  to  fall  behind  others  who  were  starting  about  the 
same  time.  They  plodded  along,  making  and  adding  to 
their  store,  little  by  little.  Money  was  scarce  and  hard 
to  get.  The  country  was  new,  and  had  not  recovered 
from  the  effects  of  the  financial  troubles  of  a  few  years 
before.  Two  children  were  born  to  Mr.  Wilkinson  ,-*• 
John  and  Sarah.  Both  died  young.  His  wife  died  Dec. 
20th,  1851,  and  was  buried  in  the  Bethsaida  burying 
ground.  She  was  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church.  The  Scott  family  residence  in  the  new  world 
was  brief — all  died  except  one  grand-daughter,  Sarah 
Ann,  wife  of  Thomas  St.  Leger. 

Thomas  S.  Chapman  enlisted  in  the  late  war  in  Co.  A 
of  the  llth  Mo.  Infantry,  and  died  in  the  service.  His 
remains  lie  by  the  side  of  his  mother.  In  the  winter  of 
1847  Mr.  Wilkinson  went  toPinhook,  in  Edwards  coun- 


ty, and  packed  pork  for  Messrs.  Parkinson  and  Wilkin- 
son. In  the  summer  of  1 848  he  assisted  in  erecting  a 
carding  machine  and  building,  and  learned  to  card 
wool  under  the  instructions  of  Major  David  Ingraham, 
the  oldest  carder  in  Edwards  county.  Daring  the  win- 
ter he,  in  connection  with  his  brother  William,  bought 
and  packed  pork,  and  also  corn,  oats  and  produce.  In 
1850  Mr.  Wilkinson  and  his  brother  entered  regularly 
into  partnership.  They  sold  goods,  bought  produce, 
built  boats,  loaded  them,  run  them  out  on  the  Bonpas 
to  the  Wabash  and  Mississippi  rivers.  They  established 
a  branch  store  at  Timberville,  on  the  Wabash,  which 
proved  unsuccessful  to  Mr.  Wilkinson.  He  moved  to 
and  settled  in  Friendsville,  Dec.  15,  1857.  In  1862  he 
formed  a  partnership  with  James  Foster,  which  was  dis- 
astrous. During  that  time  Mr.  Wilkinson  was  postmas- 
ter of  Friendsville.  On  the  21st  of  November,  1852,  he 
married  Rebecca,  widow  of  H.  B.  Roney,  and  daughter 
of  Ira  and  Eleanor  Keen.  She  was  born  one  mile  east 
of  Friendsville,  Wabash  county,  Ills.  There  have  been 
nine  children,  the  result  of  that  marriage.  Their  names 
in  the  order  of  their  birth  are :  Mary  Ellen,  born  Oct. 
17,  1853  ;  died  Oct.  24,  '54.  Sarah  Jane,  born  Dec.,10, 
'55 ;  Alice,  born  Feb.  12,  '58,  died  Oct.4,  '59 ;  Ira  A.,  born 
Mar.  15,  '60  ;  died  July  11,  '61.  Sam'l  B  Elsworth,born 
Oct.  5,  1862;  died  July  13, 1876.  Thomas  Lincoln,  born 
Feb.  9, 1865.  William  Finley,  born  Dec.  20;  died  Sepf 
26, 1867.  Jordan  Keen,  born  Feb.  13,  1876.  Elizabeth, 
the  oldest  living  daughter,  married  Captain  James  E. 
Kelsey,  March  26th,  1868,  and  gave  birth  to  four  sons, 
whose  names  are :  William  Thomas,  Harry  Albert, 
George  and  James  Garfield.  They  live  in  Lawrence 
county.  Sarah  Isabella  is  the  wife  of  George  S.  Taylor ; 
married  April  29,  1880 ;  have  one  child  (Carrie),  born 
May  3,  1881.  Mr.  Ira  Keen  and  wife,  parents  of  Mrs. 
W.,  came  to  Wabash  county, — father  in  1816,  and  the 
mother  iu  1803.  Mrs.  Keen's  maiden  name  is  Jourdan, 
related  by  blood  to  the  Comptons,  who  were  originally 
from  Virginia,  thence  to  Kentucky,  and  finally  to  Wa- 
bash county,  Illinois,  in  1801.  They  are  credited  with 
being  the  first  settlers  in  this  section  of  the  country. 

Mr.  Wilkinson,  politically,  was  an  old  line  Whig.  His 
first  vote  was  cast  for  W.  H.  Harrison  in  1840.  He 
remained  a  Whig  until  1856,  when  he  voted  for  John  C. 
Fremont,  and  for  all  subsequent  Republican  candidates. 

A.  Wilkinson  married  Ruth  Edgerton,  who  had  fivesons 
and  three  daughters,  and  fourteen  grandchildren.  Wm. 
R.  married  Sarah  Williams  and  had  two  sons  and  four 
daughters.  Thomas  Wilkinson  married  Eliza  Chapman, 
had  one  son,  two  daughters  and  four  grandsons.  Subse- 
quently Mr.  W.  married  Rebecca  Rouey  ;  had  six  sons, 
three  daughters  and  two  grand-daughters.  John  F.  W. 
married  Mary  E.  Albetz;  had  two  sons,  three  daughters 
and  five  grandchildren.  John  F.  subsequently  married 
Maria  Albetz,  and  had  one  son. 

Hox.  WILLIAM  R.  WILKINSON 
WAS  born  Jan.  19th,  1816,  in  the  county  of  York,  Eng- 


STOCK   FARM  274- ACRES  OF  THOS.  GAM  THORPE,  SfC.34,  T.  /,/?./,  SHELB  Y  PffECINCT,  EDWARDS  CO.  ILL 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  W ABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


285 


land.  He  is  the  son  of  Thomas  and  Nancy  Rah)  Wil- 
kinson, and  the  ninth  in  a  family  of  fourteen  children. 
His  father  had  been  twice  married,  and  was  the  father 
of  nineteen  children.  The  family  emigrated  to  America 
in  1830,  and  settled  in  Wilkesbarre,  Pennsylvania.  In 
the  spring  of  1837  he  came  west  to  Illinois,  and  settled 
five  miles  west  of  Grayville,  in  White  county,  where  he 
bought  forty  acres  of  land,  and  there  lived  until  his 
death  in  1840.  His  wife  then  came  to  Friendsville,  and  | 
made  her  home  with  the  subject  of  this  sketch  until 
1858,  when  she  died.  After  the  family  came  to  Amer- 
ica, William  R.  worked  for  William  Wood  of  Wilkes- 
barre, and  received  iu  pay  four  dollars  per  month.  He 
remained  with  him  four  years.  Then  his  father  rented 
a  piece  of  land,  and  William  returned  and  assisted  him 
for  several  years.  In  April,  1837,  he  engaged  with 
Judge  Geo.  W.  Woodward,  of  Wilkesbarre,  and  went  to 
school,  doing  the  chores  of  the  house  in  pay  for  his 
board.  The  following  fall  he  came  west  to  White 
county,  where  his  father  had  moved.  He  remained 
with  him,  and  helped  to  cl.ear  up  ten  acres  of  ground, 
and  fenced  it  in.  In  June,  1838,  he  came  to  Mt.  Carmel, 
and  worked  at  the  tanning  business.  In  Feb.,  1889, 
at  the  solicitation  of  William  Wood,  he  went  to 
Friendsville  and  clerked  for  him  in  the  store,  and  in 
1841  formed  a  partnership  with  Mr.  Wood.  This  part- 
nership continued  for  seven  years,  after  which  he  con- 
tinued the  business,  and  is  still  at  the  old  stand.  In 
1855  he  and  his  brother  Thomas  engaged  in  mercantile 
business  in  Pinhook,  in  Edwards  county,  Illinois,  and  at 
old  Timberville  on  the  Wabash  river. 

In  1850  he  put  up  a  warehouse,  and  shipped  a  large 
amount  of  produce  down  the  river.     In  1859  he  built 
the  flouring  mill  iu  Friendsville.     In  1841  he  was  ap- 
pointed postmaster  of  Friendsville,  and  still  holds  that 
position.     He  is  without  doubt  the  oldest  post-master  in  | 
the  State.     Mr.  Wilkinson  was  for  many  years  the  lead- 
ing merchant  of  his  town  and  a  prominent  man  in  the  j 
county.     On  the  6th  of  September,  1849,  he  was  com-  , 


missioned  by  Gov.  French  a  justice  of  the  peace.  Aug. 
18,  1856,  he  was  commissioned  by  Joel  A.  Mattison 
notary  public  ;  and  on  the  30th  of  November  1£57,  was 
commissioned  county  judge  of  Wabash  county.  In  1876 
he  was  elected  to  represent  his  senatorial  district  in  the 
General  Assembly  of  the  State.  He  was  appointed  on 
the  commission  to  examine  the  overflowed  lands  along 
the  rivers,  where  the  State  had  built  dams  or  locks. 
Originally,  Judge  Wilkinson  was  a  Whig.  In  1848  he 
was  one  of  six  who  formed  the  Free  Soil  party  in  Wa- 
bash county.  He  joined  the  Young  Republican  party 
1856,  and  voted  for  John  C.  Fremont,  and  in  all  subse- 
quent elections  has  uniformly  voted  that  ticket. 

On  the  9th  of  December,  1841,  he  married  Sarah 
Williams,  who  was  born  in  Ireland.  Her  father  came 
to  America  when  she  was  but  a  year  old.  She  was 
reared  in  New  Brunswick.  There  have  been  eight  chil- 
dren, the  offspring  of  that  union,  five  of  whom  are  liv- 
ing. Their  names  are  :  Alice  A.,  who  is  the  wife  of  W. 
H.  Besley ;  Mary,  wife  of  John  H.  Allison  ;  Robert  T.  ; 
Sarah,  wife  of  Thomas  H.  Penn,  and  George. 

Robert  T.  Wilkinson,  the  eldest  son,  was  born  in 
Friendsville,  Feb.  23,  1850.  He  received  his  education 
in  the  public  schools  and  in  the  seminary  of  his  native 
town.  He  read  law  in  the  office  of  Green  &  Bell,  and 
was  admitted  to  the  bar  at  Mt.  Vernon,  Illinois,  at  the 
July  term  of  the  Supreme  Court,  1879.  The  same  fall 
he  removed  to  Mt.  Carmel,  and  engaged  in  mercantile 
business  in  connection  with  W.  H.  Besley,  which  con- 
tinued for  two  and  a-half  years,  when  he  formed  a  part- 
nership with  J.  Fred.  Stein,  which  still  continues.  On 
the  6th  of  February,  1882,  he  was  appointed  postmaster 
of  Mt.  Carmel,  and  re-appointed  April  3d,  1873. 

On  the  22d  of  Oct.,  1874,  he  was  united  in  marriage 
to  Miss  Julia  E.,  daughter  of  Dr.  James  and  Ellen  (La- 
vellette)  Harvey.  By  that  union  there  are  three  chil- 
dren, whose  names  are  Mabel,  Robert  Clyde,  and  James 
W.  Wilkinson.  The  family  are  members  of  the  Pres- 
byterian Church. 


DENNISON. 

LAWRENCE    COUNTY. 


|HIS  TOWNSHIP  is  bounded  on  the  north  by 
Lawrence,  on  the  east  by  Allison  and  the 
Wabath  river,  on  the  south  by  the  county  of 
Wabash,  and  ou  the  west  by  Lukiu  and  Bridgeport 
townships.  The  surface  was  originally  almost  wholly 
covered  with  timber  and  is,  in  places,  somewhat  broken, 
West  of  the  central  part  is  an  area  called  "  Wolf- 


!  prairie."   The  soil  is  best  adapted  to  the  growth  of  wheat. 
!  Drainage  is  derived  principally  from  the  Embarras  river 

and  Little  Raccoon  creek.  The  Wabash,  St  Louis,  and 
j  Pacific  railroad  extends  through  the  township,  north 
'  and  south,  and  supplies  good  facilities  for  the  shipment  of 

produce. 
I       The  earliest  settlements  were  made  by  the  French,  at 


286 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WAR  ASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


St.  Francisville.  Joseph  Tugaw,  properly  spelled  Tou- 
gas,  originally  came  from  Vincennes,  and  settled  on  the 
site  of  the  village  in  1804  or  1805.  His  brothers,  Au- 


Mary  Josette  De  Lisle,  three  of  whom  are  yet  living. 
Charles  Greraore  married  and  settled  on  a  part  of  1m 
brother's  place.  Charles  Moyes  first  came  to  the  town- 


gust  and   William,  and  John   Lauglois  were  also  there  !  ship   prior   to   1812.     He   moved   back  to  Vincenn 
about  that  time,  but  moved  to  Rochester,  in   Wabash     returned   after   the   Indian   difficulties   were  over  and 
county,     He  was  a  married  man  and  had  two  children,     settled  on  the  S   E.  quarter  of  section  12.     He  received 
Joseph,  jr.  and  Alexander.     Soon  after  he  settled  he  j  the  pseudonym  of  Coy,  from  a  circum-tance  which  may 
established  and  operated  a  ferry  on  the  Wabash.     In  j  be  found  related  in  detail  in  the  pioneer  chapter.     His 


1812  he  built  a  picket  fort,  as  a  protection  for  himself 
and  his  neighbors  against  tha  Indians.  In  1815,  his  was 
the  only  residence  in  Edwards  county  assessed  as  a 


children  were  Charles,  Peter,  Joseph,  Francis  and  Mar- 
tha. Except  Peter,  they  all  married  and  settled  in  the 
county.  John  Shirkey,  with  three  children,  John,  Mary 


"  mansion  house."  It  was  rated  at  8300.  He  was,  i  and  Theresa,  came  to  the  county  about  1815.  He 
moreover,  one  of  the  only  two  who  owned  slaves  in  that  settled  on  the  N.  W.  quarter  of  section  13.  Charles 
year.  He  was  a  giant  in  stature,  and  possessed  those  ;  Donaute  and  Frank  Potvine  settled  in  the  same  neigh- 
characteristics  of  courage  and  daring  which  were  the  j  borhood.  Some  account  of  the  Harriman  family,  and 
birthright  of  the  Tougas  family.  He  met  his  death  at  I  of  the  cruel  fate  that  overtook  them,  will  be  found  in 
the  hands  of  Tecumseh  and  three  or  four  of  his  band,  at  !  those  pages  of  this  book  devoted  to  the  early  pioneers- 


Logansport,  by   accepting,   at  their  hands,   a   poisoned 


James  Johnson  came  from  Indiana  in  1815  or  '16,  and 


morsel,  as  an  alternative  to  death  by  violence.  He  ,was  settled  on  the  S.  W.  quarter  of  section  21,  where  he 
set  at  liberty,  and  put  spurs  to  his  horse  and  succeeded  made  his  permanent  home  and  died.  He  was  a  mechanic 
in  reaching  a  cabin,  but  before  medical  aid  could  be  had,  |  and  as  early  as  1825  had  in  operation  a  cotton-gin.  His 
the  morsel  had  done  its  work.  Joseph  and  Amab  Pot-  j  two  sons,  Abner  and  George,  and  two  daughters  were  a 
vine,  commonly  called  Arpas,  came  likewise  from  Vin-  part  of  the  immigrant  family.  William  Ramsey,  a  New 
cennes,  about  the  same  time.  The  former  had  two  Light  minister,  came  from  Franklin  county,  Ohio,  in 
children,  Peter  and  Jane,  and  settled  on  the  E.  half  of  j  1818.  He  brought  a  family  of  five  children,  Louis, 
section  17,  making  there  his  permanent  home.  He  was  John,  Joseph,  Russell,  and  Hannah,  and  settled  on  the 


a  man  of  enterprise,  and  built  a  horse-mill  at  an  early 
day.  His  daughter  Jane,  about  1827  or  '28,  married 
Mason  Jones,  who  settled  on  the  old  place.  Amab,  who 


N.  E.  quarter  of  section  33,  T.  3,  R.  12.  William 
Dennisou,  whose  name  is  perpetuated  in  that  of  the 
township  within  whose  borders  he  settled,  immigrated 


was  a  bachelor,  made  his  home  on  the  same  half-section,  from  Fayette  county,  Kentucky,  in  18i8,  with  a  family 

Philip   Deschaut  came  from    Montreal,    Canada,   and  of  eight  children,  viz:  Daniel,  John,  Madison,  Alexan- 

married  in  Vincennes.    In  1806,  with  a  family  of  three  der,  William,  Elizabeth,  Catharine  and  Mary,  and  made 

children,  Peter,  Clara  and  Julia,  he  moved  to  Dennison  his  home  on  the  S.  W.  quarter  of  section  33,  T.  3,  R.  12. 

township,  and  settled  in  section  17.   Andrew  and  Charles  He  had  served  in  the  Kentucky  militia,  under  Gen.  St. 

Lacoste,  from  Vincennes,  settled  on  the  S.  W.  quarter  of  Clair.     He  was  one  of  the  early  justices  of  the  peace, 


section  8,  about  the  year  1807.  Near  this  time  came  L. 
Bonaut,  with  two  children,  Charles  and  Lambert,  and 
located  on  the  S.  W.  quarter  of  section  28,  where  he 
lived  about  ten  years.  He  then  moved  to  Cahokia,  and 
there  died. 

In  1809  or  '10,  Francis  Tougas,  brother  of  Joseph, 
above  referred  to,  and  like  him,  a  living  Apollo,  moved 
from  Vincennes  and  settled  north  of  St.  Francisville,  on 
the  S.  W.  quarter  of  section  17.  He  had  three  children, 
Francis,  Susan  and  Nellie.  He  died  many  years  ago.  I  subsequently  moved  to  section  19,  T.  3,  R.  11,  and  began 
Francis,  jr.,  who  now  resides  in  section  8,  was  born  in  ]  farming,  which  was  afterwards  his  only  occupation. 
Vincennes,  in  1803.  Louis  Lacoste  moved  to  the  town-  I  Lawson  was  also  from  Kentucky  and  had  three  children 


and  died  on  his  farm,  about  forty-five  years  ago.  His 
newly  married  son  Robert,  came  at  the  same  time,  and 
settled  on  the  S.  J  quarter  of  section  33,  T.  3,  R.  12. 
Alexander,  William  and  Madison  married  in  the  county 
where  they  are  represented  by  a  number  of  descendants. 
In  this  year,  1818,  also  came  John  Mieure,  Thomas 
Lawson,  John  Powers  and  Charles  Lacoste,  jr.  The  first 
came  from  Kentucky  and  married  Mary  Ann  Gillespie, 
and  began  life  as  a  merchant,  in  Lawrenceville.  He 


ship  from  Vincennes.  and  settled  on  the  N.  W.  quarter 
of  section  8,  about  1810.  At  the  same  time  and  in  the 
near  vicinity,  Michael  Dubois  and  one  Boutia  settled, 
lived  and  died.  The  Gremore  family  moved  from  Kas- 
kaskia  to  Vincennes.  In  1810,  Peter  Gremore  and  his 
brother  Charles,  the  former  with  five  children,  viz; 
Peter,  jr.,  Jane,  Joseph,  Francis  and  Modiste,  came  to 
the  vicinity  of  St.  Francisville  and  settled  on  the  S. 
W.  quarter  of  section  21,  where  the  former  resided  per- 
manently and  died  at  the  age  of  one  hundred  and  two 
years.  He  reared  twenty-three  children  by  one  mother, 


John,  Sarah  and  Napoleon.  He  made  his  permanent 
home  in  the  N.  W.  quarter  of  section  36.  Powers  was 
likewise  a  Kentuckian  and  settled  on  the  N.  E.  quarter 
of  this  section.  His  children,  whom  he  brought  with 
him,  were  Lemuel  and  Hamau,  some  of  whose  descend- 
ants live  in  the  township.  Charles  Lacoste,  jr.,  from 
Vinceunes,  settled  on  the  N.  W.  quarter  of  section  17. 
Benjamin  Gibbs,  with  two  children,  Mary  and  Rhoda — 
now  Mrs.  Louis  Ramsey— came  in  1819,  and  settled  on 
the  S.  W.  quarter  of  sec:  ion  23,  T.  3,  R.  12.  His  son 
Daniel  was  born  in  1820,  on  the  old  homestead,  where 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


287 


he  now  resides.  His  brother-in-law,  John  Clark,  who 
•came  from  the  state  of  New  York,  was  a  Baptist  minister, 
with.a  family.  He  sold  his  property  to  William  Ram-ey 
and  moved  to  the  Illinois  river.  In  1819,  four  brothers, 
Thomas,  Walter,  Victor  and  James  Buchanan,  came  to- 
gether in  a  keelboat  from  Kentucky.  The  first,  who 
had  two  children,  Eliza  and  Robert  A.,  settled  on  the 
S.  W.  quarter  of  section  1,  T.  2,  R.  12,  where  he  resided 
permanently,  and  died.  Walter  became  a  mathematician 
and  surveyor  of  note.  The  family  are  one  of  the  most 
numerous  and  best-to-do  in  the  southern  part  of  the 
county.  James  Ryan  came  from  Virginia  in  1820,  and 
settled  on  the  N  E.,  quarter  of  section  23,  T.  3,  R.  12, 
where  he  resided  permanently.  He  had  a  family  of  seven 
children,  by  name,  Thomas,  Rachel  E.  Z.,  Betsey, 
Alexander,  Martin,  Sarah  and  Joel.  The  land  upon 
which  Mr  Ryan  settled,  had  been  improved  by  a  man 
named  Parr.  Jeremiah  Fleming,  an  Irish  school- 
teacher, about  1819,  settled  on  the  N.  W.  quarter  of 
section  26,  T.  3,  R.  12  This  place  was  afterward  en- 
tered by  William  Buchanan,  who  came  from  Ohio,  about 
3827  or  '28,  with  three  children,  John,  William,  jr.  and 
Cynthia,  the  first  of  whom  now  occupies  the  old  place. 
Fleming's  father-in-law,  Stufflebeam,  lived  near  him. 
Josiah  Selby,  son-in-law  of  James  Johnson,  came  from 
Kentucky  about  1820,  with  three  children,  Johnson, 
Thomas  and  Leonard,  and  settled  where  John  Price 
now  lives. 

Hugh  Seed,  some  time  prior  to  1828,  settled  on  the 
8.  E.  i  of  section  24,  township  3,  range  12,  where  he 
reared  a  considerable  family  of  children.  Samuel  Seed 
improved  the  A.  B.  Ryan  place — the  N.  E.  i  of  section 

23.  Dr.  Thomas  Collins,   originally  from   Maryland, 
some  time  before  1828,  settled  on  the  N.  W.  i  of  section 

24,  where  he  lived  permanently  and  died.      John  Rich- 
ardson, with  a  family  of  five   children,    John,  Nancy, 
William,  Jefferson,    and  Eliza,  came  from  Virginia,  in 
1828,  and  lived  at  various  points  in  the  county  till  his 
death.     His  son,  William,  who   resides  in   section  29, 
township  3,  range  11,  is  among  the  prosperous  farmers 
of  the  county.      Richard  Jackman,  came  to  what  is  now 
Wabash  county,  in  1,819.      In    1824,   he   moved  to  the 
township,  and   settled  on   the  N.  W.    J   of  section  26, 
township  2,  range  12.     After  a   residence   here   of  two 
years,  he  bought  land  in  the  S.  W.  k  of  section  23,  same 
town  and  range,  and  there  lived  till  his  death,  in  1849, 
at  seventy-four  years  of  age.      He  arrived  in  the  town- 
ship with  a  family  of  six  children,  Edward,  Elizabeth, 
William,  Basil,  John,  and  Richard.     Mr.  Jackman  was, 
by  trade,  a  wheelwright.     His  son,  John,  is  among  the 
prominent   citizens   of  the   township.      Gen.  John    H. 
Morris  moved  with  his  family  from  Kentucky,  in  1822 
Three  sons  and  eight  daughters  were  the  members  of  his 
family.     Soon  after  the  opening  of  the  war  of  1812,  he 
organized,  and  helped  to  equip,  a  company,  of  which  he 
became  captain.     He  continued  in  the  service   till  the 
close  of  the  war,  and  rose  to  the  rank  of   general.     He 
was  born  in    Herkimer  county,  Virginia,   in  1780,  and 


died  in  Lawrenceville,  in  1851.  Among  the  later  im- 
migrants to  the  township  was  Benjamin  Price,  who 
moved  from  Delaware  to  Ohio,  and  thence  to  Lawrence 
county,  in  1837,  and  settled  on  the  W.  i  of  the  S.  W- 
i  of  section  21,  township  2,  range  12,  where  he  resided 
till  his  death.  He  reared  a  family  'of  nine  children, 
seven  of  whom  were  immigrants.  The  township  was  re- 
presented in  the  Black  Hawk  War  by  William  and 
Basil  Jackman,  Joseph  Selby,  Abner  Johnson,  James 
H.  Buchanan,  Mason  Jones,  Jacob  Young,  and  Franklin 
Genereux.  The  following  are  the  first  land  entries,  all 
in  township  2,  range  12.  Oct.  10,  1811,  August  Tougas 
entered|the  N.  E.  I  of  section  14  ;  October  2, 1816,  Alex. 
Banks,  the  W.  J  of  the  S.  W.  t  of  section  28  ;  November 
25,  1816,  Andre  Des  Bines,  the  N.  E.  J  of  section  12  ; 
July  27, 1816,  John  B.  Valcour,  the  S.  E.  J  of  section 
12  ;  December  1,  1817,  William  Leach,  the  S.  W.  i  of 
section  23 ;  December  8,  1817,  John  Leach,  the  N.  W. 
i  of  section  26.  The  Leachs  were  from  Tennessee,  and 
were  slave  owners,  who  came  for  the  purpose  of  establish- 
ing a  plantation.  The  admission  of  Illinois  as  a  free  state 
frustrated  their  plans.  The  following  are  the  names  of 
those  who  have  been  members  of  the  board  of  supervisors  : 
James  Bonner,  1857  ;  Victor  Buchanan,  Sr.,  1858-1859; 
A.  H.  Grass,  1860-1861  ;  resigned' in  1862,  and  Victor 
Buchanan,  to  fill  vacany  ;  L.  W.  Gee,  1863  to  1<^65  ; 
Victor  Buchanan,  chairman,  1866  ;  Alfred  H.  Grass, 
1867 ;  Philip  Snyder,  1868-1869 ;  Jacob  Potts,  1870- 
1871  ;  William  T.  Buchanan,  1872  ;  chairman  in  1873, 
1874,  and  1875,  chairman  in  1876  1877,  chairman  in 
1878 ;  Jacob  Potts,  1879  to  1881  ;  John  Jackman,  1882  ; 
Francis  Tougas,  1883. 

ST.    FRANCESVILLE. 

This  village  is  situated  on  th'e  Wabash  river,  in 
location  1,  township  2,  range  11.  It  was  laid  out  in 
1835  or  1836,  by  Frances,  widow  of  Joseph  Tougas,  and 
the  plot  was  filed  of  record  in  1837.  Francis  Tougas 
sold  the  first  goods  about  the  time  the  town  was  laid  out. 
Mason  Jones  built  the  first  blacksmith  shop  shortly 
after,  on  a  lot  of  laud,  donated  by  the  proprietor  for  that 
purpose.  Jackman's  saw  and  grist  mill,  stood  near  the 
present  site  of  the  depot,  and  was  built  about  1837. 
There  it  was  also  that  the  post-office  was  established. 
About  1840.  Decudra,  a  catholic  priest,  built  a  frame 
school  house,  in  which  a  free  school  was  taught  by  two 
nuns.  He  subsequently  sold  it,  and  a  public  school 
building  was  put  up,  which  served  its  puipcse  till  1873, 
when  the  present  one  was  erected.  A  Catholic  church 
house  was  built  about  1835.  It  was  displaced  by  the 
present  frame  church  edifice,  about  1850.  The  town 
was  first  incorporated,  in  1869,  and  the  first  election  of 
officers  was  held,  February  27th  of  that  year.  In  Janu- 
ary, 1873,  the  town  was  incorporated  as  a  village,  under 
statutory  provisions  relating  to  cities  and  towns. 

PRESENT   BUSINESS. 

Physicians. — Charles  Frazer,  Thomas  Grayson. 
General  Store. Reinbold. 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


Drug  and  Notion  Store  andPost  Office.— Jesse  Tralor. 
Hotels.— L.  W.  Gee,  Benjamin  Umfleet. 
Jtlnrkxinilh. — John  A.  Quick. 
Barber. — James  Lacost. 


The  Good  Templars  have  an  organization,  which  was 
formed  December  12,  1880.  It  has  a  membership  of 
forty-two  persons,  and  is  in  a  very  good  condition  finan- 
cially. 


BIOGRAPHIES. 


SIMON  VANDERMARK. 

AMONG  the  energetic,  pushing  farmers  of  Lawrence 
county,  Simon  Vandermark  takes  rank.     He  was  born 
in  Luzerne  county,  Pennsylvania,  February  27th,  1829, 
in  the  home  of  his  forefathers  for  the  last  three  genera-  j 
tions,  his  great-grandfather,  a  native  of  Germany,  who  j 
came  to  Pennsylvania  and  served  faithfully  as  a  captain  ! 
in  the  Revolutionary  war,  having  located  there.     His 
father,  James  Vandermark,  was  a  farmer.     His  mother, 
whose  maiden  name  was  Susannah  B.    Kethline,  was   of 
German  lineage.      In   his  father's   family    were  eight  ^ 
children,  five  being  boys  and  three  girls.     In  the  year  i 
1841  the  family  came  to  Lawrence  county,  and  located  | 
about  two  niiles  east  from  where  Simon  now  lives.  Four  j 
years  prior  to  this  time  his  father  had  made  a  prospect- 
ing trip,  going  down  the  Mississippi  river  and  finally 
locating  a  thousand  acres  of  land  around  the  old  Van- 
dermark homestead.      In  Pennsylvania  he  was  not  a 
landed  proprietor,  but  had  made  much  of  his  opportuni- 
ties and  was  enabled,  by  the  exercise  of  economy,  to  make 
this  purchase  of  government   lauds.     Simon   Vander- 
mark was  married  to  Frances  West,  daughter  of  John 
West,  of  Gibson  county,  Indiana,  Dec.  25,  1857.     Mrs. 
Vandermark's  mother,  whose  maiden  name  was  Elizabeth 
Brown,  once  belonged  to  the  Unity,  of  New  Harmony, 
in  which  cause  her  people  had  enlisted  under  Robert 
Dale  Owen.     To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Vandermark  have  been 
born  five  sons  and  three  daughters,  by  name,  Lyman, 
died   Sept.  9,  1881 ;  Ezra,  Howard,  John,   Lawrence, 
Ella  Passmore,  Elizabeth  Ryan  and  Maude,  who  died  in 
infancy.     Politically,  Mr.  Vandermark  is  a  pronounced 
Republican.     Religiously  an  adherent  of  the  Methodist 
faith.     He   is  a  man   of  fine  social  qualities,  a  kind 
neighbor  and  most  excellent  citizen. 


CYRUS  VANDERMARK. 

THE  biographical  sketch  of  Simon,  brother  of 
Cyrus  Vandermark,  briefly  sets  forth  the  lineage  of  these 
two  brothers.  Cyrus  Vandermark  was  born  in  Luzerne 
county,  Pennsylvania,  February  26,  1832.  As  a  youth 
he  had  like  advantages  with  those  offered  thirty  or 
forty  years  ago  throughout  Luzerne  county,  for  acquir- 
ing an  education,  his  father  having  moved  here  in 
1841.  He  was  married  on  the  29th  of  April,  1857,  to 
Elmira  Collins,  daughter  of  William  Collins,  of  Vir- 
ginia. William  CoLins  was  among  the  pioneers  of  this 
part  of  the  state,  having  located  here  in  1833.  By  this 
wife  Mr.  Vandermark  had  ten  children,  two  of  whom 
died  in  infancy,  and  four  are  now  living,  James  William, 
Mary  Jane,  John  Hardin,  and  George  Logan.  The 
three  others,  now  dead  were  Malinda  Augusta,  Idumea 
Emeline  and  Charles  Alfred.  Of  the  daughters,  Mary 
Jane  married  George  Swift,  Dec.  25,  1878.  Mrs.  Van- 
dermark died  February  7th,  1869.  Mr.  Vandermark 
was  married  to  Lucy  Elmore,  his  present  wife,  Aug.  29, 
1871.  She  was  the  daughter  of  Mrs.  Maria  J.  Sumner, 
nee  Gresham,  of  the  eminent  Indiana  family  of  that 
name,  being  the  daughter  of  Dudley  Gresham  and  wife, 
whose  maiden  name  was  Sarah  Stevens.  The  fruits  of 
this  marriage  are  four  children :  Cyrus  Hayden,  Mar- 
tha Ellen,  Annie  May;  and  Omer  Garfield.  Mr.  Van- 
dermark is  a  Republican  of  the  strictest  school.  His 
first  presidential  vote  was  east  for  Gen.  Winfield  S. 
Scott,  and  never  since  has  he  departed  from  that  faith. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church,  in 
which  he  has  been  active  for  the  past  twenty-five  years. 
His  hospitality  receives  universal  recognition,  and  his 
kindness  and  sociability  have  gained  for  him  hosts  of 
friends. 


Of  THE 

' 


DIXON. 

EDWARDS    COUNTY. 


JHIS  precinct  is  situated  in  the  extreme  south- 
west part  of  the  county,  is  nearly  rectangu- 
lar in  form,  and  bounded  as  follows  :  On 
the  north  by  Big  creek  and  Albion  pre- 
cinct, east  by  French  creek,  south  by  White  county,  and 
on  the  west  by  Wayne  county.  It  receives  its  name  in 
honor  of  John  Dixon,  who  was  a  prominent  settler  of 
1841,  and  includes  a  part  of  two  townships — numbers 
two  and  three — range  ten  east.  Originally  it  was  tim- 
bered land,  interspered  with  small  glades  which  were 
covered  with  fine  grasses.  Large  belts  of  timber  yet 
exist  within  its  boundaries,  sufficient  to  supply  the  iu- 
habitants  with  all  needed  lumber,  fuel,  and  fencing  for 
years  to  come.  The  surface  is  undulating  and  well 
formed  for  surface  drainage.  The  principal  streams  are 
the  Little  Wabash,  and  Big  creek.  The  former  extends 
through  the  southwest,  and  the  latter  constitutes  the 
northwest  boundary.  The  soil  is  a  chocolate-colored 
clay  subsoil,  and  well  adapted  to  the  raising  of  an  ex- 
cellent quality  of  wheat.  Corn  is  cultivated  sufficiently 
to  supply  home  consumption.  Oats,  grasses,  potatoes, 
and  fruit  are  among  the  products.  In  an  early  day 
corn  constituted  the  principal  product,  but  for  many 
years  wheat  and  pork  have  furnished  the  main  revenue 
for  this  part  of  the  county.  But  little,  if  any,  lands  lie 
in  the~ precinct  that  are  not  susceptible  of  improvement 
the  drainage  being  such  that  even  the  low  lauds  can  be 
cultivated. 

FIRST  SETTLEMENTS. 

The  first  white  man  to  venture  into  the  wilds  of  this 
precinct  was  Joseph  Boltiughouse,  in  the  fall  of  1816. 
He  was  a  single  man,  and  came  from  what  is  now  White 
county,  with  a  drove  of  hogs  to  let  them  forage  on  the 
mast  of  Big  creek  timber.  A  little  south  of  the  creek 
on  what  is  now  the  Churchill  lands,  he  established  his 
camp  and  became  monarch  of  the  woods ;  but  his  reign 
was  a  short  and  eventful  one.  The  particulars  of  his 
death  cannot  be  recorded,  but  enough  is  known  to  assert 
that  he  was  massacred  by  a  band  of  Shawnee  Indians. 
When  found  his  head  was  severed  from  the  body  and 
stuck  upon  a  pole  by  his  camp,  the  body  lying 
near  in  a  mangled  condition.  The  remains  were  buried 
near  where  the  body  lay.  Tradition  says  that  the 
Rangers  pursued  the  Indians,  finding  them  encamped 
near  the  Wabash.  They  captured  them,  tied  stones  to 
their  bodies,  and  sunk  them  in  the  river. 

The  first  to  make  a  permanent  'location  here  were 
37 


Daniel  and  James  Boltinghouse,  brothers  of  the  above 
This  was  early  in  1817.  They  were  formerly  from 
Kentucky,  but  on  coming  to  Illinois,  they  settled  with 
their  father  in  White  county.  Daniel  was  a  man  of  a 
family,  and  his  brother  James  lived  with  him.  They 
located  in  section  26,  township  number  two  south,  range 
ten  east,  a  little  south  and  east  of  Big  creek,  in  the  edge 
of  the  timber.  The  prairie  stretching  northward  toward 
Albion  receives  its  name  from  these  early  setters.  They 
remained  here  until  about  1837,  when  they  moved  to  the 
State  of  Arkansas. 

Thomas  Riley,  a  native  of  Ireland,  settled  in  the  pre- 
cinct the  same  year  as  the  Boltiughouses.  He  was  then 
a  single  man,  and  in  1822,  married  Sarah  Morris,  a 
daughter  of  one  of  the  pioneers.  Mr.  Riley  located  in 
section  17,  township  3  south,  range  10  east.  He  im- 
proved a  good  farm,  upon  which  he  resided  until  his 
death,  which  occurred  about  1852,  his  widow  surviving 
him  but  a  few  years.  None  of  his  descendants  are 
now  living  in  the  precinct.  Another  pioneer  of  1817, 
was  Isaac  Morris,  who  was  an  emigrant  from  the  south. 
He  had  a  large  family,  and  was  a  pure  type  of  the  back- 
woodsman and  hunter.  He  located  in  section  5,  town- 
ship 3  south,  range  10  east,  where  he  built  a  rude  log 
cabin,  containing  one  room,  which  supplied  the  entire 
purpose  of  kitchen,  dining,  and  sleeping  apartment  for 
his  numerous  family.  He,  like  all  the  old  hunters,  was 
noted  for  relating  exaggerated  accounts  of  his  hunting 
expeditions,  one  of  which  we  will  place  before  our  readers- 
One  morning,  before  breakfast,  he  concluded  to  go  out 
and  bring  in  a  deer  or  two,  as  the  family  had  been 
without  fresh  meat  for  a  few  days.  He  had  been  in  the 
timber  but  a  short  time  when  he  brought  down  a  fine 
buck.  Throwing  him  across  his  shoulder,  he  had  pro. 
ceeded  but  a  short  distance,  when  a  large  black  bear 
jumped  up  before  him,  and  with  the  crack  of  his  rifle 
bruin  bit  the  dust.  He  placed  the  huge  carcass  on  the 
other  shoulder  and  proceeded  homeward.  Breakfast 
was  waiting,  and  he  dumped  the  bear  upon  the  floor  and 
sat  down  to  the  table  with  the  family.  His  wife  asked 
him  if  he  proposed  to  eat  his  meal  with  that  dter  upon  his 
back.  He  apologized  by  saying,  that  he  felt  so  light 
after  dropping  the  bear,  that  he  had  entirely  forgotten 
about  the  incumbrance  on  the  other  shoulder.  The  ob- 
ject of  relating  the  above  is  to  more  fully  portray  the 
character  of  the  man  ;  and  the  pith  of  the  whole  story  is, 
it  was  related  by  him  as  being  an  absolute  fact.  He  and 

289 


290 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  W ABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


his  -wife  died,  at  the  old  home  long  ago,  and  the  children 
have  all  removed  to  other  parts  of  the  country. 

There  was  quite  an  influx  of  immigration  in  1818, 
among  whom  was  William  Brown,  a  native  of  the  state 
of  Maine.  When  twelve  years  of  age  his  father  pre- 
pared to  emigrate  to  Ohio,  but  died  on  the  way.  Wil- 
liam fell  in  with  emigrants  coming  to  Illinois,  and  in 
1818,  reached  the  new  formed  state.  Here  he  remained, 
and  in  1828,  entered  a  quarter  section  of  land  in  section 
10,  township  3  south,  range  10  east.  Subsequently  he 
married  Mary  Harper,  from  which  reunion  nine  children 
were  born,  six  of  whom  are  now  residing  in  the  county. 
Mr.  Brown  improved  an  excellent  farm,  on  which  he 
lived  to  a  good  old  age,  enjoying  the  fruits  of  his  labor. 
He  died  in  1877.  His  widow  is  yet  residing  at  the  old 
farm,  now  72  years  of  age,  and  is  the  oldest  pioneer  citizen 
of  the  precinct.  Alfred,  a  son,  is  living  on  a  portion  of 
the  original  homestead,  and  is  one  of  the  staunch  and 
public-spirited  men  of  the  county.  Thomas  Harper  was 
born  in  North  Carolina,  and  emigrated  to  Kentucky  in 
an  early  day.  He  removed  to  Indiana,  and  in  1818, 
came  to  Illinois  and  located  in  White  county.  In  1822, 
he  moved  into  this  precinct  and  settled  in  section  3, 
township  3,  range  10  east.  At  his  coming  he  had  a 
family  of  five  childen,  James,  William,  Thomas,  John, 
and  Mary.  The  latter  is  the  only  one  of  the  family  now 
living,  being  the  widow  of  William  Brown,  above  men- 
tioned. Mr.  Harper  was  a  representative  citizen,  having 
served  as  the  first  magistrate  of  the  precinct  for  several 
years.  He  died  in  1829.  Mrs.  Harper  lived  to  a  ripe 
old  age,  passing  away  in  1875. 

Robert  Willis  was  born  in  England,  and  emigrated 
to  the  States  in  1817.  Soon  afterward  he  located  in 
Dixon  precinct,  section  14,  township  3  south,  range  10 
east.  His  family  consisted  of  his  wife  and  three  children, 
Sarah,  Hannah  and  E  izabeth.  He  improved  a  good 
farm,  and  was  considered  one  of  the  most  kind  and  chari- 
table citizens  of  the  settlement.  He  died  about  1863, 
mourned  by  many  warm  friends.  Mrs.  Willis  survived 
him  but  a  few  years.  One  daughter,  Hannah,  widow 
of  Edward  Kershaw — another  early  settler — is  residing 
at  Gray  ville.  The  family  of  Threads  came  from  England 
in  the  same  year  as  the  above,  and  located  in  the  north 
part  of  the  precinct.  The  old  folks  died  long  ago ; 
several  of  their  descendants  are  now  residing  north  of 
Albion.  Hester,  a  daughter,  was  the  wife  of  Elias 
Chism,  now  a  citizen  of  Albion.  William  Everly, 
Charles  Birks,  James  Kenedy,  Thomas  Sloan  and 
James  Jordan  all  came  in  1818.  Mr.  Everly  and  Mr. 
Sloan  remained  here  until  their  decease,  which  occurred 
in  an  early  day.  Mr.  Jordan  was  elected  to  the  State 
Legislature  for  one  term,  but  subsequently  moved  to  In- 
diana. Mr.  Birks  also  moved  to  Indiana.  Mr.  Kenedy 
remained  for  some  time,  when  he  located  in  the  northern 
part  of  the  State.  None  of  their  descendants  are  living 
in  the  county.  John  Burton  was  a  pioneer  of  1819. 
He  came  from  England  with  his  family  and  settled  in 
section  14,  township  three  south,  range  ten  east,  where 


he  remained  until  about  1830,  when  he  moved  to  New 
Harmony,  Indiana,  where  he  resided  until  his  death. 
His  children  went  with  him,  so  that  none  of  his  descen- 
dants are  now  in  this  part  of  the  country.  Joel 
Churchill  was  a  settler  of  1819,  a  brief  sketch  of  whom 
will  be  found  in  Albion  chapter.  Other  old  residents  of 
the  precinct  who  are  now  living  are  Charles  Baxter, 
John  Hallam,  Thomas  Frankland,  Charles  Potter  and 
others. 

First  Land  Entries.— The  first  land  entered  in  Dixon 
precinct  was  June  6,  ^816,  by  George  Morris,  and  de- 
scribed as  follows  :  The  N.  W.  i  of  section  5,  Tp.  3  S  , 
range  10  E.  The  following  are  also  in  the  same  town- 
ship and  range:  September  26,1818,  William  Adams 
entered  the  N.  W.  }  of  section  4;  November  2,  1818, 
Robert  Willis  entered  the  E.  J  of  the  S.  E.  t  of  section 
15 ;  April  21,  1819,  Jonathan  Williams  entered  the  S. 
E.  J  of  section  3;  same  date,  John  Burton  entered  the 
E.  J  of  the  S.  E.  1  of  section  14.  The  following  entries 
are  in  Tp.  2  S.,  R.  10  E. :  August  30,  1817,  James 
Boltinghouse  entered  the  N.  E.  t  of  section  26 ;  Sep- 
tember 20,  1817,  James  Meredith  entered  the  S.  W.  i 
of  section  27;  September  4, 1817,  Isaac  Ellison  entered 
the  N.  W.  \  of  section  33;  May  4,  1819,  Joel  Churchill 
entered  the  S.  W.  \  of  section  34. 

The  first  settlers  were  far  more  sociable  and  hospita- 
ble than  the  people  of  this  age  of  gain  and  greed.  A 
man  was  a  neighbor  if  he  lived  ten  miles  away,  and  it 
was  no  uncommon  thing  for  them  to  go  that  distance  to 
aid  one  another  in  raising  their  cabins.  At  the  house 
raisings  and  log  rollings,  it  was  customary  to  have  a 
large  supply  of  whisky  on  hand,  and  the  jug  was  passed 
around  at  least  every  half  hour,  so  that  by  afternoon 
many  of  them  would  be  more  or  less  hilarious.  Then 
would  commence  the  boasting  and  bantering  by  those 
who  considered  themselves  the  "  best  men."  A  wrest- 
ling match  or  a  "  rough  and  tumble"  would  soon  follow, 
and  sometimes  the  curtain  would  drop  with  bunged 
eyes  and  bloody  noses  behind  the  scenes. ..  Bee- 
trees  and  wild  honey  was  so  common  in  those  days  that 
it  was  not  unusual  for  the  hunters  to  find  a  half  dozen 
trees  in  as  many  hours,  and  thus  honey  and  beeswax  be- 
came staple  articles  for  barter.  Mills  for  grinding  their 
corn  were  few  and  far  between.  The  first  mill  built  in 
this  precinct  was  about  1840,  by  John  Elder,  and 
was  located  on  his  farm  in  section  4,  township  three 
south,  range  ten  east.  It  was  a  horse  mill  capable  of 
grinding  about  twenty  bushels  of  meal  daily.  The  first 
blacksmith  was  John  Smith.  His  shop  was  established 
about  1847,  and  was  situated  in  section  10  township 
three  south,  range  ten  east.  He  died  here  several  years 
ago.  The  first  goods  were  sold  by  Joseph  Shaw  in  1846. 
His  store  was  located  in  section  3,  same  township  and 
range  as  the  above.  Mr.  Shaw  died  in  a  few  years  and 

j  the  business  ceased. 

The  first  school  was  taught  in  a  log  cabin  situated  on 

!  the  Churchill  land.  This  was  in  1824,  and  the  teacher 
was  Daniel  Bain,  who  was  considered  a  good  instructor 


HISTOEY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


in  those  days.  The  first  to  administer  to  the  spiritual 
wants  of  the  people  here  was  the  Rev.  Roberts,  of  the 
Baptist  persuasion,  in  1823.  The  services  were  held  in 
the  private  residences  of  the  settlers.  Reverends  Rob- 
ert Delap  and  James  Jagers  were  also  early  preachers. 
The  first  church  building  was  erected  in  1849  by  the 
Methodist  denomination.  It  is  a  log  building — and 
is  situated  in  the  northwest  corner  of  section  10,  town- 
ship three  south,  range  ten  east.  The  first  burial  ground 
was  established  on  the  farm  of  Daniel  Boltinghouse  in 


the  north  part  of  the  precinct.  The  first  interment  was 
a  child  of  Mr.  Boltinghouse.  This  cemetery  has  beeu 
neglected,  and  but  few  if  any  interments  have  been 
made  here  for  several  years.  The  first  to  attend  to  the 
sick  was  Dr.  Archibald  Spring,  of  Albion,  who  died  in 
that  town  several  years  ago.  The  first  justice  of  the 
peace  was  Thomas  Harper,  and  John  Elder  was  his 
successor.  But  few  of  the  pioneers  now  remain  of  this 
settlement  to  give  the  history  of  the  olden  time. 


WABASH. 

WABASH    CO. 


bounded  on  the  north  by  Lawrence  coun-  ! 
ty,  on  the   east  and  southeast  by  Indiana, 
and  the  Wabash,  on  the  south  by  Mt.  Car-  j 
mel,  and  on  the  west  by  Friendsville  pre-  I 
cinct     Its  territory  stretches  west  from  the  Wabash  to  | 
a  line  one  mile  and  a  half  east  of  the  thirteenth  rnerid-  : 
ian,  and  north  from  the  base  line  to  the  north  tier  of  i 
sections,  inclusive  of  T.  2  N.     The  surface  generally  I 
is  broken.     There  were  originally  a  few  patches  of  open 
prairie,  and  northwest  of  an  irregular  line  bounding 
the  timber  belt  about  three  miles  wide,  along  the  Wa-  ; 
bash,  was  an  area  called  the  "Barrens,"  covered  with  j 
brush  and  saplings,  interspersed  with  scattering  post- 
oaks  and  hickories.     The  soil  of  this  area  was  clayey 
and  contained  less  loam  than  the  timbered  parts.  Drain-  • 
age  isderivid  mainly  from   Crawfish   creek   and   Rac    ; 
coon    creek    whose    name    is    self-explanatory.      The 
earliest  occupation  of  the  people,  aside  from  hunting,  I 
was  the  raising  of  corn,  cattle  and  hogs.     The  progress 
of  agriculture  was  very  slow,  as  the  inducement  offered 
by  convenient  markets  was  absent.     The  people  lived 
within   themselves,  merely  aiming  to  supply  their  own 
immediate  demands.     The  difficulties  they  had  to  over- 
come, with  this  limited  end  in  view,  were  not  small. 
For  a  period  of  four  or  five  years,  they  were  obliged  to 
guard  their  wives  and  children  against  the  hostile  Shaw- 
nees.     The  younger  Tecumseh  began  to  excite  the  Indi- 
ans to  a  feeling  of  hostility  against  the  whites,  about  the 
year  1810  or  '11,  and  fort-building  and  armed  defense 
began.     Rattlesnakes  were  very  numerous,  and  destruc- 
tive of  horses  and  cattle.     There  was  a  den  of  them  on 
the  old  Fox  farm,  one  on  the  Me  Intosh  farm,  one  on  the 
Spencer  Wood  farm  and  one  on  the  bluff  near  the  old 
Buchanan  mill.    Samuel  Me  Intosh  killed  thirteen  of 
this  species  of  snakes,  one  morning  "  before  breakfast." 
This  fact  is  noted  down  to  show  the  present  and  coming 
generations  how  numerous  these    reptiles  were.      But 
they  have  perished  by  the  plowshare.     They  have  gone 
with  the  wolf,  the  bear,  the  panther,  the  deer,  the  ludi- 


an  and  the  forest,  and  their  haunts  and  lurking  places 
are  now  productive  fields.  The  chief  industry  of  the 
people  is  agriculture,  and  wheat  is  the  staple  product. 

The  pioneers  of  Wabash  precinct,  and  the  first  two 
American  settlers  of  Wabash  county  were  Levi  Comp- 
ton  and  Joshua  Jordan.  They  were  brothers-in-law  and 
came  about  the  same  time,  and  probably  together  about 
the  year  1802.  Compton,  a  married  man  with  one  child, 
in  1791,  went  from  Virginia  to  Kentucky,  and  engaged 
in  farming  and  stock-raising.  Here  he  remained  till  he 
came  to  Illinois.  To  this  state  he  brought  his  wife  and 
six  children,  John,  Eli,  Mary,  Betsey,  James  and  Levi. 
He  settled  first  on  the  Wabash  in  section  26,  T.  1  N.  R. 
12  W.,  built  a  cabin  and  cleared  a  few  acres  of  land. 
After  a  residence  here  of  four  or  five  years,  he  removed 
to  the  N.  W.  }  of  section  12,  sojourning  there  about 
eight  years.  At  this  time,  or  shortly  after,  he  built 
probably  the  first  horse-mill  in  the  county,  on  Coco 
creek,  about  200  yards  from  the  passing  of  the  wagon 
road.  Compton's  Fort,  which  was  a  protective  arrange- 
ment of  considerable  magnitude,  sufficient  to  accommo- 
date a  hundred  families,  was  built  about  the  year  1810. 
It  consisted  of  an  enclosure  of  pickets,  with  the  usual 
arrangement  at  the  corners  for  protecting  its  sides. 
Within  it  were  dwellings,  booths,  granaries,  etc.,  for  the 
accommodation  of  the  inmates.  About  the  year  1817, 
Compton  moved  to  T.  2  S.  R.  14  W.,  and  settled  in  sec- 
tion 13,  Coffee  precinct,  and  there  spent  the  balance  of 
his  days.  He  was  truly  a  representative  man.  He  was 
a  member  of  the  first  constitutional  convention  of  Illi- 
nois, in  1818,  and  iu  1818-"20,  he  was  a  member  of  the 
State  Senate.  He  died  in  1844,  at  the  age  of  eighty 
years  His  son,  Samuel,  inherited  his  characteristics  of 
leadership,  influence  and  bravery.  He  was  one  of  the 
nine  brave  men  who  pursued  the  Indians  that  massacred 
Canons,  in  Ahe  Coffee  bottom,  and  assisted  in  the  burial 
of  the  dead.  He  also  assisted  in  the  interment  of  the 
man  who  was  shot  by  the  Indians  in  the  "  marsh "  in 
Lawrence  county.  On  one  occasion,  he,  Captain  Glover, 


292         HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


and  a  few  others,  left  the  fort  to  hunt  in  the  territory 
lying  between  Bonpas  and  Little  Bonpas  creeks,  now  in 
Lancaster  precinct.  They  hoppled  their  horses,  and  set 
out  in  quest  of  game.  Compton  having  become  separat- 
ed from  his  companions,  discharged  his  gun  at  a  bear. 
Just  then  one  of  two  Indians  within  easy  range  attempt- 
ed to  shoot  him,  but  his  gun  missed  fire.  Compton  re- 
treated and  failing  to  attract  his  companions  to  his  as- 
sistance, crossed  Little  Bonpas  in  search  of  more  favor- 
able quarters.  He  had  not  gone  far  when  he  saw  three 
Indians  in  pursuit  of  a  deer..  He  concealed  himself  and 
they  passed  on  in  pursuit  of  their  game.  The  party 
having  missed  their  companion,  returned  to  Compton's 
Fort,  and  Captain  Glover,  though  a  stout-hearted  man, 
trembled  with  excitement  as  he  related  the  news  of  the 
supposed  massacre.  Some  men  from  the  Fort  went  in 
search  of  the  missing  hunter,  and  in  pursuit  of  the  Indi- 
ans, but  the  former  was  unharmed,  and  the  latter  es- 
caped, or  were  not  found.  Compton  was  hospitable, 
brave,  shrewd  and  reckless.  Apropos,  of  the  latter  char- 
acteristic, it  is  related  of  him  that  he  swam  the  Wabash 
banks  full,  with  a  plow  on  his  back.  This  bit  of  biog- 
raphy appeared  in  the  Vincennes  Plowboy,  and  was  de- 
signed, by  the  party  opposed  to  him,  as  political  capital. 
But  notwithstanding  this,  and  the  popularity  of  his  op- 
ponent, James  Beall,  he  was  elected  by  a  good  majdrity 
and  served  in  the  House,  in  1842-'44.  Elijah  Comptoh, 
his  brother,  was  a  respectable  citizen  of  Coffee  precinct. 
Joseph  Compton,  also  a  brother,  residing  there,  is  said 
to  have  been  the  first  white  child  born  in  Wabash  coun- 
ty. 

Joshua  Jordan  came  from  Virginia,  about  the  year 
1802,  with  a  family  of  three  or  four  children,  among 
whom  were  Elizabeth  and  Caleb.  He  had  been  a  ten- 
ant under  George  Washington,  aud  was  with  his  land- 
lord in  Braddock's  defeat.  Rumor  has  it,  as  a  mere  sup- 
position, that  the  British  general  fell  a  victim  to  a  bul- 
let designed  to  avenge  an  insult  offered  a  respected  su- 
perior. Jordan  settled  on  the  S.  W.  i  of  section  12, 
where  at  the  time  of  the  Indian  disturbances,  he  built  a 
block -huuse.  He  subsequently  removed  to  Barney's  prai- 
rie, and  there  died.  To  show  the  friendly  disposition  of 
the  natives,  prior  to  the  efforts  of  Tecumseh  to  excite  a 
feeling  of  hostility  among  them,  we  relate  that  they 
were  suffered  to  take  little  Caleb  with  them  quite  fre 
quently,  and  keep  him  for  a  whole  day.  They  frequent- 
ly returned  him  with  some  little  present,  as  a  few  beads 
around  his  neck.  About  the  year  1804,  came  John 
Stillwell,  a  nbtive  of  New  Jersey,  from  Kentucky,  with 
a  family  of  two  sons,  Samutl  and  James.  He  settled  on 
the  S.  W.  }  of  section  12,  where  he  cleared  and  im- 
proved about  one  hundred  acres  of  land,  He  built  a 
stockade  or  picket-fort,  similar  to,  but  much  smaller  than 
that  above  described.  He  was  very  odd  in  his  ways, 
and  went  very  shabbily  dressed,  presenting  the  appear- 
ance rather  of  a  beggar  than  that  of  the  well-to-do  man 
he  was.  Once,  as  ill-fortune  would  have  it,  he  lost  his 
hat  and  thereafter  went  bareheaded  for  a  period  of  time 


equal  to  that  he  supposed  his  hat  would  have  lasted 
The  English  settlers  of  Albion  were  frequently  the  sub 
jects  of  his  cruel  jokes. 

He  was  sought  for  one  time  by  George  Flower,  who 
desired  to  purchase  some  cattle  of  him,  and  meeting  him 
on  the  way  asked  the  supposed  personification  where 
Stillwell  the  cattle  man  might  be  found.  He  gave  the 
dignified  Englishman  the  desired  information,  and  then 
successfully  plied  him  for  a  "  quarter, "  the  supposed 
price  of  services  rendered.  Playing  the  itinerant  or 
tramp  in  quest  of  work  among  the  Johnnies  was  a 
favorite  sport.  About  1820  he  moved  to  Bellmont  pre- 
cinct, and  settled  on  the  S.  E.  i  of  section  21.  Jere- 
miah Selby,  of  Bourbon  county,  Ky.,  arrived  Sii  1807, 
and  moved  into  Jordan's  cabin  on  the  Wabash,  the 
Castle  Garden  for  the  northeastern  part  of  the  county. 
He  had  a  family  of  five  children,  Lingard,  Samuel, 
Thomas,  Betsy,  and  Brasilia.  After  a  short  residence 
in  the  Jordan  cabin,  he  settled  on  the  S.  E.  i  of  section 
23.  Lingard  was  the  first  Methodist  to  hold  meetings 
and  preach  in  this  part  of  the  country.  In  the  year 
1811  came  William  B.  Smith  and  Spencer  Wood,  the 
former  from  Hamilton  county,  Ohio.  In  1816  he  mar" 
ried  Elizabeth  Jordan, and  settled  on  the  N.  E.  1  of  sec- 
tion 14,  where  he  resided  till  his  death,  in  1863,  at  the 
age  of  seventy-six.  He  officiated  as  justice  of  the  peace 
at  the  marriage  of  Jeremiah  Wood  and  Jane  Philpott, 
in  January,  1815.  He  had  a  family  of  ten  children, 
four  of  whom  are  yet  living.  Wood  settled  on  the  S.  E- 
i  of  section  1.  He  had  three  sons,  Wesley,  Washing- 
ton, and  Ira,  and  three  daughters.  On  his  farm  was  a 
large  apple  orchard  and  a  distillery  for  making  apple 
brandy.  His  sons  married  and  settled  in  the  precinct, 
but  subsequently  moved  away.  The  Banks's  were  set- 
tlers about  this  time,  1810  or  '11.  Thomas,  Alexander, 
and  James,  were  three  brothers  of  this  family.  The 
three  Pollard  brothers,  Elijah,  Dudley,  and  Absalom, 
who  lived  in  the  vicinity  of  the  "  Timber  settlement," 
may  also  receive  mention  in  this  place.  A  man  named 
Cross  settled  about  two  miles  due  north  of  Allendale, 
and  there  had  a  horse-mill,  that  had  rotted  and  gone  to 
decay,  in  1820.  Francis  Valley,  of  French  descent, 
from  the  neighborhood  of  St.  Francisville,  had  a  ferry 
on  Location  No.  2,  Range  11.  In  1815  it  was  taxed 
three  dollars,  and  had  probably  been  in  operation  as 
early  as  1810.  The  boat  was  sufficient  to  carry  two 
teams  each  trip,  and  was  operated  by  means  of  oars  and 
poles  At  low  water  the  river  was  forded  at  this  point. 
Valley  remained  the  owner  of  the  ferry  till  his  death, 
about  1840.  His  three  sons,  Charles,  Russell,  and 
Alexander,  married  and  settled  in  Lawrence  county. 
Philip  Plough  and  Thomas  Trulock  were  early  settlers 
near  the  site  of  old  Timberville. 

John  O.  Mclntosh,  of  Scotch  descent,  was  a  native  of 
Virginia.  His  wife,  Sarah  Bennet,  was  the  daughter  of 
a  ship  carpenter  In  1784  or  1785  he  went  to  Kentucky, 
where  he  remained  till  1814,  when  he  came  to  Wabash 
county  with  a  family  of  six  children,  Samuel,  Daniel, 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  W ABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


293 


William,  Lavinia,  Lucinda  and  Sarah,  and  moved  into 
Comptmi's  Fort.  Afte*  four  mouths'  stay  he  settled  on 
the  west  half  of  the  southeast  quarter  of  section  23,  and 
lived  there  about  one  year.  He  then  moved  to  the 
southeast  quarter  of  section  35,  township  2  south,  range 
14  west,  Coffee  precinct,  where  he  remained  about  three 
years,  and  then  returned  to  Wabash  and  settled  perma- 
nently on  the  northeast  quarter  of  the  northeast  quarter 
of  section  23.  He  was  naturally  a  leader,  and  took  an 
active  interest  in  the  movement  that  resulted  in  the 
creation  of  Edwards  county,  having  been  selected  for 
the  arduous  and  dangerous  task  of  bearing  the  citizens' 
petition  to  Gov.  Ninian  Edwards  at  Kaskaskia.  The 
county  formed,  he  became  the  judge  of  its  court  and 
busied  himself  in  the  matter  of  organization  and  the  es- 
tablishnv  nt  of  police  regulations.  He  was  a  minister  of 
the  Baptist  denomination,  and  preached  at  private  houses 
in  the  neighborhood  where  he  resided.  He  died  on  the 
old  Mclntosh  place  in  1829,  and  was  buried  in  the  Comp- 
ton  graveyard,  near  the  tite  of  the  fort,  but  his  remains 
were  subsequently  removed  to  Mt.  Carmel.  Samuel,  in 
1821,  married  Eleanor  Mathews,  and  bought  sixty  acres 
of  the  Charles  Gardner  entry,  the  northeast  quarter  of 
section  23,  and  made  this  his  permanent  place  of  resi- 
dence. He  reared  a  family  of  eight  children,  three  of 
whom  are  yet  living.  Dr.  A.  J.  in  Allendale.  He  was 
the  last  survivor  of  those  who  pursued  the  Indian  mas- 
sacres of  the  Canons,  and  died  1879,  at  the  age  of  eighty- 
seven  years.  Daniel  is  living  in  Crawford  county,  Ind. 
William,  because  of  an  identity  in  names  attracted  the 
attention  of  William  Mclntosh,  the  English  trader  and 
speculator  in  land,  who,  though  not  his  kinsman,  edu- 
cated him  at  Vincennes  at  his  own  expense.  The  elder 
William  built  a  fine  frame  house  in  Wabash  county  at 
the  Grand  Rapids.  He  figured  conspicuously  at  one 
time  as  an  opponent  of  Gov.  Harrison's  peace  policy 
toward  the  Indians,  and  for  his  insubordination  was 
condemned  to  pay  a  heavy  fine.  Charles  Garner,  son- 
in-law  of  John  O  Mclntosh,  came  from  Kentucky 
in  1814,  and  settled  on  the  northeast  of  section  23, 
which  he  made  his  permanent  hone.  He  brought  with 
him  a  son  John,  who  married  and  settled  near  Lawrence- 
ville.  The  family,  which  was  quite  a  large  one,  married 
and  scattered  to  other  parts.  Benjamin  Hulbert  was 
from  New  York,  arriving  in  1815,  with  a  family  of  three 
sons,  William,  Henry  and  Benjamin,  and  several 
daughters.  He  settled  on  section  13,  and  became  a  per- 
manent resident  of  the  precinct.  Henry  was  one  of  the 
early  teachers,  and  was  noted  for  the  severity  of  his  dis- 
cipline. One  of  his  pupils,  now  a  well  known  citizen, 
carried  a  bowie-knife  in  self-protection.  The  sons  all 
moved  away.  With  Hulbert  came  his  son-in-law,  Henry 
Leek,  who  was  a  great  hunter,  and  a  skillful  and  in- 
genious mechanic.  After  a  sojourn  of  about  ten  years 
he  moved  away.  Samuel  Simcoe  came  to  what  is  now 
Wabash  precinct  about  1815.  He  had  a  family  of  six 
sons,  John,  David,  Robert,  Joseph,  Thomas  and  Joab, 
and  a  daughter,  Nancy.  John  Armstrong,  who  came  from 


Tennessee  in  1815,  had  six  children,  Abner,  Levi,  Louis, 
Thomas  J  ,  and  James.     He  settled  on  the  southwest  of 
the  northeast  quarter  of  section  15.  and  there  lived  and 
died.     Abner  was  the  first  sheriff  of  Edwards  county, 
and  held  the  office  for  a  number  of  years.     Thomas  J. 
was  a  member  of  the  legislature,  and  was  also  a  judge  of 
the  county  court.     Joseph  Gardner  settled  on  the  west 
half  of  the  northwest  quaiter  of  section  9,  in  1815  or 
1816,   and   there  made    his   permanent   home.      Peter 
Keen  came  to  the  county  for  the  purpose  of  prospecting  in 
1814.     In  the  spring  of  1815  he  brought  his  family  from 
Hamilton    county,  Ohio,  which  consisted  of  a  wife  and 
j  eight    children,    namely,    Angeline,    Daniel,  Hannah, 
i  Dennis,  Ira,  Shulamite,  Edwin    and   Asenath.      They 
came  in  a  keel,  boat  and  had  great  difficulty  in  ascend- 
i  ing  the  swollen  Wabash.     They  were  met  at  its  mouth 
by  a  number  of  settlers,  who   knew  of  their  coming  to 
I  act  as  a  guard  against  Indian  outrage.     They  debarked 
j  at  McBride's  landing,  following  the  example  of  the  first 
j  settler,  Levi  Compton,  and  moved  into  the  little  cabin 
that  stood  by  the  river  side,  and  there  remained  about 
one  year.     Keen  then  settled  on  the  northwest  quarter 
of  section   26.     This   place   had   first  been  settled  by 
William   H.  Ramsey,  whose   improvement   Keen  pur- 
|  chased.     He  remained  here  a  number  of  years  and  then 
j  moved  to  the  northeast  of  the  southeast  of  section  14, 
township  1  north,  range  13  west,  where  he  and  his  wife 
died,  the  former  about  1844,  aged  eighty-four  years;  the 
latter  six   years   later,  at  the  age   of   eighty-six.     He 
helped  build  the  first  cabin  put  up  on  the  site  of  Cincin- 
nati, and  he  and  his  wife  Jemima  Gard,  sister  of  Seth, 
were  the  first  pair  narried   between  the  two  Miamies. 
Their  daughter  Augeline  was  the  first  child  born  within 
I  those   limits.     Two   meixbers  of  that   pioneer   family, 
i  Shulamite  and  Ira,  are  yet  living,  the  latter  in  Friends- 
I  ville,  hale  and  well  preserved  at  the  age  of  eighty-two. 
He  has  been  a  very  active  man,  and  in  his  earlier  days, 
boated  the  year's  products  of  his  farn)  down  the  Wabash 
every  spring,  and  then  disposed  of  boat  and  cargo.     In 
1822   he   made   his  return   trip  from  New  Orleans  to 
Evansville  in  a  little  stern-wheel  steamboat.     The  time 
required  between  the  two  points  was  about  twenty  days. 
Daniel  Keen    married  and   settled  in  Coffee  precinct, 
and  Dennis  located  in  Wabash.     McBride's   Landing 
was  on  the  southeast  part  of  southwest  quarter  of  section 
27.     John  McBride  and  Anna,  his  wife,  were  of  Irish 
descent,   and   were   early  settlers.      John  and  Henry 
McGregor,  brothers  of  Mrs.  McBride,  were  also  early 
settlers. 

Cornelius  Vanderhoof,  in  1816  or  '17  brought  into 
the  precinct  a  family  of  five  children,  viz.:  Cornelius, 
Jr.,  Louis,  Harvey,  Anna  and  Caroline,  and  after  a 
residence  of  some  years,  died  within  its  limits.  B.  S  E. 
Goff  settled  on  the  S  W.  }  of  section  14  in  1816. 
About  this  time,  John  W.  Buchanan,  a  single  man, 
came  from  Kentucky.  He  married  and  settled  on  the 
E.  J  of  section  23.  Some  of  his  descendants  are  living 
in  the  county.  William  Johnson  brought  three  sons, 


294 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WABASIf  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


Jacob,  John  and  Thomas,  from  Indiana,  in  1816  or  '17 
and  settled  two  miles  north  of  Allendale.  The  family  J 
are  all  dead.  Johnson's  sister,  Mrs  Margaret  Philpott,  ; 
and  her  daughter,  now  Mrs.  Leek,  of  Allendale,  came  j 
about  the  same  time.  The  former  became  the  wife  of 
John  Anthis.  Thomas  Gould  came  to  the  county  in 
1816,  and  settled  in  Wabash  precinct.  In  1823  he  be- 
came a  member  of  the  church  that  was  organized  in  the 
Dan  forth  school-house,  Friendsville  .  precinct.  Hugh  j 
Calhoun,  in  1817,  settled  on  the  W.  J  of  the  S.  E.  J  of 
section  5.  John  Andrew  was  a  native  of  Virginia, 
whence  he  went  to  Ohio,  and  entered  the  army  of  1812. 
In  1817,  he  came  and  settled  on  the  N.  E.  J  of  section 
11.  He  was  a  very  respectable  man,  and  always  lived 
in  the  precinct.  His  brother-in-law,  Joseph  Wright, 
came  with  him  and  settled  on  the  S.  E.  i  of  section  14. 
He  was  chief  carpenter  in  Buchanan's  mill  on  Raccoon 
creek.  John  Buchanan  came  from  Ohio  in  1817.  He 
brought  a  family  of  five  children,  John,  Joseph,  Jane,  , 
Rohamey  and  Anna,  and  settled  on  the  N.  W.  }  of 
section  36,  T.  2  N.,  R  12  W.  He  was  quite  well  off 
and  built  the  water  mill  referred  to  shortly  after  his 
coming.  John  Snider  arrived  in  1817  with  a  family  of 
three  sons,  Peter,  James  and  Daniel,  and  two  daughters. 
He  settled  on  the  N.  E.  \  of  section  25,  and  there  fol- 
lowed the  occupation  of  a  farmer,  and  accumulated  a 
considerable  amount  of  property.  Thomas  Cisel  came 
from  Ohio  in  1820,  bringing  three  sons,  Richard, 
Thomas,  Jr.,  and  William.  He  settled  on  the  N.  W.  J 
of  section  12,  where  he  lived  until  his  death  in  1832. 
Richard  and  Thomas  married  and  settled  in  the  vicinity 
of  Allendale.  The  latter  is  now  living  on  Location  No. 
1,  T.  1  W.,  R.  11  W.  William  settled  in  Knox  county, 
Ohio.  With  Cisel  came  his  son-in-law,  Isaac  Smith, 
with  a  wife  and  three  children,  Priscilla,  James  and 
another,  and  settled  on  the  same  place.  He  was  justice 
of  the  pence  for  several  terms.  William  Crane,  also 
from  Ohio  in  1820,  settled  on  the  S.  E  1  of  section  12. 
He  was  an  influential  roan  on  matters  of  religion  and 
possessed  a  fine  voice.  James  Payne  came  from  Ten- 
nessee in  1823  and  Wrought  to  the  precinct  five  children, 
Ruth,  Henry,  Thomas,  Rachel  and  Campbell.  His 
brother  John  came  about  the  same  time,  married  and 
settled  on  the  S  E.  J  of  section  23,  at  old  Tiraberville. 

The  following  are  the  earliest  land  entries  of  the  pre- 
cinct in  T.  1  N.,  R.  12  W.:  January  12,  1814,  John 
Wood  entered  the  N.  E.  1  of  sectio'n  32  ;  May  14, 
1814,  Peter  Keen  the  S.  E.  t  of  section  28;  June  20, 

1814,  the  same,  the  S.  W.  t  of  section  22 ;  May  8, 1814, 
Levi  Compton,  section   13;  November  12,  1814,  John 
O.  Mclntosh,  the  S.  E.  J  of  section  23;  January  17,  | 

1815,  Joseph  Wright,  the  S.  E.  t  of  section  14  ;  March  ' 
16,  1815,  James  M.  Armstrong,  the  N.  W.  1  of  section 
23;  March  5,  1816,  Charles  Garner  the  N.  E.  one-quar- 
ter of  section  23 ;  March  26,  1816,  William  Smith,  the 
N.  E.  one  quarter,  and  George  Anthis,  the  N.  W.  one- 
quarter  of  section  14;  June  6,  1816,  G.  Hazelton,  the  S. 
E.  one-quarter  of  ^section  32;  Septemb<r  30,  1816,  Jo- 


seph  Gardner,  the  W.  one-half  of  the  N.  W.  one-quarter 
of  section  9;  December  13,  18I&,  B.  S.  E.  Goff,  the  S. 
E.  one-quarter  of  section  14;  April  3,  1817,  Samuel 
Stillwell,  the  S.  E.  one  quarter  of  section  21  ;  June  2, 
1817,  Toussaint  Dubois,  the  N  one-half  of  section  12; 
June  4,  1817,  Sarah  Arnold,  the  N.  E.  one-quarter  of 
section  24;  September  27,  1817,  Hugh  Calhoun,  the  W. 
one-half  of  the  N.  E.  one-quarter,  and  Cornelius  Vander- 
hoof,  the  W.  one-half  of  the  S.  E.  one-quarter  of  section 
5;  October  18, 1817,  John  Snider,  the  N.  E.  one  quarter 
of  section  25 ;  June  7,  1818,  Spencer  Wood,  the  S  E. 
one-quarter  of  section  1;  October  2,  1818,  William 
Prole,  the  E.  one-half  of  the  S.  W.  one-quarter  of  sec- 
tion 1 ;  February  15,  1817,  John  Buchanan  entered  the 
S.  W.  one-quarter  of  section  36,  T.  2  N.,  R.  12  W. 
There  are  three  four-hundred-acre  improvement  claims 
in  the  precinct,  and  each  in  favor  of  Arabrois  Degenet 
and  Jean  C  Thiriot  in  T.  1  N.,  R  11  W.,  and  one  in 
favor  of  Christian  Wyatt  in  T.  1  N.,  R.  12  W.  These 
claims  were  allowed  in  behalf  of  heads  of  families  who 
actually  s  tiled  and  improved  them  prior  to  1783. 
Degenet,  Thiriot  and  Wyatt  must  therefore  be  regarded 
as  the  first  settlers  of  Wabash  precinct  and  probably  of 
the  county.  Gabriel  Boulon,  Jr.,  and  Pierre  Levrie  each 
located  militia  rights  in  T.  1  N ,  R  11  W.,  under  an 
act  of  Congress,  approved  March  3,  1791.  Those  whose 
names  appear  below  represented  the  precinct  in  the 
Black  Hawk  war:  James  Garner,  Henry  Hulbert, 
Philip  and  Cornelius  Vanderhoof,  John  W.  and  Joseph 
O.  Buchanan,  Wesley  Wood,  Dennis  Keen,  Solomon 
Freer,  Abner  Besley  and  Robert  E.  Wright.  Here  are 
some  of  the  early  burial  places:  The  Fox  grave  yard, 
on  section  26,  no  longer  kept  up,  contains  the  ashes  of 
Jarvis  Dale,  who  built  the  first  hou^e  in  old  Palmyra. 
The  Armstrong  yard  is  on  the  N.  E.  one-quarter  of  sec- 
tion 13.  Here  lie  Joseph  Haniford,  an  early  teacher, 
and  Abner  Armstrong,  first  sheriff  of  Edwards  county. 
The  Jordan  yard  holds  the  remains  of  Dr.  Joseph  Fudge, 
and  of  Jonathan  O.  Haver,  who  was  shot  by  Milton 
Bergstresser.  The  Adams  yard  is  on  the  S.  E  one- 
quarter  of  section  16.  William  Johnson,  said  to  have 
been  the  first  white  child  born  in  Vincennes,  lies  buried 
here.  The  Compton  yard  is  near  the  site  of  the  old 
fort.  The  first  burial  was  that  of  Levi  Compton,  Jr., 
in  1823.  The  remains  of  Joshua  Jordan  are  buried 
here. 

Bedell's  Mill,  on  the  Wabash,  was  built  in  1829 
by  Moses  Bedell  on  the  N.  W.  one-quarter  of  section  30. 
It  was  a  log  structure,  containing  two  run  of  burrs,  and 
in  its  day  was  the  principal  mill  in  its  range  of  country. 
It  continued  in  operation  about  sixteen  years.  Bedell 
and  his  nephew,  Moses  Biddle,  Jr  ,  of  Mt  Carmel,  did 
quite  an  extensive  business  in  merchandising  at  this 
point. 

Mr.  Reuben  Fox  taught  a  school  in  the  Compton 
Fort  about  1815.  Robert  Gibson,  of  Warren  county, 
Kentucky,  taught  school  in  the  precinct  between  1815 
and  1818. 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  W ABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


295 


TIMBERVILLK. 

THIS  town  was  located  on  the  N.  E.  quarter  of  the 
N.  E.  quarter  of  section  23,  township  1  north,  range 
12  west.  It  was  surveyed  and  platted  by  Robert 
Buchanan,  county  surveyor,  for  the  proprietors,  William 
Higgins  and  Joseph  Alburtz.  The  plat  was  recorded 
March  17,  1866.  The  first  building  was  a  dwelling 
moved  from  Bedell's  mill  by  Anthony  Alburtz,  in  one 
part  of  which  he  began  selling  goods  about  1853.  Two 
stores  and  a  blacksmith  and  wagon  shop  were  afterward 
built,  and  a  considerable  amount  of  business  done.  The 
Methodist  church  of  Allendale  was  built  here  in  1865( 
at  a  cost  of  about  81,500.  Here  also  once  stood  the 
school-house  used  in  that  village  till  the  present  one  was 
built.  When  the  Railroad  was  projected  through,  the 
principal  buildings  of  the  town  were  moved  to 

ALLENDALE. 

So  named  in  honor  of  Col.  C.  M.  Allen,  the  contractor 
for  building  the  railroad  from  Vincennes  to  Carmi.  It 
is  pleasantly  located  on  the  S.  E.  quarter  of  section  11, 
and  is  a  station  of  some  importance.  Its  population 
census  of  1880  numbered  274  individuals.  The  pro- 
prietors were  W.  W.  McDowell,  J.  W.  Price,  Hiram  Fox, 
E.  Fox,  by  his  conservator,  Hiram  Fox  and  Theodore 
McClain.  It  was'  surveyed  and  platted  by  Robert 
Buchanan,  county  surveyor,  and  the  plat  was  filed 
for  record,  May  17,  1869.  The  first  building 
was  a  little  frame  dwelling  with  vertical  siding. 
The  first  store  building  was  moved  from  Timberville,  by 
J.  W.  Price  in  1871.  Allendale  Flouring  Mills  were 
built  in  1874-5  by  H.  Hines  and  Theodore  McClain,  at 
a  cost  of  about  $8,000.  The  building  is  a  frame,  three- 
story,  with  two  runs  of  burrs,  purifier,  elevators,  etc.,  and 
a  capacity  of  fifty  barrels  a  day  It  is  owned  and  op- 
erated by  F.  H.  and  Harmon  Holsen.  The  chyrch  was 
moved  from  Timberville  in  1876.  The  Allendale  Steam 
Saw  Mill  was  built  by  H.  Naylor  in  1877.  It  operates 
five  saws,  and  does  general  merchant  sawing.  The 
school  house,  a  brick,  two-story,  three-room  building 
was  put  up  in  1879,  at  a  cost,  including  furniture,  of 
about  $4,000.  J.  S.  Lewis'  Steam  Saw  Mill,  which 
operates  three  circular  saws,  was  built  in  1881.  The 
Post  Office,  at  first  called  the  Armstrong  Post  Office, 


was  established  as  early  as  1824  and  was  first  kept  by 
Abner  Armstrong.  At  this  time  there  were  but  three 
other  post-offices  in  the  county,  the  Mt.  Carmel,  the 
Centerville,  and  the  "  Cofieeton."  The  name  and  lo- 
cation of  the  office  were  changed  to  Allendale  eleven 
years  ago.  The  following  directory  will  show  the 

PRESENT  BUSINESS. 

Physicians.— A.  J.  Mclntosh,  Harry  Leeds,  J.   E. 
|  Smith- 
|      Druggists. — A.  J.  Mclntosh,  J.  E.  Smith. 

General  Merchants.— J '.  W.  Price,  D.  G.  Price,  F.  M. 
Leek. 

Grocer.— Franklin  De  Witt. 

Postmaster.— G.  W.  Crane. 

Grain  Dealers  —  J.  W.  Price,  D.  G.  Price. 

Hotel- keepers. — James  Payne,  John  J.  Williamson. 

Blacksmith. — A.  J.  Shaw. 

Carpenter. — Samuel  Smith. 

Painter.— A.  R.  Cusick. 

Wagon  Maker.— J.  N.  Williams,  John  E.  Hensley. 

Undertaker. — John  E.  Hensley. 

Shoemaker.- — Jacob  Copeland. 

Milliners.— Mrs.  Ella  Hines,  Mrs.  John  Capoot. 

Justice  and  Notary.— Franklin  De  Witt. 

Sorghum  Mill— John  Rosenberg  &  B.  B.  Hill. 

Teacher.— 0.  H.  P.  Grunden. 

PATTON 

Is  situated  on  the  N.  W.  quarter  of  section  33,  and 
was  surveyed  and  platted  by  Robert  Buchanan  for 
Albert  B.  Keen.  The  plat  was  recorded  in  the  office  of 
the  circuit  Clerk,  Feb.  5,  1877.  It  was  named  after 
Dr.  Patton,  of  Vincennes.  The  first  building  was  a 
warehouse  put  up  by  Joshua  Buchanan  in  1872-3.  It 
was  sold  to  William  R.  Wilkinson,  through  whose  in- 
fluence largely,  Patton  became  a  station.  The  post 
office  was  established  in  1874,  and  first  kept  by  Joshua 
Buchanan,  the  present  incumbent.  The  first  goods 
were  [sold  by  George  Collins,  in  the  fall  of  1877.  In 
this  year  Joseph  Kepley  opened  a  shoemaker's  shop  and 
is  still  keeping  it.  A  log  school-hou^e  was  built  in  1876, 
Clara  Moyer  taught  the  first  school.  Parkinson  Bros., 
built  a  grain  house  in  the  spring  of  1882.  The  town 
numbers  about  thirty-five  inhabitants. 


BIOGRAPHIES. 


DR.  ANDREW  J.  McINTOSH 
THE  Mclntosh  family,  of  Wabash  county,  are  de- 
scended from  pioneer  stock.  John  Og  Mclntosh,  the 
grandfather  of  Andrew  J.,  was  born  near  the  old  castle 
of  Inverness,  in  Invernesshire,  Scotland,  March  6th, 
17.53.  He  was  the  son  of  John  and  Margaret  (Og) 
Mclntosh.  His  maternal  uncle,  John  Og,  was  a  physi- 
cian and  surgeon  in  the  army  of  King  George  the  III, 
and  John  Og  Mclntosh  was  named  for  him.  The 
Mclntosh  family  were  small  farmers  and  shepherds. 
The  uncle  of  John  Og  Mclntosh  placed  him  in  school, 
and  subsequently  sent  him  to  the  University  in  Edin- 
burg,  and  he  was  there  pursuing  his  studies  when  the 
war  of  the  revolution  broke  out.  It  was  the  will  of  his 
uncle  that  he  should  accompany  him  to  America,  where 
he  had  been  ordered  with  the  King's  troops,  in  the 
capacity  of  assistant  surgeon,  though  without  pay  or 
commission.  He  came,  assisted  his  uncle,  and  remained 
with  him  until  the  battle  of  Germantown.  where  Dr  Og 
was  killed.  Young  Mclntosh  was  then  left  to  shift  for 
himself.  Soon  after  his  fine  appearance  and  physique 
attracted  the  attention  of  Tarleton,  a  famous  cavalry 
leader,  and  one  of  Cornwallis's  trusted  lieutenants.  He 
joined  that  command  and  participated  with  it  until 
the  battle  of  the  Cowpens,  where  he  was  taken  prisoner 
by  General  Morgan.  The  general  made  him  his  per- 
sonal prisoner.  He  refused  to  accept  the  exchange,  and 
remained  with  General  Morgan,  and  after  the  war  be- 
came an  inmate  of  his  family,  at  Winchester,  Virginia. 
After  the  war  he  dropped  the  profession  of  medicine  and 
took  up  the  trade 'of  wheelwright.  He  remained  in 
Virginia  until  1784,  when  he  removed  with  several 
families  to  Kentucky.  They  passed  over  the  same  road 
that  Braddock's  army  traveled  when  on  the  disastrous 
campaign  against  Fort  Duquesne,  thirty  years  before. 
From  Pittsburg  they  went  down  the  river  to  Limestone 
Landing,  Kentucky,  where  Maysville  now  stands,  and 
from  there  to  Kenton's  Point.  At  the  latter  place  Mr. 
Mclntosh  remained  several  years,  then  went  to  Bourbon 
county  and  settled  on  the  present  site  of  Paris.  He 
subsequently  removed  to  Montgomery  county,  then  to 
Warren, from  thereto  Logan  county,  where  he  remained 
until  1814,  when  he  came  to  the  territory  of  Illinois  via 
Red  Bank,  through  Indiana,  to  what  is  now  Wabash 
county.  When  he  came  here  he  lived  in  Compton's  Fort, 
then  purchased  laud  in  the  timber  settlement,  and  lived 
there  some  time,  then  went  out  on  the  Bonpas  creek,  in 
Edwards  county,  and  lived  there  for  some  time,  then  ex- 
296 


changed  and  came  to  his  former  farm,  and  there  died  in 
1829. 

When  he  came  here  this  part  of  Illinois  was  a  part 
of  Gallatin  county.  The  distance  to  Shawneetown, 
the  county  seat,  was  too  great,  and  therefore  a  move  was 
made  to  erect  another  county  further  north.  A  petition 
was  drawn  up  and  signed  by  the  requisite  number  of 
citizens,  and  Mr.  Mclntosh  was  the  bearer  of  it  to  Gov. 
Edwards,  at  Kaskaskia.  He  traveled  the  entire  distance 
on  horseback  aud  met  the  governor,  whom  he  had  per- 
sonally known  in  Kentucky,  presented  him  the  petition, 
and  the  prayer  of  the  people  of  this  section  was  granted. 
The  county  was  formed  and  named  Edwards,  in  honor 
of  the  governor.  The  new  county  then  included  all  the 
territory  on  the  east  side  of  the  state,  and  north  to  Fort 
Dearborn,  now  Chicago.  The  governor  appointed  Mr. 
Mclutosh  county  judge,  a  position  he  held  until  the 
territory  was  admitted  as  a  state.  Mr.  Mclntosh  had 
been,  while  a  resident  of  Kentucky,  ordained  a  minister 
in  the  Baptist  church,  and  was  among  the  first,  if  not 
the  first  minister  of  that  religious  denomination  in 
Wabash  county.  In  1782  he  married  Sarah  Benne  t, 
whose  acquaintance  he  made  during  the  time  the  British 
army  was  stationed  at  Germantown.  She  was  born  iu 
New  Jersey,  January  17th,  1758.  Her  father  was  a 
ship  carpenter,  and  in  one  of  his  voyages  was  lost  at  sea. 
Mrs.  Mclutosh  died  in  Wabash  county,  Illinois,  August 
5,  1831.  By  that  union  there  were  ten  children.  Samuel, 
the  father  of  Andrew  J.,  was  the  fifth  in  the  family.  He 
was  born  at  Paris,  Bourbon  county,  Kentucky,  December 
25th,  1791.  He  grew  to  manhood  in  his  native  state, 
and  obtained  a  limited  education,  which  was  mainly  re- 
ceived from  such  books  as  fell  in  his  way.  He  learned 
the  trade  of  wheelwright  with  his  father,  and  followed 
the  trade  until  the  increasing  factories  drove  out  in. 
dividual  business.  In  1813  he,  and  his  brother  John 
Mclutosh,  at  the  call  of  Gov.  Shelby,  enlisted  in  the 
Northwestern  army,  and  was  in  the  division  under  Gen. 
Lewis  Cass,  and  in  the  detachment  that  invaded  Canada. 
He  was  aboard  the  American  and  British  ship  the 
morning  after  the  battle  known  as  Perry's  victory. 
While  on  one  of  the  Three  Sister  Islands,  he  witnessed  the 
execution  of  Daniel  Literal,  who  was  condemned  by  court 
martial  for  treason  and  shot  by  a  squad  of  twelve  men. 
After  his  discharge  he  returned  to  Kentucky,  and  in 
1814  came  to  Wabash  county,  Illinois,  and  with  others 
went  into  Compton's  Fort,  which  stood  near  where  Allen- 
dale  now  stands.  He  was  the  last  survivor  of  the  party 


HNWERS 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  W ABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


297 


of  nine,  who  went  from  this  place  in  pursuit  of  the  In- 
dians that  massacred  the  Cannon  family  at  the  old 
Painter  Grave-yard,  near  Rosedale.  He  remained  a 
citizen  of  Wabash  county  from  1814  until  his  death, 
which  occurred  June  16th,  1879,  in  his  eighty-eighth 
year.  He  married  Eleanor  Mathews,  who  was  born  in 
Tennessee.  She  was  the  daughter  of  Samuel  Mathews, 
and  was  living  in  Crawford  county,  Illinois,  at  the  time 
of  her  marriage.  She  died  Dec.  28th,  1876.  There  were 
eight  children  by  that  union.  Three  of  them  have  sur- 
vived the  parents.  Benjamin  Franklin,  the  youngest 
son,  was  a  eoldier  during  the  late  war.  He  is  now  a 
resident  of  Texas.  Sophia  is  the  only  daughter  living, 
and  is  a  resident  of  Mt.  Carmel.  Andrew  Jackson 
Mclntosh  was  born  near  Allendile,  Wabash  county, 
Illinois,  June  12th,  1834.  He  was  reared  on  the  farm, 
and  received  a  limited  education  in  schools.  The  schools 
in  his  youth  were  few,  and  the  methods  of  instruction 
crude  and  imperfect  as  compared  with  the  present.  His 
education  is  therefore  more  of  self-culture,  and  know- 
ledge obtained  from  books  later  in  life,  for  he  has  been 
an  extensive  reader  upon  a  variety  of  subjects.  He 
commenced  teaching  school  in  his  twentieth  year,  and 
taught  four  terms.  In  1857,  he  determined  to  study 
medicine.  He  purchased  books  and  pursued  the  study, 
a  part  of  the  time  in  the  office  of  E.  V.  Mitchell,  of 
Grayville,  Illinois.  In  1860  he  commenced  the  practice 
in  Allendale,  and  there  he  has  continued  to  the  present. 
In  the  fall  of  1868,  he  entered  the  College  of  Medicine 
and  Surgery  at  Cincinnati,  and  graduated  from  that  in- 
stitution in  the  spring  of  1869,  with  the  degree  of  M.  D. 
The  doctor  bel  mgs  to  the  progressive  order  of  men.  He 
is  a  member  of  the  Wabash  Medical  Society,  which  has 
for  its  object  the  discussion  of  the  latest  methods  and 
discoveries  in  Materia  Medica,  and  the  mutual  advance- 
ment of  its  members.  He  is  also  a  member  of  the  State 
Pharmaceutical  Association.  On  the  6th  of  March,  1862, 
he  married  Miss  Sarah,  daughter  of  Napoleon  and 
Sophia  (McFarland)  Grayson,  a  native  of  Wabash 
county,  Illinois.  She  died  July  7th,  1876,  leaving  two 
daughters,  named  Jennie  and  Sarah,  Mclntosh.  On  the 
14th  August,  1880,  he  was  united  in  wedlock  to  Mrs. 
Jane  Fox  nee  McFarland,  also  a  native  of  Wabash 
county.  By  the  latter  union  there  is  one  child,  named 
John  Jerome  Mclntosh.  Mrs.  Mclntosh  has  one  child 
living  by  the  former  marriage,  named  Hiram  Fox.  Both 
the  doctor  and  his  amiable  wife  are  members  of  the 
Christian  church.  Politically  he  comes  from  Democratic 
stock,  and  he  uniformly  votes  that  ticket. 

DR.  JAMES  E.  SMITH 

Is  a  native  of  Campbell  county,  Kentucky,  born  De- 
cember llth,  1838.  His  ancestors  were  originally  from 
the  east,  and  settled  in  Kentucky  at  an  early  day. 
George  W.  Smith,  the  grandfather,  was  born  in  the 
above  named  state,  February  22d,  1812,  and  remained 
there  until  June,  1840,  when  he  came  to  Illinois  and 
38 


settled  near  OIney,  in  Richland  county,  and  there  died 
in  1868.  He  married  Rhoda  Jenner,  who  was  born  in 
the  same  county  and  state.  She  died  in  March, -1865. 
By  that  union  there  were  ten  children,  seven  of  whom 
have  survived  their  parents.  James  E.  is  the  eldest 
living.  He  worked  on  the  farm,  and  attended  the 
schools  of  his  neighborhood.  He  was  at  home  on  the 
breaking  out  of  the  late  war.  He  enlisted  in  the  first 
call  for  troops  and  became  a  member  of  Co.  A.  of  the 
8th  Regt.  Ills.  Vols.  There  being  too  many  men  he 
was  one  of  those  who  were  rejected.  He  then  enlisted 
in  the  llth  Regt.  Mo.  Vols.,  but  an  accident  befalling 
his  father  at  that  time,  he  was  compelled  to  return  home, 
where  he  remained  until  August  13th,  1862,  when 
he  enlisted  in  Co.  B.  of  the  98th  Ills.  Regt.,  which  waa 
organized  at  Ceutralia.  then  proceeded  to  the  front  and 
joined  Buell's  forces  at  Louisville,  Ky.  In  September  of 
the  same  year  he  was  taken  sick  and  sent  to  the  hospital 
at  Frankfort,  then  to  Bowling  Green.  After  his  recovery 
he  was  placed  on  duty  and  detailed  as  hospital  steward,  in 
which  capacity  he  remained  until  the  battle  of  Stone 
River.  He  there  joined  his  command,  and  remained 
with  it  until  June,  1863,  when  he  was  put  on  duty  at  the 
brigade  hospital,  and  remained  on  that  duty  the  greater 
part  of  the  remainder  of  his  term  in  service.  He  was 
mustered  out  and  honorably  discharged,  July  5th,  1865; 
at  Springfield,  Illinois.  He  returned  to  Richland  county 
and  engaged  in  school  teaching  in  the  winter  mentis 
and  farming  in  the  summer.  In  1870,  he  commenced, 
reading  medicine  with  Dr.  D.  Bates,  of  Calhoun.  In 
1873,  he  attended  a  course  of  lectures  in  the  Eclectic 
Medical  Institute  of  Cincinnati,  and  then  commenced 
the  practice  in  St.  Francesville,  Lawrence  county,  Ills. 
In  October,  1875,  he  came  to  the  town  of  Allendale,  in 
Wabash  county,  and  there  he  has  continued  the  practice 
to  the  present.  In  the  fall  of  1877,  he  again  entered  the 
Eclectic  Medical  Institu.e  at  Cincinnati,  and  graduated 
from  that  institution  in  the  spring  of  1878,  with  the 
degree  of  M.  D.  On  the  7th  of  April,  1867,  he  marritd 
Miss  Nancy,  daughter  of  Daniel  and  Eliza  (Axton) 
Howey,  by  which  union  there  are  five  children  living, 
whose  names  in  the  order  of  their  birth  areZillah,  Edwin 
Freeman,  Elmer,  Mattie,  and  Morris.  Both  Dr.  Smith 
and  wife  are  members  of  the  M.  E.  church.  Politically 
he  cast  bis  first  vote  for  Abraham  Lincoln,  and  in  all 
subsequent  elections  has  voted  the  Republican  ticket. 


BERKLEY  ARMSTRONG  (DECEASED.) 
THE  Armstrong  family,  living  in  the  northern  part 
of  Wabash  county,  were  originally  of  Irish  ancestry. 
They  settled  in  North  Carolina,  from  there  rem  oved  to 
Kentucky,  then  to  Tennessee,  and  in  1815  John  Arm- 
strong, the  grandfather,  came  to  Illinois  and  settled  in 
the  northern  part  of  what  is  now  Wabash  county. 
Berkley  Armstrong  was  the  sou  of  Thomas  J.  and 
Martha  G.  (Crane)  Armstrong.  He  was  born  on  the 
farm,  April  18th,  1835,  where  he  lived  and  died.  He 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


departed  this  life  April  19th,  1881.  He  married  Re- 
bec ca  A.,  daughter  of  Btnjamiu  and  Sarah  (Wolf)  Price, 
March  llth,  1857.  Mrs.  Armstrong  was  born  January 
14th,  1840.  There  are  five  children  living,  the  offspring 
of  Berkley  and  Rebecca  A.  Armstrong.  Their  names 
in  the  order  of  their  birth  are  Martha  J.,  Sarah  I., 
Clara  B.,  Thomas  J.,  and  Bertie  M.  Mr.  Armstrong, 
during  life  followed  farming.  At  the  time  of  his  death 
he  was  one  of  the  commissioners  of  the  county.  He  was 
a  kind  and  indulgent  father,  an  affectionate  husband, 
a  good  neighbor,  and  died  respected  by  all  who  knew 
him. 


VAN  BUREN  COMPTON. 

LEVI  COMPTON,  the  grandfather  of  the  subject  of  this 
sketch,  was  the  son  of  John  and  Elizabeth  Compton, 
born  February  1,  1766,  in  Fairfax  county,  Virginia 
He  was  the  grandson  of  John  Compton,  born  in  Charles 
county,  Maryland,  and  Mary,  his  wife,  born  in  Eng- 
land. Levi  Compton  married  Rosanna,  daughter  of 
Stephen  and  Nancy  Therwesse,  who  was  born  in  St. 
Mary's  County,  Maryland,  February  15,  1770.  Levi 
Compton  was  undoubtedly  the  first  permanent  settler  of 
what  is  now  known  as  Wabash  county.  He  moved  from 
Virginia  to  Kentucky  in  1792,  and  remained  there  until 
1801,  when  he  came  to  the  northwestern  territory.  He 
brought  with  him  from  Kentucky  a  slave,  named  Dennis 
Sales,  who  was  probably  the  first  slave  brought  to  the 
territory.  He  wls  a  large  slave-owner  in  Kentucky, 
but  like  a  great  many  more  men  in  his  day  who  were 
of  broad  and  liberal  minds,  disliked  slavery.  He  set  them 
free  before  leaving  Kentucky, — all  but  old  Dennis, — 
and  gave  him  his  freedom  soon  after  coming  to  Illinois. 
Levi  Comptou  settled  on  the  Wabash,  on  a  tract  known 
as  "  Compton 's  Grant."  In  1804  he  moved  to  a  point 
about  sixty  rods  from  the  northern  boundary  of  Allen- 
dale,  in  Wabash  precinct,  and  there  he  and  his  neigh- 
bors built  a  fort,  which  was  known  as  "Compton  Fort." 
It  was  one  fourth  of  a  mile  from  Jourdan's  block-house. 
Both  were  built  as  a  protection  against  the  Indians, 
who  then  roamed  at  will  through  Illinois.  In  1816  he 
settled  in  what  ia  still  known  as  "  Compton 's  prairie," 
in  1843.  He  was  a  conspicuous  man  in  -the  pioneer 
days  of  Illinois?  In  1818  he  was  a  member  of  the  con- 
stitutional convention  that  assembled  in  Kaskaskia  and 
framed  the  state  government.  John  Compton,  the 
lather  of  Van  .Buren,  was  the  eldest  son  of  Levi  Comp 
ton  ;  he  was  born  in  Berkley  county,  Virginia,  Feb- 
ruary 21, 1791  ;  he  died  in  Wabash  county,  Illinois,  in 
1851.  He  mairied  Jane,  daughter  of  William  Barney  ; 
she  died  in  the  spring  of  1831.  There  were  seven 
children  by  that  union,  none  of  whom  are  living.  In 
1836  he  married  Drusilla,  daughter  of  Jeremiah  and 
Nancy  Sebby,  born  in  Bourbon  county,  Kentucky,  in 
1801;  she  died  in  1876.  There  were  four  children  by 
the  latter  marriage  ;  Van  Buren  is  the  eldest.  He  was 


born  on  the  place  where  stood  the  old  fort,  March 
23,  1837.  His  younger  brother,  John,  was  a  soldier 
during  the  late  war,  a  member  of  the  32d  Regiment  111. 
Vols.,  and  was  killed  at  the  battle  of  Shiloh.  There 
were  four  children  of  the  first  marriage  of  John  Comp- 
ton that  left  families.  Van  Buren  Compton  married 
Miss  Sarah,  daughter  of  John  and  Mary  Faha.  She 
was  born  in  county  Gal  way,  Ireland.  They  came  to 
Illinois  in  1856..  and  the  marriage  was  in  1865.  There 
are  three  children  living  by  the  latter  union.  The 
Comptons  from  the  time  when  the  memory  of  man 
runneth  not  to  the  contrary  were  Democrats,  and  they 
still  hold  allegiance  to  that  political  organization. 

For  a  more  full  and  elaborate  history  of  the  old 
pioneer,  Levi  Compton,  see  the  Pioneer  chapter  of  this 
work. 


THOMAS  N.  ARMSTRONG. 

THE  Armstrong  family  is  of  Irish  ancestry.  John 
Armstrong,  the  grandfather,  was  of  Irish  parentage. 
His  father  was  killed  at  the  siege  of  Derry.  The  grand- 
father emigrated  from  North  Carolina  to  Kentucky, 
and  from  thence  removed  to  Smith's  Fork,  in  Wil- 
son county,  Tennessee,  and  in  September,  1815,  came 
to  the  territory  of  Illinois,  and  settled  on  section  13, 
township  1  N.  range  12  W.  of  what  is  now  Wabash 
county,  then  a  part  of  Gallatin.  He  bought  two  hundred 
acres  of  land  from  Levi  Compton.  It  was  partially  im- 
proved, and  had  on  it  a  small  cabin.  He  there  lived 
until  his  death,  which  occurred  April  30,  1836  He 
married  Elizabeth  Martin.  She  died  at  the  same  place, 
August  10, 1830,  in  the  seventieth  year  of  her  age.  There 
wer.e  eight  children,  the  offspring  of  John  and  and  Eliza- 
beth Armstrong,  all  of  whom  are  dead ;  all  had  fami- 
lies. One  of  them  was  Lewis,  the  father  of  Thomas 
Newton  Armstrong;  he  was  born  in  Kentucky,  August 
15,  1799,  and  came  with  the  family  to  Illinois  on  the 
date  above  mentioned.  Here  he  grew  to  manhood, 
and  married  Martha  Wood,  daughter  of  John  Wood. 
She  died  May  19,  1866,  in  the  sixty-sixth  year  of  her 
age.  Her  husband,  Lewis  Armstrong,  died  September 
2, 1869.  He  followed  the  peaceful  avocation  of  a  farmer 
during  his  life.  By  that  union  there  were  nine  children, 
seven  of  whom  are  still  living.  Among  the  latter 
is  Thomas  Newton  Armstrong,  the  subject  of  this  sketch. 
He  was  born  on  the  place  where  he  now  lives,  May  29, 
1829,  and  was  the  fifth  child  in  the  family.  He  grew 
up  on  the  farmland  early  in  life  adopted  the  trade  of 
wagon-maker,  which  he  followed  for  twenty  years,  though 
he  also  farmed  during  that  time.  On  the  10th  of  May, 
1866,  he  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Emily,  daughter 
of  Jonathan  and  Rebecca  Clarke,  bhe  was  born  in  Wa- 
bash county,  and  died  September  5,  1869,  leaving  two 
children,  whose  names  are  Martha  and  Emily  Jane. 
On  the  27th  of  February,  1871,  Mr.  A.  married  his 
present  wife,  Mrs.  Sarah  Jane  Richards,  nee  Smith. 


FARM  RESIDENCE  Or  E.  B  .  H  £  EN,  ONE  MILE  NORTH  Of 


FARM  RESIDENCE  OF  THE  LATE. 


NG   ONE   MILE  SOUTH  EAST  OF  ALLEN  DA  LE.WABASH  CO.IU '. 


o*  ^r 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


299 


She  had  one  son  by  her  former  marriage,  named  Wil- 
liam H.  Richards.  She  was  born  in  Richland  county, 
Illinois,  October  22d,  1840.  There  have  been  two 
children  by  the  latter  marriage,  one  of  whom  is  living, 
named  Edgar  Armstrong.  James  W.  is  dead.  Mrs. 
Armstrong  is  a  member  of  the  M.  E.  church.  Mr. 
Armstrong  is  an  honored  member  of  the  order  of  Free' 
masonry,  and  holds  membership  with  Allendale  lodge 
No.  752.  Politically,  the  family  are  of  Democratic 
stock  Mr.  A.  cast  his  first  presidential  vote  for  Frank- 
lin Pierce,  in  1852,  and  from  that  time  to  the  present 
has  uniformly  voted  the  ticket  of  his  first  Choice. 

As  will  be  seen  from  the  foregoing,  the  Armstrong 
family  have  been  the  pioneers  of  three  states,  viz. :  Ken- 
tucky, Tennessee  and  Illinois.  They  came  here  three 
years  before  the  territory  was  erected  into  a  state. 
Abner  Armstrong,  the  son  of  John,  was  the  first  sheriff 
of  Edwards  county  ;  John  Armstrong  was  county 
judge  of  Wabash  county,  and  Thomas  J.  was  also  asso- 
ciate judge  for  a  term.  Other  members  of  the  family 
held  various  offices  at  different  times,  and  in  every  official 
position  earned  the  character  and  reputation  of  being 
honest,  efficient  and  capable  public  servants. 


JEREMIAH  FOX. 

THE  Fox  family,  on  the  paternal  side,  is  of  German 
ancestry.  Jacob  Fox,  the  grandfather,  was  a  native  of 
Germany,  emigrated  to  America,  and  settled  in  Reading, 
Pennsylvania.  He  raised  a  family  of  sons,  one  of  whom 
was  Jacob ;  he  was  born  in  Berks  county,  Pennsylvania, 
September  2,  1792.  He  there  grew  to  manhood  and 
married.  He  came  west  with  his  family,  and  landed  in 
Mt.  Carmel,  Wabash  county,  Illinois,  May  13,  1837. 
After  prospecting  for  a  short  time,  he  purchased  one 
hundred  and  thirty-five  acres  of  land  in  Wabash  pre- 
cinct, improved  it,  and  there  remained  until  his  death, 
which  took  place  November  9,  1857.  He  married  Jane 
Herrington,  April  14,  1816,  in  Lebanon  county,  Pa. 
She  died  in  Wabash  county,  III,  May  23, 1865  ;  she  was 
born  in  Lebanon  county,  Pa.,  April  18,  1796,  and  was 
of  Irish  extraction.  There  were  eight  children  by  that 
union, two  of  whom  are  living,  Jeremiah  and  Elmira,  wife 
of  John  A.  Greathouse.  Four  of  them  died,  leaving  fami- 
lies. Their  names  were  Mary  Ann,  wife  of  David  Adams ; 
Hardin  Fox,  who  was  twice  married,  first  to  Susan  Mar- 
tin, who  died,  leaving  one  child.  His  second  wife  was 
Jane  McFarlaud,  now  Mrs.  Dr.  A.  J.  Mclntosh  ;  and  one 
child  living,  Susannah,  wife  of  Jeremiah  Compton ;  she 
died  March  12,  1860,  leaving  one  child.  Elijah  mar- 
ried Frances  E.  Beedle,  and  left  two  sons  and  one 
daughter.  Jeremiah  Fox,  the  subject  of  this  sketch, 
is  the  second  son  ;  he  was  born  in  Lebanon  county,  Pa  , 
January  14,  1819;  he  was  in  his  nineteenth  year  when 
the  family  came  west.  He  remained  at  home  until  1848, 
when  he  married.  In  1846  he  bought  one  hundred  and 
eighty  acres  of  land,  where  he  now  lives.  There  was  a 
small  log  house  on  it,  and  a  portion  of  it  was  slightly 
improved.  All  the  improvements,  with  a  slight  excep- 


tion, have  been  made  by  him.  His  house  was  destroyed 
by  fire  April  12,  1875,  and  since  that  time  he  has 
erected  the  large  and  elegant  building  that  now  adorns 
the  farm  and  gives  shelter  and  comfort  to  his  family 
and  guests.  On  the  31st  of  August,  1848,  he  was  united 
in  marriage  to  Miss  Sophronia  Compton,  daughter  of 
John  and  grand-daughter  of  Levi  Compton,  the  first 
settler  of  Wabash  county.  Mrs.  Fox  was  born  in  Wa- 
bash county,  and  died  March  16,  1855,  in  the  thirtieth 
year  of  her  age.  There  were  two  children  born  of  that 
marriage,  Emma  Ann  and  William  J.  Fox.  The  latter 
is  one  of  the  substantial  farmers  of  Wabash  precinct. 
He  married  Miss  Sarah  ;Jane  Jackman,  and  has  thre  e 
children,  whose  names  are  Nora,  Pearl  and  Josiah. 

On  the  llth  of  March,  1858,  Mr.  Fox  married  Miss 
Caroline,  daughter  of  John  and  Sarah  (Bowers)  Spidle, 
who  was  born  in  Wayne  county,  Indiana.  There  are 
five  children  living  by  the  latter  union.  Their  names  in 
the  order  of  their  birth  are :  Sarah  Jane,  wife  of  Simon 
S.  Couch  ;  Lenora,  Mary  Ida,  Fanny  E.  and  Jeremiah 
Clyde  Fox  Both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Fox  are  members  of 
the  Lutheran  church.  Politically,  he  is  a  Democrat. 
He  has  held  several  offices  of  a  local  character,  and 
served  a  term  as  one  of  the  commissioners  of  the  county. 
In  addition  to  farming  Mr.  Fox  has  given"  considerable 
attention  to  the  raising  of  fine  cattle,  sheep  and  swine, 
and  in  the  latter  business  is  well  known  throughout  the 
county  as  a  successful  breeder. 

HENRY  KING  (DECEASED). 

THE  subject  of  this  sketch  was  among  the  reliable  and 
substantial  farmers  of  Wabash  county.  His  father, 
Joseph  King,  was  born  in  North  Carolina,  September 
24,  1794.  He  remained  in  the  South  until  1837,  when 
he  came  North  and  settled  in  Lawrence  county.JJlinois, 
and  there  remained  until  his  death.  He  married  Lucy 
Harrison,  who  was  closely  related  to  William  Henry 
Harrison,  President  of  the  United  States  in  1840.  By 
that  union  there  were  ten  children,  three  of  whom  are 
living,  viz  :  Nancy,  wife  of  Robert  Maguire  ;  John,  and 
Mary  Ann,  wife  of  William  Huffletell. 

Henry  King,  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  was  the  second 
son.  He  was  born  in  Rockingham  county,  North  Caro- 
lina, Aug.  27,  1817.  He  came  to  Illinois  in  1835,  two 
years  before  his  father.  He  worked  at  the  cooper  and 
carpenter  trades,  and  also  in  a  mill.  He  was  of  an  in- 
dustrious disposition,  economical  iu  his  habits,  and  soon 
laid  by  some  money  which  he  invested  in  a  farm  of 
ninety-nine  acres,  located  in  Lawrence  county,  which  he 
improved  until  January,  1870,  when  he  moved  to  section 
33,  in  township  2  north,  range  12  west,  where  he  bought 
and  improved  land,  whereon  he  erected  a  fine  commo- 
dious farm-house,  a  view  of  which  can  be  seen  on  another 
page  of  this  work.  There  he  lived  until  his  death,  which 
took  place  April  2,  1882.  He  was  a  member  of  the 
Christian  church,  a  good  man,  devoted  husband,  kind 
and  indulgent  father,  and  esteemed  by  all  who  knew 
him. 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WAS  ASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


Onjthe  24th  of  June,  1841,  he  was  united  in  marriage 
to  Miss  Susannah  Ramsey,  daughter  of  Aaron  and  Eli-  j 
zabeth  Ramsey.    She  died  April  1st,  1856,  leaving  five  j 
children,  two  of  whom  are  yet  living.     Their  names  are  j 
Joel  B.,  and  Caroline,  wife  of  Eli  Fries. 

On  the  5th  of  May,  1857,  he  married  Miss  Ann  Jack-  I 
man,  who  was  born  in  Franklin  county,  Indiana,  Sept.  j 
29,  1825.      Her  father,  Allen  R.  Jackman,  was  born  in  j 
Knox  county,  Indiana,  and  her  mother,  whose  maiden  | 
name  was  Sarah  Barber,  was  born  in  Virginia.     By  the 
marriage  of  Henry  and  Ann   King  there  were  six  chil- 
dren.    Sarah,  the  only  daughter  and  child,  died  in  her 
second  year.     There  are  five  sons  living.     Their  names 
in  the  order  of  their  birth  are  :  Allen  J.,  born  April  15, 
1860;  George  A.,  born  Nov.  11,  1862;  Martin,  born 
Aug.  2, 1864;  Charles  M.,  born  Dec.  2, 1866  ;  and  James, 
born  June  13th,  1868.     Mrs.  King  is  a  member  of  the 
Christian  Church.   She  lives  on  the  place  and  has  taken 
charge  of  it  since  the  death  of  her  husband. 


F.  S.  GRAY,  M.  D. 

WAS  born  iu  Brown  county,  Ohio,  January  20th,  1855. 
He  is  the  son  of  Martin  P.  and  Eliza  ( Waterfield)  Gray, 
old  settlers  of  Ohio.     He  received  his  primary  educa- 
tion in  the  common  schools  and  his  literary  training  in 
the  Union  Christian  College  at  Merom,  Sullivan  county,  j 
Ind.     He  entered  at  fifteen  years  of  age,  and  remained 
there  five  years,  then  engaged  in  teaching,  and  taught  ' 
six  years.     He  came  to  Illinois  in  1878  and^to  Wabash  ; 
county  in   the  fall  of  1879,  and  located   in  Allendale,  I 
where  he  engaged  as  Principal  of  the  Public  Schools,  j 
and  taught  two  years.     During  that  time  he  commenced  ; 
reading  medicine  in  the  office  and  under  the  direction  j 
of  Dr.  A.  J.  Mclntosh,  a  prominent  physician  of  Allen-  J 
dale.     He  read  medicine  two  years,  and  then  entered 
the  Medical  College  at  Cincinnati  in  the  fall  of  1881, 
and  there  took  two  full   courses,  and  graduated  from 
that  institution   on  the  8th  of  March,  1883,  with  the  j 
degree  of  M.  D.     He  commenced  the  practice  in  Allen-  I 
dale  in   connection   with   his  preceptor,  and  at  present  j 
continues  there.     Dr.  Gray  is  just  entering  the  profes- 
sion, but  he   brings  to  it  a  mind  trained  to  study  in 
schools   and  in  the  profession  of  teaching,  and  we  pre- 
dict for  him  success  in  the  healing  art. 

On  the  24th  of  March,  1883,  he  was  united  in  mar- 
riage to  Miss  Belle,  youngest  daughter  of  Alexander 
and  Rachael  McFarland.  Both  the  doctor  and  his  wife 
are  members  of  the  Chr  stian  Church — he  of  the  New 
Light  branch  of  that  Christian  organization.  In  poli- 
tics he  is  a  Republican. 


DAVID  ADAMS. 

THE  Adams  family,  living  in  the  northern  part  of 
Waba&h  county,  is  of  English  descent.  Samuel  Adams,  j 
the  grandfather  of  David,  was  a  resident   of  Brook 
county,  West  Virginia,  of  the  Pan-handle  district,  and  : 
there  married  a  Preston,  who  was  of  an  old  and  distin- 


guished family  of  Virginia.  Samuel  Adams  died  in 
Virginia,  and  his  wife  in  Morgan  county,  Ohio,  on 
the  Muskingum  river.  Among  the  offspring  of  that  union 
was  a  son,  also  named  Samuel,  father  of  David.  He 
was  born  in  Brook  county,  West  Virginia,  in  September, 
1797.  He  moved  to  Morgan  county,  Ohio,  in  1833,  and 
there  died  in  1876.  He  married  Nancy  Irwin,  born  in 
West  Virginia.  She  died  in  1827,  leaving  four  chil- 
dren. Mr.  Adams  subsequently  married  Eliza  Green, 
and  had  seven  children  by  that  marriage.  David 
Adams,  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  is  the  oldest  son  by 
the  first  marriage.  He  was  born  in  Brook  county,  W. 
Va.,  August  14,  1818  At  the  age  of  eighteen  years  he 
engaged  with  a  firm  that  was  manufacturing  and  selling 
wheat  fans.  He  afterwards  superintended  a  shop  for 
the  manufacture  of  machines,  for  four  or  five  years.  In 
1840  he  came  to  Wabash  county,  Illinois,  and  put  up  a 
shop  on  the  old  Fox  place,  and  there  manufactured  fan- 
ning mills.  Prior  to  that  time,  however,  he  spent  a  year 
each  in  Clark  and  Edgar  counties,  Ills. ;  then  about  the 
same  length  of  time  in  Carlisle,  Sullivan  county,  Ind., 
in  the  same  business.  In  1843  he  purchased  one  hun- 
dred and  twenty  acres  of  land  in  sections  16  and  21, 
township  I,  range  12  W.  He  worked  at  the  fanning 
mill  business  for  two  or  three  years  longer,  and  then 
abandoned  it  and  gave  his  attention  to  farming.  When 
he  purchased  the  land  it  was  unimproved,  and  all  the 
buildings  which  ornament  and  beautify  the  place  have 
been  erected  by  him.  A  view  of  the  premises  can  be 
seen  on  another  page.  In  1857  he  commenced  planting 
and  raising  nursery  stock,  and  in  1859  commenced  the 
sale.  He  supplied  much  of  the  stock  for  many  of  the 
fine  orchards  now  bearing  fruit  in  southern  Illinois.  He 
continued  the  business  to  the  present  ye«r,  when  he 
made  arrangements  to  abandon  it. 

On  the  21st  of  January,  1841,  he  married  Miss  Mary, 
daughter  of  Jacob  and  Jane  (Herrington)  Fox.  She 
died  in  January,  1879.  By  that  marriage  there  were 
ten  children,  six  of  whom  are  living,  whose  names  are : 
Sarah  Jane,  wife  of  Absalom  Nunaly  ;  Louisiana,  wife 
of  Henry  E.  Blood  ;  Laura  F  ,  wife  of  Lewis  Wood  ; 
Joan,  Mary  and  Elisha  Kent  Adams. 

From  1843  to  1857  Mr.  Adams  worked  at  carpenter- 
ing, millwrighting,  cabinet  making  and  in  wood  work 
generally.  He  also  carried  on  the  farm  at  the  same 
time.  After  the  latter  date  his  time  was  busily  em- 
ployed looking  after  his  nursery.  Politically,  Mr. 
Adams  was  originally  an  Old  Line  Whig,  and  from  that 
organization  naturally  drifted  into  the  Republican 
ranks.  In  matters  pertaining  to  religion,  he  does  not 
subscribe  to  any  formulated  creed,  but  is  partial  to  the 
teachings  of  Alexander  Campbell,  whom  he  knew  inti- 
mately in  his  younger  days,  and  for  whose  purity  of 
character,  correct  life,  broad  and  enlightened  views,  he 
always  entertained  the  highest  respect  and  regard.  The 
village  known  as  "  Adams'  Corner"  was  started  by  and 
named  in  honor  of  Mr.  Adams,  who  gave  the  ground 
and  encouraged  the  town  in  various  ways. 


RESIDENCE:  &FKRM  or  DAVID  ADAMS.SEC.ZI.J.I^.IZ^ABASH  PRECINCT  ^ABASH  CO.ILL, 


802          HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  W ABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


their  families  in  1831.  The  former  settled  on  the  south- 
east quarter  of  the  southwest  quarter  of  section  9,  town- 
ship 2,  range  13,  and  the  latter  ou  the  southwest  quar- 
ter of  the  southeast  quarter  of  section  15,  same  location. 
Alexander  Turner,  Elijah  Gaddy,  John  McGuire, 
William  Ridgeley,  Joel  Lukin,  and  Thomas  Beasley 
settled  in  the  township  at  a  comparatively  early  day. 
Lukin's  name  is  perpetuated  in  that  of  the  prairie  and 
the  township  in  which  he  lived.  In  1819  Mrs.  Clark 
taught  a  school  in  her  own  house,  in  the  southeast  quar- 
ter of  section  24,  township  2,  range  13.  In  the  spring 
of  this  year  Agnes  Corrie  began  a  day-school  in  a  log- 
cabin  that  stood  in  the  d  or  yard  of  her  father's  house, 
in  the  southwest  quarter  of  section  30,  township  2,  range  12 
About  this  time  Rev.  Mr.  Stone,  an  itinerant  Methodist 
minister,  preached  at  the  house  of  William  Schrader. 
The  first  land  entries  are  as  follows :  September  26, 
1816,  Shadrach  Ruark  entered  the  south  half  of  section 


24;  November  7,  1817,  Jacob  Schrader,  the  northeast 
quarter  of  section  25,  and  at  the  same  time  Jonathan 
Warner  the  east  half  of  the  southwest  quarter  of  section 
12;  May  19,  1818,  Thomas  Buffington,  the  east  half  of 
the  northeast  quarter  of  section  12,  and  in  township  2, 
range  13.  The  following  have  been  members  of  the 
board  of  supervisors:  W.  M.  Edmondson,  1357,  1858  ;' 
J.  L.  Flanders,  1856  to  1865,  chairman  from  1862; 
George  Gould,  1866 ;  J.  L.  Flanders,  chairman  1867  ; 

!  George  Gould,  1867;  M.  0.  Donnell,  1879  to  1872;  J. 
L.  Flanders,  1872  ;  Julius  Storckman,  1873  ;  Prestou 

;  Passraore,   1874;  Julius  Storekroan,  1875, 1876 ;  J.  L. 

1  Flanders,  1877,  1878;   Elijah  George,  1879  to   1881; 

!  W.  H.  Corrie,  1882,1883. 

I      Lukiu  township  has  some  excellent  land  and   well 

I  improved  farms.  It  lies  about  equidistant  from  the 
Ohio,  Mississippi  and  the  Wabash,  St.  Louis  and  Pacific 
railroads,  over  which  its  shipments  are  effected. 


BIOGRAPHY. 


AUGUST  BRAUSE, 

A  NATIVE  of  the  Kingdom  of  Hanover,  Germany,  where 
he  was  born  September  29th,  1824,  was  one  of  the  lead- 
ing citizens  of  Lukin  township.     He  was  the  oldest  son 
of  Frederick  and  Wilhelmina  Brause.     Frederick  was 
an   industrious,  honest  carpenter.     During   the  revolu- 
tionary troubles  which  awaked  all  Germany,  in  1848-9, 
August,  in  common  with  many  others,  sought   refuge 
from  a  soldier's  lot  by  coming  to  America.     He  came 
by  the  vessel   "  Kepler,"   and   after  a   voyage  of  two 
months,  less  ten  days,  landed  iii  New  Orleans.     From 
there  he  came  up  the  Mississippi,   then  the   Ohio,   to 
Evansville,    thence    to    Mt.   Carmel,  which    point  he 
reached  in  1849.     For  three  years  he  labored  as  a  farm 
hand  where  economy  characterized  his  labors  and  en-  | 
abled  him  soon  to  purchase  laud  and  engage  in  farming  ! 
in  his  own  behalf.     On  the  same  vessel  with  him,  when  j 
on  his  way  to  this  country,  were  Frederick  Holsen  and 
family,  with  the  exception  of  two  sons,  who  rather  than  ' 
serve  the  king  of  Germany  had  found  homes  in  Wabash 
County,  with  their   grandfather,  two  years  before.    A  i 
member  of  this  family,  Sophia  Holsen,  became  the  wife  | 
of  August  Brause  November  14th,  1852.    By  this  union 


;  there  were  born  twelve  children,  eight  of  whom  are  now 
j  living.  Five  of  the  children  are  married,  but  all  live 
i  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  the  old  homestead.  Mrs. 
Brause  was  a  native  of  the  same  place  with  her  hus- 
band, where  she  was  born  May  21st,  1835.  August 
i  Brause  died  April  21st,  1880.  He  was  a  man  who,  by 
his  straightforward  dealing  and  well-known  integrity  of 
character,  had  won  hosts  of  friends.  For  a  number  of 
years  he  was  a  Justice  of  the  Peace,  a  position  for  which  his 
excellent  judgment  and  unyielding  firmness  well  fitted 
him.  At  the  time  of  his  death  he  was  one  of  the  High- 
way Commissioners.  In  the  accumulation  of  property 
he  had  been  eminently  successful.  From  a  poor  bjy, 
earning  his  monthly  hire  as  a  farm-hand,  he  bearae  one 
of  the  largest  land-owners  in  Lukin  township.  His  life 
furnishes  an  excellent  example  of  what  may  be  accom- 
plished by  industry,  economy  and  stout-heartedness. 
Success  having  crowned  his  efforts  in  life  his  family  bless 
the  day  that  he  decided  to  make  his  home  in  free 
America.  Politically  Mr.  Brause  was  a  consistent  and 
earnest  Democrat.  The  family  are  members  of  the  Al- 
bright church.  In  its  faith  they  trust,  and  in  its  behalf 
they  are  most  zealous. 


LANCASTER 


WABASH  COUNTY. 


JANCASTER  precinct  is  bounded  on  the  North 
by  Richland  and  Lawrence  counties,  on  the 
East  by  Friendsville,  on  the  South  by  the  same 
and  Lick  Prairie  precincts,  and  on  the  West  by  Ed- 
wards county,  Bonpas  Creek  forming  the  boundary  line. 
Territorially,  it  embraces  the  area  lying  within  the  fol- 
lowing limits:  The  northern  tier  of  sections  of  T.  2  N., 
and  the  northern  half  tier  of  sections  22,  23,  24, 19,  20, 
and  21,  of  T.  1  N.  iuclosure;  and  Bonpas  creek  and  the 
western  half  tier  of  sections  35,  2,  11,  14,  and  28,  of  R. 

13  W.,  except  section  15,  and  one   half  each  of  sections 

14  and  12,  and  one  fourth  of  section  23,  T.  1  N.  R.   13 
W.     It  derived  its  name  from  the  town  of  Lancaster, 
•within  its  limits.     The  surface,  aside  from  the  prairies,  is 
somewhat  broken.     Round  prairie,  on  which  Lancaster 
is   situated,  is   about   a   mile  and   a  half  in  diameter. 
West  of  Lancaster  is  Round  prairie,  so  called  on  account 
of  its  shape,  being  about  three  miles  long  northeast  and 
southwest,  and  some  two   miles  wide.     The  balance  of 
the  surface  was  originally  quite  heavily  timbered,  with 
white  oak  and  hickory,  especially  in  belts  along  Jor- 
dan's and  Bonpas  creeks.     Bordering  on  the  prairies 
there  was  a  considerable  amount  of  post  "work.     Most  of 
the  timber  has  been  cleared  away  in  the  interest  of  agri- 
culture, except  along  the  streams      The  soil  on  the  Bon- 
pas contains    but  little  sand,  is  light-colored,  and  not 
fertile.     That  on  the  upland  is  a  light  clay  and  yields 
corn,  wheat  and  clover,  abundantly.     The  resources  of 
the  precinct  are  such,  principally,  as  spring  from  the  soil. 
There  is  a  considerable  quantity  of  sandstone  rock,  visi- 
ble along  the  streams,  suitable  for  building  purposes. 
Drainage  is  supplied   by  Jordan's,  Little  Bonpas  and 
Boiipas  creeks.     A  large  proportion  of  the  population 
derive  their  descent  from  the  Pennsylvania  Germans, 
and  display  much  of  the  industry  and  thrift  peculiar  to 
that  people.     The  principal  early  industries  were  hunt- 
ing, stock-raising  and  farming.     The   progress  of  the 
latter,  however,  was   much  impeded  by  low  prices  and 
the  difficulties  of  transportation.  The  price  of  corn  from 
1817  to  1825,  did  not  exceed  ten  cents  a  bushel. 

The  earliest  permanent  settlements  were  made  in  1814. 
In  that  year  came  William  Jordan,  -Nathaniel  Osgood, 
Benjamin  Reynolds,  and  Henry  Mills.  Jordan  was 
from  Kentucky,  and  had  a  family  of  four  children,  viz: 
Elizabeth,  Louis,  Jane  and  Sallie.  He  settled  on  the 


S.  E.  quarter  of  section  4  and,  as  early  as  1818,  put  up 
;  a  distillery  and  made  corn  whisky.     He    died  at  his 
I  residence  on  the  place  of  his  first  settlement.     The  Os- 
good  family  came  from  Ohio.     It  consisted  of  Nathaniel, 
!  a  married  son,  Almariue,  Almira,  Lydia,  (wife  of  James 
|  McMullen,  and  Lefie.     They  settled  on  the  S.  half  of 
section  14,  T.  2.  N.,  Nathaniel  living  in  a  separate  house 
on  the  estate.   Benjamin  Reynolds  was  from  Kentucky. 
He  had  a  family  of  three  sons,  John,  Richard  and  Har- 
rison, and  four  daughters.     He  settled  on  the  N.  W. 
quarter  of  section  8,  and  there,  as  early  as  1820,  had  a 
horse-mill  and  distillery.     His  death  took  place  on  his 
farm.     Col.  Henry  Mills  was  also  from  Kentucky,  and 
settled  on  section  8.     He  brought  with  him  a  negress 
while  Reynolds  brought  a  negro  named  Ned      Mills,  and 
after  a  sojourn  of  two  or  three  years,  moved  to  Edwards 
county.    John  Arnold,  son-in-law  of  William  Jordan, 
came  with  the  latter  from  Kentucky  and  settled  in  sec- 
tion 4.     He  was  a  man  of  character  and  influence  and 
I  an  early  justice  of  the  peace,  as  such,  performing  the 
|  marriage  ceremony  of  John  Higgins  and  Judah  Ker- 
[  acher,  fifty  years  ago.     He  served  his  state  and  country 
j  in  the  Black  Hawk  war,  in  the  capacity  of  cap'ain  of 
one  of  the  two  companies  from  Wabash   county.     He 
I  subsequently  moved  to  Wayne  county,  where  he  died. 
I  Tarlton  Borin  came  to  the  precinct  in  1815,  and  settled 
I  permanently  on  the  N.  W.    quarter  of  section  7.     He 
j  was  a  man  of  industry  and  economy,  and  accumulated  a 
considerable  amount  of  property.     As  early  as  1828,  he 
hnd  a  tannery  which  proved  quite  a  convenience  to  the 
j  settlement.     One  of  his  daughters,  Mrs.  Cunningham,  is 
a  resident  of  the  precinct. 

In  the  year  1816,  some  ten  or  twelve  families  left  Al- 
leghany  county,  New  York,  for  the  wild  and  uncultiva- 
ted shores  of  the  Wabash.  Among  them  was  George 
W.  Higgins,  John  Higgins,  Willis  Higgins,  Edward 
Brines,  Henry  Utter,  Lemuel  \Haskins,  David  Moss, 
John  Harrison,  Benjamin  Smith,  Levi  Couch,  and 
their  families.  They  left  their  native  State  in  "  family 
boats,"  on  the  Alleghany  river,  and  floated  down  its 
!  mountain  lined  course  to  the  Ohio,  and  there  to  the  site 
of  Evansville,  whence,  having  exchanged  their  boats  for 
a  keel  boat,  they  proceeded  up  the  Wabash,  landing  at 
Palmyra.  Good  fortune,  with  a  single  exception,  smiled 
on  the  little  fleet,  as  it  noiselessly  made  its  way  down 

303 


304 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


the  Ohio :  as  it  neared  the  falls  at  Louisville,  precau- 
tion suggested  the  employment  of  a  pilot,  who  was  ac- 
quainted with  the  river  at  that  dangerous  point.  The 
pilot-boat,  however,  which  was  John  Higgins',  lodged 
iu  a  shoal  and  dipped  water  at  the  stern,  spoiling  some 
goods.  The  women  and  children  who  were  carried 
ashore,  joined  the  boat  sorae  distance  below.  A  mir-th- 
provokiug  little  occurrence  worthy  of  note  happened  on 
the  way :  A  spirit  of  friendly  rivalry  took  possession  of 
John  Higgins  and  Levi  Couch,  and  each  contended  for 
the  lead.  Couch'was  in  the  act  of  using  his  boat-pole 
to  impede  the  progress  of  Higgins'  boat,  when  the  latter 
seized  the  pole  and  pulled  the  former  into  the  water. 
Couch  sank  from  view,  but  soon  came  to  the  surface,  and 
sha  king  the  water  from  his  head  and  face,  exclaimed 
he,  he,  hurrah  for  our  boat!  Of  this  little  band  o!  im- 
migrants, Harrison,  Couch,  Moss,  Smith,  and  John  Hig- 
gins settled  in  what  is  now  Lancaster  precinct ;  Brines, 
TJtter,  Haskins  and  George  and  Willis  Higgins  in 
Friendsville.  John  Higgins'  family  consisted  of  his  wife, 
and  six  children,  viz:  William,  George,  John,  Delia, 
Betsey  and  Sophia.  He  settled  on  the  N.  W.  quarter  of 
section  4.,  where  the  town  of  Lancaster,  of  which  he  was 
one  ot  the  proprietors,  now  stands.  Long  prairie  was  an 
inviting  and  eligible  spot,  and  in  itself  a  natural  pre- 
diction of  the  graceful  little  town  now  within  its  bor- 
ders. Higgins  was  a  representative  man.  Though  he 
was  not  a  regular  disciple  of  Gaelen  and  made  no  pre- 
tensions to  skill  in  the  healing  art ;  his  house  was  the 
resort  of  those  with  broken  and  dislocated  bones,  and 
also  for  the  entire  neighborhood  at  the  annual  vernal 
bleeding,  a  thing  esteemed  of  the  highest  importance  to 
the  proper  performance  of  the  functions  of  life.  He 
was  a  justice  of  the  peace,  and  for  two  or  three  terms  a 
member  of  the  board  of  county  commissioners.  His 
death  took  place  in  1852.  Two  of  the  six  pioneer  chil- 
dren are  yet  living,  George  in  Richland  county,  and 
John  in  Lancaster.  Harrison  was  married,  but  had  no 
children  when  he  arrived.  He  subsequently  had  a 
family  of  ten,  one  of  whom,  George,  the  only  survivor, 
is  living  on  the  old  homestead,  the  N.  E.  t  of  section 
5,  where  his  father  died,  about  1840  Couch  had  a 
family  of  nine  children,  by  name  Ebenezer,  Hiram, 
Levi,  Laura,  Cynthia,  Dianthia,  Sally,  Samantha,  and 
Betsy.  He  settled  about  two  miles  southeast  of  Lan- 
caster. Mr.  Couch  was  a  plain,  industrious  farmer,  and 
accumulated  some  property.  He  lived  where  he  first 
settled  for  a  period  of  twelve  or  fifteen  years,  and  then 
moved  to  the  neighborhood  of  old  Timberville,  where 
he  died.  Moss  had  three  children,  Daniel,  Harriet,  and 
Hannah.  He  settled  on  section  4,  where  he  lived  about 
ten  years,  and  then  moved  to  Cincinnati.  Smith,  who 
settled  on  the  S.  E.  k  of  section  4,  had  two  sons,  Rensse- 
laer  and  John.  He  and  his  wife  were  quite  advanced 
in  years  when  they  arrived.  They  and  their  two  sons 
are  now  dead.  Isaac  Harness  was  a  Virginian,  but  had 
lived  some  years  in  Indiana.  He  came  to  what  is  now 
Lancaster  precinct  in  1816,  bringing  a  wife  and  three 


children,  Thomas,  Isaac,  and  Sarah,  who  married  Hiram 
Cusick.  The  Cusicks  came  from  the  State  of  New  York, 
and  in  1817  Henry,  the  original  representative  of  the 

I  family,  settled  on  the  S.  W.  i  of  section  4.  There  are 
now  many  descendants  of  both  these  families  living  in 
the  county.  James  McMullen  came  from  Ohio  in  1816. 
He  married  a  daughter  of  Nathaniel  Ojgood,  and  set- 
tled on  the  S.  E.  i  of  section  33  T.  2  N.  He  was  a 
high-strung,  though  veracious  and  honest  man.  Two 
brothers,  George  and  David  Pugh,  came  to  the  precinct 
in  1816,  and  located  on  the  S.  E.  t  of  section  7.  George 
made  the  first  truck-wagons  in  the  settlement. 

The  brothers,  George  and  Andrew  Knight,  arrived 
about  1817  or  '18  from  Kentucky.  The  former  was  a 
single  man,  but  married  and  settled  on  section  31,  T.  2 
N.,  R.  12.  Andrew  was  married  and  settled  on  the  ad- 
joining section  22.  James  Rollins  came  about  1819, 
bringing  with  him  a  family  of  four  children,  Rachel, 
Rebecca,  Shadrach  and  Loyd.  Other  children  were 
born  subsequently.  Rollins  died  many  years  ago. 
Jesse  Jones,  the  first  weaver  in  the  precinct  came  from 
Kentucky  in  1820.  He  brought  three  children  and 
settled  in  theS.  W.  one-quarter  of  section  4.  This  same 
year  came  George  Glick,  from  Pennsylvania,  with  a 

i  wife  and  one  child,  Louis,  now  living  on  the  old  place, 
the  N.  W.  one -quarter  of  section  7.  After  a  residence  of 
some  years,  he  moved  to  Mt.  Carmel  precinct  and  there 
died.  Elias  Bailey  and  his  wife  arrived  from  Maryland 
in  1821  or  '22,  and  settled  on  the  S.  W.  one-quarter  of 
section  4.  He  was  twice  married  and  reared  quite  a 
number  of  children.  He  held  the  office  of  justice  of  the 
peace,  and  was  the  first  cabinet  maker  in  the  precinct. 
Rozander  Smith,  a  farmer  and  stock  raiser,  who  now 
resides  on  section  12,  came  from  the  State  of  New  York 
in  1822.  About  this  time,  Samuel  Fisher,  a  single  man, 
from  Berks  county,  Pa.,  married  and  settled  on  section 
7.  He  was  a  house  carpenter  and  farmer,  and  served  as 
a  soldier  in  the  Black  Hawk  war.  He  and  his  brother- 
in-law,  George  Glick,  opened  the  way  for  quite  an  exten- 
sive immigration  from  their  native  county. 

The  precinct  was  represented  in  the  Black  Hawk 
war  by  John  Arnold,  captain  ;  James  McMillan,  Thomas 
Louis,  Henry  Beil,  Abuer  Turner  and  James  A.  Dodds. 
The  first  school  was  taught  by  one  Abbott  in  1810  on 
the  west  one  half  of  the  N.  E.  one-quarter  of  section  3, 
in  an  old  cabin.  A  building  for  school  purposes  was 
raised  on  the  site  of  Lancaster  about  1822.  The  Cu- 
sicks, Higgins',  Mosses,  Cunninghams,  Borins,  Rey- 
nolds', McMullens,  Harrisons,  Harness'  and  Pughs 
attended  this  school.  It  was  taught  by  Schoolmaster 

'  Fox,  who  came  to  the  county  with  the  Comptons  at  an 

!  early  day.  About  1825  the  school-house  was  moved  a 
half  mile  west  of  the  village  lo  accommodate  the  Long 
Prairie  settlers,  and  Willis  Higgins  taught  the  school. 
The  New  Light  doctrine  was  the  first  preached  in  the 
precinct  by  Rev.  '  Rote,  from  Pennsylvania ;  and  a 
church  was  organized  about  1820.  One  of  the  earliest 
marriages  was  that  of  a  man  named  Bush,  about  sixty 


BUSINESS  PROPERTY  or  CHARLES  SEIBERT,   LANCASTER,  WABASHL 


or  CHARLES   SEIBERT,  REBUILT  1881.  LANCASTER,  WABASH  Co.,  IL 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AVD  WABASIt  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


305 


years  of  age,  to  the  widow,  Demarie,  by  'Squire  John 
Arnold,  on  a  rainy  night,  at  the  cross  roads  in  Lancas- 
ter, about  1820.  They  were  married  at  this  place  be- 
cause of  the  reputed  law  exempting  a  husband  from  the 
previous  debts  of  his  wife,  when  the  marriage  was  cele- 
brated in  the  "  public  street  "  As  the  bridal  pair  were 
approaching  the  appointed  place,  through  the  darkness, 
Henry  Cusick  called  out  "  Who  comes  there  ?  "  Bush 
replied  :  "  The  multipliers  of  the  generation  works.  " 
The  first  mill  (horse-power)  was  built  by  John  Arnold 
on  the  S.  E  one-quarter  of  section  4,  as  early  as  1825. 
Prior  to  this,  the  settlers  had  their  milling  done  at  Vin- 
cennes,  or  after  1820,  at  Col.  Simmonds'  horse-mill  in 
Friendship  preciuct.  Andrew  Knight  built  a  log 
water-mill  on  the  west  bank  of  little  Bonpas  creek  in 
section  6,  about  1831.  It  had  one  set  of  burrs  and  a 
hand  flour  bolt.  The  following  are  the  earliest  land 
entries  all  in  T.  1  N.,  R.  13  W. :  May  6,  1814,  John 
Waggoner  entered  the  N.  E.  one-quarter  of  section  21 ; 
December  23,  1814,  William  Jordan,  the  S.  E.  one- 
quarter  of  section  4  ;  December  30,  1814,  Benjamin 
Reynolds,  the  N.  E.i  of  section  8;  January  15,  1815, 
Tarlton  Borin,  the  N.  W.  one-quarter  of  section  7  ; 
May  9,  1815,  Jeremiah  Ballard,  the  W.  one-half  of  the 
N.  E.  one-quarter  of  section  3;  June  1,  1815,  Jeremiah 
Slaughter,  the  S.  E.  one-quarter  of  section  17  ;  June  11, 
181G,  John  Pugh,  the  N.  E.  one-quarter  of  section  7, 
and  Richard  Maxwell,  the  S.  W.  one-quarter  of  section 
8  ;  November  14,  1816,  Isaac  Harness,  the  N.  W.  one- 
quarter  of  section  3  ;  January  15,  1817,  John  Harrison, 
the  N.  E.  one-quarter  of  section  5,  and  John  Huggins, 
the  N.  W.  one  quarter  of  section  4.  The  following  are 
in  T.  2  N.,  R.  13  W.:  May  25,  1816  James  M.  Mullen, 
the  S.  E  one-quarter  of  section  33;  June  1,  1815,  Na- 
thaniel Osgood,  the  W.  one-half  of  the  S  E.  one-quarter 
of  section  34.  On  the  S.  E.  one-quarter  of  this  section 
Mr.  Isaac  Harness  preserves  and  points  out  the  grave  of 
a  little  boy,  the  last  victim  of  the  Cannon  massacre. 
The  Indians  had  encamped  near  the  spot  and  built  their 
camp  fire  deep  down  in  a  ravine  so  that  its  light  might 
not  attract  the  notice  of  their  pursuers.  Sentinels  sta- 
tioned upon  the  bluffs  are  supposed  to  have  seen  the 
flames  of  the  avenger's  camp  fire  near  where  Lancaster 
now  stands,  on  the  old  Indian  trail,  and,  the  savages, 
preparatory  to  decampment,  to  have  murdered  the  boy, 
who  was  to  them  probably  a  burden  or  a  source  of  an- 
noyance. 

LANCASTER, 

With  about  two  hundred  and  fifty  inhabitants,  ia 
pleasantly  situated  near  the  centre  of  Round  Prairie, 
and  contains  a  number  of  handsome  fiame  residences. 
The  business  is  supplied  mainly  by  the  rich  and  populous 
farming  community  that  surrounds  it.  Its  name  was 
derived  from  Lancaster,  the  county  seat  of  Lancaster 
county,  Pennsylvania,  from  which  locility  many  emi- 
grated to  this  vicinity.  It  was  surveyed  and  platted 
by  James  Knapp,  county  surveyor,  about  the  year  1846. 
The  proprietors  were  John  Higgins,  sr.,  John  Ktracher, 
39 


j  Solomon  Seibert,  Elias  Baily  and  Horace  Woodward, 
The  first  house,  where  the  town  now  stands,  was  a  log 
j  dwelling,  built  by  John  Higgins  in  1817.     The  second, 
now  standing  as  a  slaughter-house,  was  built  by  him  in 
1820.     In  this  year  he  also  put  up  a  blacksmith-shopj 
and  himself  worked  at  the  forge.    The  first  mercantile 
i  house  was  built  by  H.  Gunn,  about  1846,  and  by  him 
|  occupied  with  a  general  stock  of  goods,  for  some  eight 
!  or  ten  years.     He  was  followed  in  this  place  by  Wilford 
j  Proctor,  who  kept  a  grocery  store.     About  1850  Horace 
Woodward  built  a  frame  store-house,  where  I.  Hershey's 
general  store  now  stands,  and  kept  a  general  stock  of 
i  goods.     About  1851,  a  number  of  farmers  united  and 
!  bought  a  general  stock  of  goods  and  sold  them  by  their 
I  clerk,  Bowdoin  Baily.     They   continued  business   some 
I  eighteen  months.    About  this  time  I.  Hershey  bought 
Woodward's   store    property    and    goods,   and    began 
business.     Some  time  after  this,  Charles  Seibert  built 
his  present  store-house  and  began  the  sale  of  general 
merchandise.     About  1858  or  '9,  Lev!  Couch  and  Rus- 
sell Harrison  built   a  frame  store  and  kept  a  general 
stock   of  goods.      They   subsequently   sold   to  Robert 
Ridgely,  who  continued  business  for  seven  or  eight  years. 
The  building  is  no*  occupied  by  Dr.  McJiltou,  who  came 
to   Lancaster   about  fifteen   years  ago.     Dr.   Reed,    a 
botanic  physician,  located  in  the  town  as  early  as  1845, 
and  remained  about  four  or  five  years.     In  1848,  Dr. 
j  Cleve  began  practice,  but  continued  only  a  short  time. 
i  Two  brothers,  Drs.  Philbrick,  came  to  Lancaster  in  a 
patent-medicine  wagon,  in  1850.     They  remained  about 
two  years  and  were  succeeded  by  Dr.  William  Friend, 
who  still  continues  in  possession  of  a  lucrative  practice. 
i  Shortly  after  Dr.  Friend  came  Dr.  Flanders,  who,  after 
a  sojourn  of  two  years,  removed  to  Lawrence  county. 
I  The  first  school-house  (frame)  was  built  in  1846.     The 
j  present  one,  a  frame  two-story  building,  was  erected  in 
j  1866  at  a  cost  of  $1800.     The  Christian  Church  was 
built  in  1857  as  a  "  Union  Church,"  and  was  so  called. 
It  cost  about  82000.     The  Albright  was  erected  in  1866, 
I  at  a  cost  of  about  $1000.     The  Lutheran  Evangelical, 
I  built  in  1877,  is  a  handsome  brick  structure,  erected  at 
]  a  cost  of  about  $3500.     The  Methodist  Episcopal  was 
|  built  in   1880,  for  about  82100.      Lancaster  Flouring 
Mill  was  built  by  Penrose  Beihl  and  William  Rowland, 
about  1858.    Some  of  the  machinery  and  one  run  of 
j  burrs  fiom   Beihl's   old    mill  on   Little    Bonpas,  was 
j  utilized  in  this.     It  is  a  frame  two-story  building,  with 
'••  two  runs  of  burrs,  and  a  capacity  of  from  25  to  30  barrels 
:  of  flour  a  day.     After   quite   a  number   of  changes  of 
[  ownership,  the  property  is  now  in  the  hands  of  Joel  and 
!  F.  J.  Dreibelbis,  in  equal  shares,  and  is  operated  by  the 
latter.     The  saw-mill  was  put  up  the  winter  of  1881)  by 
,  John  Leightly  and  Solomon  Grismore.  who  moved  it 
j  from  Bonpas  creek,  Edwards  county. 

GENERAL   BUSINESS. 

I      Physicians.— William   Friend,    F.   Waller,    Edward 
McJilton. 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


Drill/gist. — A.  Corrie. 

General  Merchants. — J.  Hershey,  Charles  Seibert. 

Shoemaker. — T.  Deiber. 

Harness  Maker. — Peter  Scherer. 

Milliner.— Miss  Minnie  Malotte. 

Blacksmiths—  Henry  Reiber,  William  Raybuck. 

Justice. — Isaiah  Berninger. 


Carpenters.— William  Giuther,  M.  &  J.  Sugar,  Rosa 
McMillan,  James  Seibert. 
Painter. — Joel  Berninger. 
Wagon  Makers. — Isaiah  &  Amos  Berninger. 
Butcher.— David  Spitler. 
Cattle  Dealer.— Simeon  Mull. 
Tinware  and  Stoves. — John  Leighty. 


BIOGRAPHIES. 


JOSEPH  B.  SHEARER, 

THE  popular  and  efficient  Justice  of  the  Peace,  Post- 
master and  farmer  at  Card's  point,  was  born  in  Ben- 
nington  county,  Vt.,  September  4th,  1842.     His  father 
and   family   came  to   Wabath   county  in   1851.     The 
family  comprised  four  children,  two  of  either  sex.     Mr. 
Shearer  enlisted  as  a  soldier  during  the  rebellion,  in  Co. 
C  115th  Regiment  Illinois  Volunteers,  and  was  with  his 
command    in    all   its    marches,   skirmishes,  etc.     As  a 
soldier,  he  was  brave  and  true.     He  was  married  to 
Mary  Hallock,  March  22,  1869.    She  was  at  the  time  a  \ 
country  school  teacher,  the  daughter  of  Aaron  B.  Hal-  j 
lock,  a  native  of  New  York  city,  who  located  in  Mt.  j 
Caimel  in  1839.     The  Hallocks  trace  their  family  back  I 
to  the  time  of  the  landing  of  thirteen  Pilgrim  Fathers, 
one  of  whom  was  Peter  Hallock,  at  New  Haven,  Conn.,  j 
in  1640.     Peter  Hallock  was  the  first  of  the  band  to 
step  on  shore  among  the  Indians  in  Southold,  at  a  place 
still  called  Hallock's  Neck,  in  honor  of  the  event    From 
the  Indians  he  purchased  the  Oyster  Ponds  in  the  near 
vicinity,  and  returned  to  England,  where  he  was  mar-  I 
ried.     In  his  absence  the  Indians  resold  the  tract  to 
other  parties,  so  that,  upon  his  return,  he  had  to  seek  I 
another  location.     His  only  son,  William,  died  Sept.  28,  j 
1684,  leaving  a  will,  which  cut  off  a  son,  John,  from  all  ! 
participation  in  his   property,  because  he  apostatized  j 
from  the  faith  of  his  fathers,  embracing  as  he  did  the 
Quaker  or  Friends'  belief,  in  which  cause  he  was  most  I 
earnest  and  faithful.     He  became  the  first  of  a  line  of  j 
six  preachers  of  the  same  name.     His  death  is  recorded  ! 
in  Brookham,  1737,  where  the  record  says:   "  both  very  j 
ancient  and  in  unity  with  Friends."    The  neat  dwellings 
of  himself  and  his  son  John  yet  remain  in  Setauket, 
preserved  by  the  Friends.    John,  the  second,  died  in 
1757.     The  sixth  of  the  name  John  was  the  father  of 
James  C,,  of  New  York  ;  Allen  C.,  of  Evansville;  Rich- 
ard B.,  of  Princeton  ;  Aaron  B.,  of  Mt.  Carmel,  already  | 
referred  to  as  being  the  father  of  Mrs.  Shearer. 

Mr.  Shearer  is  a  prominent  outspoken  Republican.    In 
his    religious   convictions  he  is  liberal.     He  is  a  man  I 
highly  respected  for  his  real  worth,  and  because  of  his  | 
talents. 


GEORGE  W.  KEEN, 

WHOSE  parents  were  among  the  early  settlers  of  Wabash 
county,  was  born  September  2, 1827.  His  father,  Dennis 
Keen,  was  a  native  of  Ohio,  a  farmer  by  occupation. 
When  but  a  small  boy,  George  was  set  to  plowing,  a 
vocation  he  has  all  through  a  busy  life  kept  up.  His 
schooling  was  quite  limited,  extending  over  less  than 
five  months  altogether.  This  was  in  the  Little  Rock 
district,  near  the  present  site  of  Allendale.  Arrived 
at  the  age  of  twenty-one,  his  father  gave  him  an  eighty 
acre  tract  of  land,  all  heavily  wooded.  AVith  a  will,  he 
went  to  work  clearing  out  a  farm.  For  five  years  he 
"  kept  bach,"  as  it  is  termed,  in  a  cabin,  while  day  by 
day  he  was  engaged  in  felling  trees,  burning  brush,  and 
plowing  the  ever  enlarging  tract  of  farming  land.  At 
the  end  of  that  time  he  had  some  fifty  acres  in  fair  cul- 
tivable condition,  and  to  the  attractions  of  his  home  he 
added  a  wife,  being  married  to  Jane  Campbell  on  the 
17th  day  of  February,  1853.  The  marriage  ceremony 
was  performed  by  Thomas  Armstrong,  at  the  time  judge 
of  the  county  court,  a  gentleman  who  had  often  twitted 
George  on  his  bachelor  way  of  living,  and  who  had  re- 
peatedly asked  for  the  chance  of  "  marrying  him  without 
charge, '  he  always  added.  At  the  time  of  the  marriage, 
Mrs.  Keen  had  a  cow,  a  horse,  some  bed-clothing,  and  a 
hundred  and  twenty-five  dollars  cash  given  her  by  her 
father.  Mr.  Keen  had  fifty  acres  of  cleared  land,  and 
six,  head  of  horses.  During  the  first  few  years  he  was 
peculiarly  unfortunate  in  horses,  losiug  no  less  than  nine 
head,  three  of  which  were  accidentally  killed.  Such 
discouragements  he  bore  patiently,  and  only  toiled  the 
harder  to  make  amends  for  the  loss.  Mrs.  Keen  was 
the  daughter  of  James,  of  Wilson  county,  Tenn. ;  aud 
Mary  Campbell,  of  Virginia.  They  came  to  Illinois  in 
1851.  The  long  and  tedious  journey  was  made  by  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Campbell,  an  aunt,  an  uncle,  a  hired  hand 
and  four  children — one  son  (James)  and  three  daugh- 
ters. The  trip  was  made  by  wagon,  on  foot  and  on 
horseback. 

An  incident  in  the  early  lives  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Camp- 
bell is  worthy  of  mention.  Mrs.  Campbell,  whose 
maiden  name  was  Pritchett,  was  the  sole  dependence  of 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS.          307 


her  widowed  mother.  She  had  the  plowing  to  do,  the 
wood  to  chop ;  in  short,  tho  various  farm  work  that  usu- 
allv  falls  to  the  lot  of  boys  was  hers  to  do.  Hence,  her 
mother  forbade  the  match  with  Mr.  Campbell ;  but,  as 
was  the  custom,  the  neighboring  boys  aided  James  by 
stealing  the  girl  from  her  mother's  house  and  aiding  a 
runaway  match.  Starting  as  they  did,  penniless,  they 
had  a  hard  time  of  it.  He  split  rails  at  twenty-five  cents 
per  hundred,  to  get  money  with  which  to  defray  doctors' 
bills.  James  Campbell  died  March  1st,  1879,  and  his 
wife  Mary  P.  Campbell,  on  March  17th,  1876.  Both  lie 
buried  iu  Gard's  Point  grave-yard,  a  few  miles  south  of 
Lancaster. 

On  the  old  place  cleared  out  by  Mr.  Keen  they  lived 
till  1866,  when  he  moved  to  his  present  home,  where  he 
had  bought  four  hundred  acres  of  land.  To  himself  and 
wife  were  born  ten  children,  nine  of  whom  are  living  : 
Sylvanus,  Mary  Elizabeth  (dec'd),  Margaret  Jane, 
Effie  Isadora,  Rosanna,  Isabella,  Sarah,  James,  Dennis 
and  Louisa.  Of  these,  Sylvanus  was  married  to  Harriet 
Susan  Bryant,  daughter  of  Samuel  Bryant,  Lawrence 
county,  Sept.  3,  1879 ;  Margaret  was  married  to  Russell 
Ridgeley,  of  Richland  county,  May  4,  1876 ;  and  Isadora 
was  married  to  Constantine  Shiek,  a  Christian  minister, 
now  of  Richland  county,  May  4,  1882. 

Mr.  Keen  is  a  Democrat  of  the  old  school,  his  voting 
having  commenced  with  a  ballot  cast  for  Lewis  Cass. 
He  and  his  wife  are  faithful,  earnest  members  of  the 
Christian  Church.  A  good  citizen,  a  kind  neighbor,  he 
has  hosts  of  friends. 


SAMUEL  MARX, 

A  FARMER  living  about  two  miles  south  of  Lancaster, 
was  born  in  Northampton  county,  Pennsylvania,  August 
13,  183J.  As  the  name  indicates,  he  was  of  German 
extraction.  Both  of  his  parents  came  to  America  fronJGer- 
many  in  the  year  1828.  Michael  Marx,  his  father,  had  mar- 
ried Margaret  Bisch,  by  whom  he  had  one  child,  now 
Barbara  Deischer,  before  coming  to  America.  To  them 
were  born  nine  children  in  this  country.  The  family  came 
to  Wabash  county  in  1836,  where  they  located  in  the  woods 
and  with  strong  and  willing  arm?,  Michael  hewed  out  a 
farm.  He  died  December  11,  1878.  His  wife  had  only  a 
month  before  been  carried  to  her  last  resting  place,  having 
died  November  4  of  the  same  year.  Of  the  family  two 
brothers  and  as  many  sisters  yet  survive.  Samuel 
Marx  married  Fannie  Schlauker,  daughter  of  Gideon 
Schlauker,  February  2,  1853.  By  her  he  has  had  ten 
children:  George  Linder  (deceased),  Lizzie  Clara 
(deceased),  Samuel  S.,  Amanda,  Mary,  Gideon,  Jennie, 
Belle,  Isaac  and  Charles  H.  When  Samuel  commenced 
life  for  himself  he  had  a  horse  and  about  forty  dollars  in 
money.  He  worked  earnestly,  and  as  soon  as  possible 
became  a  land  owner.  Steadily  he  has  added  to  his 
earnings,  until  now  he  is  the  happy  possessor  of  one  of 
the  finest  farms  in  his  vicinity.  He  is  a  sterling  Demo- 


crat politically.  Religiously  he  is  a  member  of  the 
Lutheran  church,  while  his  wife  is  an  Albright.  He 
is  industrious  in  his  habits,  earnest  in  everything  he 
undertakes  to  do,  and  eminently  social. 

ISAIAH  BERNINGER 

WAS  born  in  Berks  county,  Pennsylvania,  December 
21,  1835.  His  father,  Aaron,  also  a  native  of  Berks 
county,  was  a  carpenter  and  mill-wright  by  trade.  His 
grandfather  was  one  of  the  soldiers  in  the  war  of  1812, 
and  as  such  was,  the  last  few  years  of  his  life,  on  the 
pension  rolls  of  his  country.  The  maiden  name  of  his 
mother  was  Hannah  Rhodes.  He  was  the  second  in  a 
family  of  four  boys.  In  his  youth  he  was  apprenticed 
to  the  trade  of  wagon  making.  In  the  year  1856  he 
came  to  Lancaster,  Wabash  county,  where  he  engaged 
I  as  a  clerk  in  the  mercantile  business  for  Judge  Hershy, 
in  whose  employment  he  remained  eight  years,  when  he 
J  prosecuted  wagon  making  and  farming  He  was  mar- 
j  ried  to  Sarah  Ann  Higgins,  daughter  of  John  Higgins, 
March  17,  1859.  By  her  he  has  had  eleven  children, 
seven  of  whom  are  living  and  four  dead.  He  is  a  pro- 
nounced and  representative  Democrat.  As  a  man  of 
sound  judgment  he  has  the  confidence  of  his  fellow  citizens 
who  have  kept  him  in  office  as  justice  of  the  peace  since 
1873.  He  takes  great  interest  in  school  and  church, 
and  has  time  and  again  been  elected  director  in  his  school' 
district-  He  is  an  active,  working  member  of  the 
Christian  church.  His  parents  both  died  in  the  year 
1876.  Aaron,  his  father,  in  the  month  of  January,  and 
Hannah  a  month  afterwards.  Mr.  Berninger  is  an 
excellent  citizen,  an  honest  man,  a  good  neighbor,  and 
a  man  beloved  by  all  who  knows  him. 

GEORGE  STOLTZ 

!  WAS  born  in  Alsace,  now  tributary  to  Germany,  then  to 
France,  February  18,  1817.     His  father,  Adam  Stoltz, 
was  a  shepherd  in  his  native  land ;  a  farmer  here.     To 
himself  and  Eve  his  wife  were  born  eight  children,  of 
whom  George  was  the  third.     The  family  crossed  the 
ocean  en  route  to  America  in  1828,  and  were  fifty-one 
I  days  on  the  sea.     Arriving  in  New  York,  they  made 
their  way  to   Northumberland   county,   Pennsylvania, 
!  where  they  resided  until   1834.     In  the  spring  time  of 
that  year,  two  of  the  sons,  Adam  and  George  came  to 
j  Wabash  county  whence  their  father  and  family  followed 
I  them  in  the  fall.     George  worked  at  the   carpenter's 
'  trade,  a  vocation  he  followed  fifteen  years,  and  which 
i  even  yet,  although  farming  is  his  main  reliance,  he  pur- 
sues.    His   first   venture   towards   becoming  a  landed 
|  proprietor  was  in  1850,  when  he  entered  an   eighty  acre 
1  tract  of  the  government.     He  was  married  to  Margaret 
Hinkle,   daughter   of    Peter' Hinkle,  March  14,  1841, 
who  located   in  Wabash  county  in  1830.     Mrs.  Stoltz 
:  was  born  February  1,  1821,  in  Davidson  county,  North 
Carolina.     Her  parents  were  seven  weeks,  less  two  days 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


in  coming  by  team  from  North  Carolina  here.  To  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Stoltz  have  been  born  the  following  children  : 
Henry,  born  December  1C,  1M1;  Andrew,  May  24, 
1843;  Peter,  September  10,  1844;  George,  May  23, 
1846;  Mary  Ann,  December  6,1846,  (died);  Susan 
Maria,  Match  22,  1849;  Saiah  Elizabeth,  November 
30,  1850;  Franklin,  May  14,  1852;  Jacob,  May  19, 
1854 ;  John  Hamilton,  June  6,  1856 :  Margaret,  May  17, 
1858;  Lora,  May  2,  1860;  Clara  Ellen,  December  11, 
1862.  Mr.  Stoltz  is  an  aident  Democrat  and  a  member 
of  the  Lutheran  church. 

PHILIP  H.  MAEX. 

GERMANY  has  furnished  many  of  the  most  industrious, 
earnest,  and  law-abiding  citizens,  that  go  to  make  up 
the  cosmopolitan  population  of  the  United  States. 
Their  children  tenaciously  adhere  to  those  habits  of  in- 
dustry and  frugality  that  characterized  their  ancestors. 
Every  c<  mmunity  furnishes  examples  of  the  thrift  inci- 
dent to  such  training  as  they  receive.  Mr.  Philip  H. 
Marx  is  an  example  of  this  class.  His  father,  Michael 
Marx,  was  born  in  Germany,  and  came  to  this  country, 
locating  first  in  Pennsylvania  in  1828,  thence  to  Wabash 
county  in  1836.  He  was  born  in  Northampton  county, 
Pennsylvania,  April  21,  1832.  Steadily  and  with 
marked  success  he  has  pursued  his  chosen  vocation  of 
farming.  Starting  out  in  life  with  but  little  means  he 
is  now  the  possessor  of  a  well  cultivated  farm  of  near 
four  hundred  acres.  He  was  united  in  marriage  to 
Margaret  Stephens,  daughter  of  George  and  Margaret 
Stephens,  March  5,  1857.  The  parents  of  Mrs.  Marx, 
in  common  with  his  own,  were  of  German  extraction. 
They  lived  a  number  of  years  in  Ohio,  where  Mrs. 
Marx  was  born,  thence  to  Indiana,  and  from  there  came 
to  Wabash  county  a  few  years  prior  to  the  date  of  the 
above  marriage.  To  them  have  been  born  five  children  : 
Samuel  C.,  William  M.,  John  H.,  Catharine  and  Mary. 
Mr.  Marx  is  an  outspoken  Democrat.  His  devotion 
to  the  party's  cause  has  remained  unshaken  since  cast- 
ing his  first  Presidential  ballot,  which  was  for  James 
Buchanan  in  1856.  He  and  his  family  are  faithful, 
zealous  members  of  the  Lutheran  church.  His  beauti- 
ful home  place  consists  of  three  hundred  and  seventy- 
four  acres  of  land  in  a  high  state  of  cultivation. 

JOHN  HIGGINS, 

OR  "Uncle  John,"  as  he  is  familiarly  called,  was  born 
in  Allegheny  county,  New  York,  January  14th,  1813. 
His  father,  John  Higgius  also  by  name,  was  a  ship-car- 
penter, originally  from  Connecticut.  Uis  grandfather 
•was  a  revolutionary  soldier.  The  family  were  among 
the  pioneers  of  Wabash  county,  having  come  hither  in 
1816.  In  those  early  days,  subsistence  was  scanty. 
His  father  paid  as  high  as  twenty-five  cents  per  pound 
for  bacon.  Upon  being  questioned  as  to  why  he  would 
do  so  when  the  woods  were  full  of  game,  he  replied  that 


he  "  wanted  something  greasy."  In  the  family  were 
three  sons,  one  of  whom,  William,  is  dead,  and  George 
is  living  in  Riehland  county.  John  Higgins  was  mar- 
ried to  Julia  Keracher,  a  native  of  Berks  county,  Penn- 
sylvania, where  she  was  born,  December  29lh,  1816 — 
on  the  31st  of  January,  1833.  To  them  were  born 
twelve  children,  Delia,  Jan.  9th,  1834;  Mary  C.,  March 
12th,  1836;  Betsey,  Dec.  31st,  1837,  died  Jan.  14th, 
1839;  Daniel,  Sept.  23d,  1839,  died  May  14th,  1857  ; 
Sarah  A.,  March  9th,  1842;  Susannah,  Feb.  17th,  1844  ; 
Judah,  April  7th,  1846,  died  Dec.  13th,  1870;  George 
!  W.,  April  5th,  1849,  died  Aug.  12th,  1850;  Maria, 
April  5th,  Nancy,  Sept.  9th,  1837,  and  Ellen.  Upon 
the  breaking  out  of  the  Black  Hawk  War,  Mr.  Higgins 
was  anxious  to  go,  but  his  father  needed  his  services,  be- 
ing engaged  at  the  time  in  the  erection  of  the  first  brick 
building,  perhaps  erected  in  the  county.  During  the 
late  war  he  was  almost  alone  in  his  avowal  of  Republican 
principles  in  his  immediate  vicinity,  a  faith  to  which  he 
has  constantly  adhered.  He  is  a  most  devoted  member 
of  the  Christian  Church,  in  the  success  of  which  he 
takes  great  interest. 


DR.  EDWARD  L.  McJILTON. 

A  PHYSICIAN  in  the  enjoyment  of  a  fine  and  lucrative 

!  practice,  was  born   in  Montgomery  county,  Ohio,  July 

2d,  1842.     His  parents,  Daniel  an  d  Amelia  McJilun 

'  were  both  natives  of  Maryland,  as  were  also  the  grand - 

;  father  and  great-grandfather  of  the  subject  of  this  sketch 

|  To  avoid  the  wrath  of  the  British  crown,  the  last  referred 

I  to  crossed  the  sea  in  company  with  Thomas  Addis  Em- 

I  mett,  brother  of  the  martyred  Robert  Emrnett,  and  thus 

i  iii  America,  the  asylum  for  the  oppressed,  found  refuge 

'  from  an  an  ailing  death.     The  maiden  name  of  the  doc- 

•  tor's  mother  was  Tyson.     The  Tysons  were  originally 

:  French    Huguenots,  then    Quakers  or    Friends,    after 

drifting  from  France  to  England  and  America.     Pass- 

I  more,  a   name  familiar  to  history,  was  the  name  of  his 

'  grandfather  on  his  mother's  side.     The  doctor's  father 

died   when  he  was  but  one  and  a  half  years  of  age,  so 

that  he  was  reared  by  a  widowed  mother.     In  the  family 

were  four  sons  and  two  daughters.     Two  of  the  sons, 

i  James,  a  teacher,  and  John,  a  carpenter  by  trade,  are 

living  in  Ohio.     Thomas,  a  lawyer  of  large  practice  and 

fine  reputation,   lives  in  Newark,  New  Jersey.      The 

1  sisters  are  Mrs.  Prof.  Locke,  of  Lockeland,  Ohio,  and 

!  MJS.  Lobaugh,  also  of  Ohio.     Edward  J.  was  educated 

in  Ohio.     For  some  years  he  alternated   teaching  and 

study.     In  1857,  he  entered  the  Ohio  Medical  College, 

;  from  which  institution  he  graduated  in  ]870.     He  rame 

\  to  Lancaster  in  1868.    In  1869  he  was  married  to  Judith 

i   Higgins,  who  died  within  a  year.     In  1871  he  married 

Maria  H  iggins,  a  sister  of  his  first  wire,  and  daughter  of 

I  John  Higgins,  by  whom  he  has  one  child,  Essie  Josephine. 

Since  first  coming  to  Lancaster,   the  doctor  practiced 

his  profession  a  year  in  Evansville,  Ind.     Ae  did  valiant 

service  in  behalf  of  the  cause  of  the  Union,  during  the 


F/l/tM  RESIDENCE  OF  RO'ZANDER    SMITH,  SEC.ISJ.I^.I+flANCASTfK  PRECINCT)  WABA  SH  CO.  ILL. 


Of  THE 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  W ABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


309 


war,  having  enlisted  in  Co.  "I,"  110th  Ohio  Reg.  Vol., 
under  Col.  Keifer,  in  August,  1862.  He  participated  in 
every  battle  with  his  Regiment  from  Gettysburg  until 
the  close  of  the  war.  He  was  mustered  out  in  June, 
1865.  He  is  an  earnest,  ardent  Republican,  proud  of 
the  opportunity  which  was  his,  of  casting  his  first  ballot 
for  Abraham  Lincoln,  the  martyred  President. 

ROZANDER  SMITH 

WAS  born  in  Uiica,  New  York,  April  9th,  1817.  His 
father,  Ramsler  E.  Smith,  was  a  carpenter  and  farmer, 
a  native  of  New  York,  as  were  his  parents  of  England. 
His  mother's  maiden  name  was  Mary  Osgood.  In  a 
family  of  four  children,  Rozander  was  the  only  son. 
They  were  pioneers  in  the  vicinity  of  Lancaster,  having 
located  there  in  1820,  or  rather  near  old  Palmyra. 
For  years  Ramsler  E.  followed  his  vocation  of  carpenter, 
working  at  his  trade  in  Albion,  Edwards  ccunty,  Pal- 
myra, Lancaster  and  Evansville,Indiana,where  he  died, 
in  1841.  Mary  Smith,  the  mother  of  the  subject  of  this 
sketch,  died  in  1822,  and  was  among  the  first  whose 
bodies  were  consigned  to  the  tombs  in  the  Lancaster 
grave-yard.  Rozauder  attended  the  first  school  ever 
taught  in  Lancaster,  in  a  log  cabin,  whose  windows  were 
made  of  greased  paper.  He  married  Rebecca  Hubbard, 
daughter  of  Sidney  Hubbard,  of  Richland  county,  Dec. 
27th,  1846.  She  died  August  26th,  1860.  Of  eight 
children  born  to  them,  all  are  dead  save  one,  Benjamin 
Franklin  by  name.  Mr.  Smith  was  married  to  his 
present  wife,  Cinthia  Ann  Suider,  daughter  of  Peter 
Snider,  April  14th,  1869.  By  her  he  has  three  children 
living,  William,  Levitt  and  Edgar  Rozander.  Rozander 
Smith  has  occupied  his  present  homestead  since  1847. 
His  farm  consists  of  four  hundred  and  twenty  acres,  a 
quarter  section  of  which  he  entered  of  the  Government. 
He  commenced  life  without  a  dollar,  worked  for  wages, 
which  he  systematically  saved,  and  laid  out  in  land.  His 
purchases  were  at  first  small.  He  has  been  a  Justice  of 
the  Peace  for  sixteen  consecutive  years,  and  for  four 
years  was  Associate  Justice  of  the  County  Court.  He 
is  a  Democrat  as  he  himself  expresses  it,  "straight  out." 
His  religious  convictions  are  in  common  with  the  Uui- 
versalists.  His  grandfather,  Benjamin  Smith,  was  for 
many  years  a  Revolutionary  pensioner,  having  served 
his  country  in  1776.  He  died  in  Edwards  county,  in 
1841. 

DK   FAY  K.  WALLER. 

PROMINENT  among  the  rising  young  physicians  ofWa- 
bash  county  may  very  appropriately  be  mentioned  Dr. 
Fay  K.  Waller,  of  Lancaster.  He  was  born  in  Zanes- 
ville,  Muskingum  county,  Ohio,  Oct.  2nd,  1848.  His 
father,  J.  L.  Waller,  was  for  a  number  of  years  a  mar- 
ble cutter.  After  his  coming  to  Illinois,  which  he  did 
in  1864,  he  commenced  preaching,  for  which  nature  had 
BO  well  fitted  him.  He  is  now  the  Presiding  Elder  in 
the  Mt.  Carmel  District.  He  was  ordained  by  Bishop 


Simpson.  His  father,  also  an  M.  E.  preacher,  was  or- 
dained by  Bishop  Asbury,  and  his  grandfather  by  John 
Wesley.  This  last  one  referred  to  among  the  doctor's 
ancestors,  lived  to  the  great  age  of  one  hundred  and  ten 
years,  when  he  died  in  Coshocton  county,  Ohio.  The 
maiden  name  of  the  doctor's  mother  was  Frances  E. 
Gammon.  Dr.  Waller  enlisted  in  Co.  A.  2nd  Virginia 
Regiment,  Col  Albia  Tomlinson  commanding,  in  1861, 
although  but  thirteen  years  of  age  at  the  tin  e  He  was 
part  of  the  time  bugler  and  part  orderly  to  the  colonel. 
The  boy  of  the  regiment,  as  he  was  denominated,  kept 
with  them  until  the  close  of  the  war,  being  mustered  out 
in  July,  1865.  In  September  of  the  same  year  he  came 
to  Illinois,  where  for  two  years  he  engaged  in  farming 
in  Richland  county.  In  1867  he  commenced  reading 
medicine  with  Doctors  West  and  Spahling,  of  Ingraham 
with  whom  he  continued  three  years,  when  he  entered 
Miami  Medical  College,  .in  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  from 
whence  he  was  graduated  Ftb.  26th,  1878.  During 
the  eight  years  intervening  between  the  time  of  his  first 
attendance  upon  lectures  in  Miami  College  and  gradu- 
ation from  that  institution,  he  was  engaged  in  the 
practice  of  his  chosen  profession  in  Crawford  county. 
He  came  to  Lancaster  in  October,  1878,  where  he 
formed  a  co-partnership  with  Dr.  Friend.  He  was  united 
in  marriage  with  Catherine  S.  McClure,  d  .ughter  of 
Richard  and  Mary  McClure,  May  15th,  1877.  She 
died  August  22d,  1878.  The  doctor  was  married  to  his 
present  wife,  Martha  A.  Leeper,  daughter  of  John  and 
Catharine  Leeper,  October  1st,  1879.  Mr.  Leeper  is 
a  minister  in  the  M.  E.  church.  By  this  union  have 
been  born  two  children,  Glen  Leeper  and  Orla  L.,  both 
bright  and  intelligent.  The  doctor  k  a  most  pronounced 
and  outspoken  Republican.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
Masonic  Order  and  of  the  Knights  of  Honor.  As  a 
physician  he  is  attentive,  and  is  a  constant  and  close 
student.  His  ancestry  can  be  traced  back  to  Sir 
William  Wallace,  1630. 

AUGUSTINE  J.  RODGERS 

WAS  born  on  the  farm  he  now  occupies,  iJec.  5,  1842. 
His  father,  Patrick  Rodgers,  a  native  of  Ireland,  came 
to  America  about  the  year  1830,  and  soon  thereafter 
made  his  way  to  Wabash  county.  In  common  with 
many  of  his  nationality  he  was  a  railroader.  When 
the  O.  and  M.  R.  R.  was  being  built  he  became  a  con- 
tractor, and  the  very  day  he  had  completed  a  contract 
for  grading  two  miles  near  Clement,  June  4th,  1854,  he 
died.  Malinda  Gupton,  the  maiden  name  of  the 
mother  of  Mr.  Rodgers,  was  a  native  of  North  Carolina 
She  lived  some  years  in  East  Tenn,  then  came  here  in 
1825.  She  died  Dec.  28,  1863.  Augustine  J.  never 
had  the  opportunity  of  attending  a  school  where  seats 
had  backs,  nor  indeed  of  attending  any  kind  long.  He 
was  married  to  Julia  M.  Gard,  daughter  of  Justus  Gard, 
Feb  19,1868  The  Cards  were  among  the  pioneers  of  Wa- 
bash county.  Atone  time  they  were  a  large  and  influential 


310 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


family,  whilenow  only  a  few  representatives  of  the  name 
remain.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Rodgers  were  born  seven 
children  with  their  names  and  dates  of  birth  as  follows: 
Lillie,  Dec.  27,  1868,  died  Nov.  13,  1870.  Sidney 
Clarence,  Aug.  3,  1870-  Alonzo  Marcellus,  Jan.  21, 
1873.  Maggie  May,  Sept.  24,  1874.  Charles  Delbert, 
Oct.  1,  1877.  Effie  and  Ida  (twins)  Sept.  4,  1879. 
Effie  died  June  21,  1880.  Mr.  Rodgers  is  an  uncom- 
promising democrat  in  his  political  views.  Religiously 
he  is  a  member  of  the  United  Brethren  church.  He 
had  one  brother,  James,  who  died  Oct.  26,  1879,  and 
two  sisters,  one  the  wife  of  N.  G.  Cunningham,  the  other 
of  Belmont  Tapley. 

DR.  WILLIAM  FRIEND 

WAS  born  in  Elizabeth  county,  Kentucky,  December  2, 
1 828.     His  father,  Ephraim  Friend,  was  a  farmer,  and 
a   native   of    Kentucky.     His   mother,   whose   maiden 
name  was  Rachel  Murphy,  was  a  North  Carolinian,  and 
was  taken  by  her  parents  to  both  Virginia  and  Tennes- 
see before  locating  in  Kentucky.     The  family  moved  to 
Wayne  county,  Illinois,  in  1829.    In  all  there  were  nine 
children,   of  whom   Doctor  Friend    was   the  third,  in 
the  order  of  their  birth.     Ephraim  Friend  died  Jan.  24,  j 
1880.  It  is  supposed  that  the  family  sprang  from  one  of  j 
two  brothers  who  came  from  England  to  Pennsylvania  j 
about  the  year  1600.     They  were  a  family  of  pioneers, 
and    its    representatives    are    found    much    scattered.  I 
William  Friend  lived  in    Wayne  county  until    1850,  j 
when  he  moved  to  Jefferson  county.      In  his  earlier  ; 
manhood  he  taught  school.     His  first  reading  of  medi-  j 
cine  was  with  Dr.  H.  T.  Edwards.     He  was  engaged 
nearly  two  years  in   a  drug  store  as  clerk,  first  in  La 
Salle,  then   in   Fairfield.      In  the  spring  of  1834  he 
located  in  Lancaster,  where  he  has  since  resided.     He 
was  married  to  Evelena  Bailey,  daughter  of  Elias  Bai- 
ley, a  prominent  citizen,  formerly  of  Maryland,  where 
he  had  been  a  ship'  carpenter,  March   13th,  1855.     By 
her   he  has  two   children   living,  Kate  and   William 
Marshall.     The   doctor  is  an  earnest  democrat,  and  as 
such  has  been  recognized  as  a  leader  among  his  fellow- 
citizens.     He  served  as  a  member  of  the  state  board  of 
equalization  from  1868  to  1872.     As  a  practitioner  he 
has  been  eminently  successful.        In  surgery  he  has  j 
performed  many  operations  requiring  great  skill.     Per- 
haps he  is  of tener  consul  ted  than  any  other  physician  of  j 
his  county.  He  is  noted  as  being  cool  in  any  emergency,  | 
and  is  possessed  of  excellent  judgment.     He  was  twice  I 
elected   president   of  the    Wabash    medical   society,  in 
whose  affairs  he  takes  deep  interest.     He  has  acquired  a 
reputation  of  being  the  young  physicians'  friend,  aiding  : 
and  befriending  them,  whenever  occasion  offered.     The  I 
doctor  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  fraternity,  being  a  j 
knight  templar  in  Gorin  commaudery,  Olney. 

CHARLES  SEIBERT. 

THE  Seiberts  are  of  Dutch  extraction.   The  ancestors  I 
came  from  Holland  and  settled  in  America  .prior  to  the  , 


revolutionary  war,  and  took  part  in  that  memorable 
struggle.  Solomon  Seibert.  the  grandfather,  was  born 
in  Berks  county,  Pa.,  in  1778,  and  was  a  tanner  by 
trade,  but  he  also  followed  farming.  He  came  to  Illi- 
nois in  1834  and  settled  one  half  mile  east  of  the  village 
of  Lancaster,  where  he  bought  one  hundred  and  sixty 
acres  of  land,  forty  of  which  were  improved,  and  there 
lived  until  his  death,  which  took  place  July  27,  1852. 
He  married  Mary  Scheirer  March  25,  1800.  She  died 
July  27,  1835.  There  were  nine  children  by  that  union, 
three  of  whom  are  living,  viz.  :  Reuben,  Elizabeth,  wife 
of  Daniel  Genther  and  Catherine,  wife  of  William  Wise. 
Jacob,  the  father  of  Charles,  was  born  in  Berks  county, 
Pennsylvania,  Nov.  30,  1811.  He  grew  to  manhood  in 
his  native  state,  and  came  to  Illinois  in  1832,  where 
he  followed  farming,  but  subsequently  took  up  the  trade 
of  carpenter.  He  remained  in  the  neighborhood  of 
Lancaster  until  his  death,  which  took  place  Dec.  13, 
1862.  He  married  Miss  Catherine  Fritz,  of  Lehigh 
county,  Pennsylvania,  March  26,  1834.  She  was  born 
Sept.  11,  1811,  and  was  the  daughter  of  Henry  Fritz. 
She  died  Nov.  11,  1880.  There  were  seven  sons  and 
two  daughters  born  to  Jacob  and  Catherine  Seibert,  the 
youngest  of  whom  died  in  infancy.  Charles  Seibert  is 
the  eldest  of  the  family.  He  was  born  one  mile  west  of 
the  town  of  Lancaster,  Wabash  county,  Ills  ,  Nov.  10, 
1834.  He  received  a  fair  knowledge  of  the  elementary 
branches  in  the  subscription  schools  of  his  neighborhood. 
He  commenced  working  at  the  carpenter  trade  with  his 
father  when  twelve  years  of  age,  and  continued  at  it  for 
six  years,  then  the  next  two  years  worked  at  millwright- 
ing,  and  then  resumed  his  first  trade.  Subsequently  he 
became  a  builder  and  contractor  and  erected  many 
buildings  throughout  the  northern  part  of  the  county. 
He  continued  in  that  trade  until  1870,  when  he  engaged 
in  general  merchandising,  in  which  he  still  continues. 
On  the  12th  of  August,  1858,  he  was  united  in  marriage 
to  Miss  Elizabeth  Giuther,  who  was  born  Nov.  19,  1836, 
in  Berks  county;  Pennsylvania.  She  is  the  daughter 
of  Daniel  and  Elizabeth  Ginther.  There  have  been 
twelve  children  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Seibert,  eight  of 
whom  are  living.  The  names  of  these  latter,  in  the 
order  of  their  birth,  are :  Mary  Abigail,  Jacob  O., 
Daniel  F.,  Ida  S  ,  Webster,  Lyman  L.,  Flory  I.  and 
Cora  Belle.  Both  he  and  his  wife,  two  eldest  sons  and 
two  eldest  daughters  are  members  of  the  Lutheran 
church. 

Mr.  Seibert  takes  an  active  interest  in  church  affairs, 
and  has  been  treasurer  of  the  church  for  twenty  years. 
He  is  also  conspicuous  as  a  Sunday-school  worker,  and 
has  been  connected  with  the  Sunday-school  for  forty 
years  as  a  scholar  and  superintendent.  Politically,  he 
has  been  a  Democrat  since  1856,  when  he  cast  his  first 
vote  for  James  Buchanan.  Mr.  Seibert  is  recognized  as 
the  leading  business  man  of  Lancaster,  possessing  that 
combination  of  push  and  energy  which  has  made  him 
a  man  in  whom  the  confidence  of  a  community  may 
be  safely  reposed. 


STORE  OF  A.PIXLLY  JUN*   ESTABLISHED    1862,  WEST  SA  LLM ,  EDWARDS  CO.  ILLINOIS 


SALEM. 

EDWARDS    COUNTY. 


ALEM  PRECINCT  derived  its  name  from  Sa- 
lem, an  old  Moravian  town  in  NorthCarolina 
It  occupies  the  northeastern  partof  Edwards, 
and  is  bounded  on  the  north  by  Richland, 
on  the  east  by  Wabash  county  and  Bonpas  creek,  on  the 
south  by  Albion,  and  on  the  west  by  Shelby  precinct. 
Territorially  it  extends  west  from  Bonpas  creek,  and 
includes  the  eastern  tier  of  sections  of  Range  10  East, 
and  north  from  the  southern  boundary  of  Town  1,  and 
embraces  the  southern  tier  of  sections  of  Town  2  North. 
The  surface  is  generally  level,  and  was  originally  divi- 
ded about  equally  between  timber  and  prairie.  In  the 
northern  part  were  the  "  barrens,"  as  they  were  called, 
covered  with  a  low  growth  of  brush,  over  which  deer 
could  be  conveniently  brought  down  by  the  hunter. 
Mills  Prairie  in  the  eastern,  Buck  Prairie  in  the  south- 
eastern, and  Long  Prairie  in  the  western  part,  are  fer- 
tile areas,  and  centres  of  considerable  wealth.  Timber 
is  quite  abundant,  and  much  of  it  of  recent  growth. 
The  hard  varieties  of  wood  are  well  represented.  The 
soil  is  fertile  aud  well  adapted  to  the  growth  of  wheat, 
which  is  the  staple  product.  The  other  cereals  receive 
a  share  of  attention,  and  fruit,  especially  apples,  is 
largely  raised.  The  production  of  honey  was  among 
the  important  early  industries  of  the  people,  which 
necessarily  gave  way  before  the  march  of  agriculture. 
Corn  was  the  chief  product,  but  much  attention  was 
paid  to  the  production  of  pork.  Castor  beans,  at  a  little 
later  date,  claimed  a  share  of  attention,  and  tobacco  was 
extensively  cultivated  for  a  number  of  years  preceding 
the  close  of  the  late  war.  Water  supply  and  drainage 
are  derived  from  Bonpas  and  Walser  creeks.  The 
latter  enters  the  precinct  at  section  24,  T.  1  N.,  R.  10 
E ,  and  flows  southeasterly,  entering  into  Bonpas  at 
section  34  Most  of  the  original  settlers  were  from 
North  Carolina,  but  there  is  at  present  a  large  German 
element. 

Permanent  settlements  began  to  be  effected  about  the 
year  1820.  Prior  to  this  date  a  few  frontiersmen  had 
pushed  their  way  into  the  wilderness  many  miles  and 
many  years  in  advance  of  civilization.  Among  these, 
tradition  informs  us  of  three  brothers,  Daston,  whose 
rifles  broke  the  stillness  of  the  primeval  forest  as  early 
as  the  year  1800.  Their  cabins  occupied  respectively 
the  W.  half  of  the  S.  E.  quarter,  and  the  E  half  of  the 


S.  E.  quarter  of  section  10,  and  N.  half  of  the  N.  W. 
quarter  of  section  15,  T.  1  N.,  R.  14  E.  Ransom  Hig- 
gins,  who  claimed  to  have  made  the  first  wagon  tracks 
west  of  the  Wabash  river,  arrived  in  the  precinct  as 
early  as  1820  or  '21,  and  was  one  of  the  most  useful  as 
well  as  one  of  the  earliest  pioneers.  He  was  a  man  of 
activity,  energy  and  enterprise.  He  settled  on  Bonpas 
creek,  and  there/on  the  S.  E.  quarter  of  the  S.W  quar- 
ter of  section  3,  about  1821  or  '22,  he  erected  a  water- 
mill,  the  first  thing  of  the  kind  in  the  precinct.  He 
was  a  representative  man,  and  the  earliest  justice  of  the 
peace,  holding  the  office  before  the  year  1833.  Isaac 
Greathouse  was  a  Kentuckian  by  birth.  In  his  native 
State  he  married  Sarah  Russel,  and  began  farming, 
which  he  followed  about  ten  years,  and  then  about  1814 
or  '15,  with  his  faonly,  came  to  Illinois.  The  Indian 
hostilities  drove  him  along  with  others  into  the  fort  at 
Mt.  Carmel.  After  a  period  of  six  or  eight  years,  he 
returned  to  his  native  State,  but  left  it  again  in  1821, 
with  his  family,  and  came  to  Illinois,  settling  perma- 
nently on  the  southwest  quarter  of  the  northwest  quarter 
of  section  13.  His  children  were  David  Preston,  Enoch, 
George,  Dorothy  and  Eliza.  He  was  a  plain,  industrious 
farmer,  and  never  aspired  to  office  or  position  of  public 
trust.  Francis,  his  son  by  his  second  wife,  is  now  a 
prominent  and  influential  farmer,  living  on  section  13. 
David  and  Preston,  now  dead,  married,  settled  down 
and  always  lived  in  the  precinct.  Enoch,  the  oldest  of 
the  pioneer  children,  is  a  wealthy  farmer  residing  in 
section  18,  T.  1  N.,  R.  11  E.  The  Greathouse  family  is 
one  of  the  oldest  and  most  numerous  in  the  county. 
Lot  Sams  was  a  native  of  North  Carolina,  but  had  lived 
iu  Tennessee  and  Kentucky.  From  the  latter  State  he 
came  to  Illinois  about  the  year  1815,  with  his  family,  on 
pack-horses.  He  first  settled  in  what  is  now  Shelby 
precinct,  on  the  S.  W.  quarter  of  section  35,  T.  1  N.,  R. 
10  E.,  where  he  remained  five  or  six  years,  and  then 
moved  to  the  S.  W.  quarter  of  section  25,  where  he  died 
October  24, 1863.  By  thrift  and  energy  he  accumulated 
a  considerable  amount  of  property.  Samsville,  a  little 
hamlet  of  six  or  seven  families,  bears  his  name.  A 
post-office  was  established  here  in  1864. 

Two  other  important  arrivals  occurred  in  1821: 
George  Walser  and  Lampton  McKinney  were  from 
Bartholomew  county,  Indiana.  Walser  had  been  in 

311 


312 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WABASII  COUN1IES,  ILLINOIS. 


the  ranging  service  in  Illinois,  and  had  seen  something 
of  the  country.  His  family  on  his  arrival,  consisted  of 
his  wife,  whose  maiden  name  was  Rachel  McKinney, 
and  his  daughters,  Sarah  and  Eliza.  He  settled  first  on 
the  east  half  of  the  northwest  quarter  of  section  28, 
where  he  lived  for  a  few  years,  and  then  located  per- 
manently on  the  northeast  quarter  of  section  20,  where 
he  died  October  25,  1854.  McKinney  brought  a  family 
of  five  sons,  Thomas,  Joseph,  Lampton,  Alfred  and 
Charles.  All  except  Alfred,  who  had  served  in  the  | 
Black  Hawk  war,  and  who  was  killed  by  the  falling  of 
a  tree,  returned  to  Indiana. 

The  settlement  received  two  accessions  in  the  year 
1822— William  Lock  and  Thomas  Mason.  The  former 
was  a  native  of  Louisiana,  and  participated  in  the  battle 
of  New  Orleans.  He  brought  with  him  quite  a  large 
family  of  children,  and  settled  on  the  E.  half  of  the  N. 
E.  quarter  of  section  20,  and  lived  there  till  1829,  when 
the  place  was  purchased  by  George  Walser.  He  then 
moved  to  the  west  half  of  the  northeast  quarter  of  section 
17,  and  began  improvements,  which  he  sold  to  Ptter 
Hinkle  in  1831,  and  then  moved  to  Sangamon  county. 
He  subsequently,  after  having  returned  to  Edwards 
county,  moved  to  Missouri  and  became  wealthy.  He 
had  a  genius  for  the  mechanic  trades,  and  was  at  the 
same  time  cooper,  blacksmith  and  shoemaker.  As  the 
latter,  he  was  something  of  a  prodigy,  being  able  to 
make  five  pair  of  shoes  in  a  day  and  night.  He  never 
wore  a  coat,  vest  or  stock  ings  even  in  the  coldest  weather. 
His  hunting  shirt  was  always  open  and  his  breast  ex- 
posed. He  was  a  powerful  man,  six  feet  and  six  inches 
in  height,  and  weighed  without  surplus  flesh,  220  to  240 
pounds.  Thomas  Mason  with  his  family  came  from  Penn- 
sylvania, and  settled  on  the  northwest  quarter  of  section  j 
36,  T.  2  N.,  R.  10  E.  Joseph  Robinson  was  a  native  of  ! 
Tennessee,  and  went  from  that  State  to  Indiana,  whence  j 
in  1823,  he  came  to  Illinois,  bringing  his  wife  and  ; 
children,  Andrew  Anna,  John,  Aaron  and  Cerena.  He 
settled  on.the  southwest  quarter  of  the  northwest  quarter.  | 
of  section  22,  ending  his  days  there  in  January,  1855. 
Andrew  married  and  settled  on  the  northeast  quarter 
of  the  northeast  quarter  of  section  21,  where  his  widow 
now  resides.  Sarah  Aldridge,  a  widow,  her  son,  G.  H. 
McClure,  and  two  daughters,  Jane  and  Sarah,  about 
the  year  1823,  settled  on  the  southeast  quarter  of  the 
southwest  quarter  of  section  21.  Mrs.  Aldridge  moved 
to  Wabash  county  and  there  died.  McClure  married 
and  settled  on  the  old  homestead,  after  having  spent 
some  time  in  Kansas  and  California.  His  death  occurred 
in  1872.  The  next  important  arrival  was  Henry  I. 
Mills.  He  was  originally  from  Marietta,  Ohio,  but 
had  lived  for  several  years  in  Vincennes,  Indiana, 
whence  with  his  family,  consisting  of  his  wife  and 
children,  John  and  Sarah,  he  came  to  Illinois,  and  set- 
tled on  the  N.  E.  quarter  of  section  28,  in  the  prairie 
that  bears  his  name.  His  children,  Henry  and  Benja- 
min Franklin,  born  of  his  second  wife,  are  living  on  the 
old  homestead.  Mills  was  a  Colonel  in  the  war  of  1812, 


and  commanded  a  regiment  in  the  battle  of  Tippecanoe. 
He  was  a  prominent  man  in  the  community  of  which  he 
formed  a  part,  and  enjoyed  the  confidence  of  all  who 
knew  him.  He  built  on  his  farm  in  1830,  the  first 
brick  building  erected  in  the  precinct.  His  death  took 
place  in  May  1854  at  the  place  of  his  original  settlement. 

Joseph  Carpenter,  with  his  mother,  a  widow,  a  half- 
brother,  and  two  half-sisters,  came  to  Edwards  from 
Washington  county  in  1825,  and  settled  on  the  W.  J  of 
the  N.  E.  t  of  section  15.  He  was  originally  from  Vir- 
ginia, and  moved  to  Washington  county  in  1808  or  '10. 
He  was  a  genius  in  the  mechanic  trade,  and  the  first 
wagon  maker  in  the  precinct.  He  died  in  October, 
1833.  Adam  Hedrick  came  from  North  Carolina  in 
1829,  and  settled  on  the  S.  E.  i  of  section  17,  which  he 
entered.  His  family  consisted  of  his  wife,  five  children, 
David,  Joseph,  Catharine,  Matthias,  an  i  Elizabeth,  his 
sister  and  his  step-daughter.  He  was  a  prominent  and 
useful  citizen,  being  master  of  most  of  the  mechanic 
trades.  He  held  the  office  of  township  treasurer,  and 
was  post  master  at  Mills  Prairie  post  office.  Two  of  the 
pioneer  children,  David  and  Matthias,  are  living,  the 
former  in  West  Salem,  the  latter  in  Kansas.  Banjamin 
Ulm  is  a  native  of  Ross  county,  Ohio.  He  came  to 
Edwards  in  the  year  1820.  He  is  one  of  the  few  sur- 
vivors of  the  original  settlers  of  the  county,  and  now 
resides  in  section  32,  T.  2  N.,  R.  14  W.  Lovicia  Kneip, 
his  first  wife,  died  in  1848 ;  his  second,  Harriet  L.  Gray, 
in  1876.  They  were  both  natives  of  Ohio.  His  pres- 
ent wife,  Sarah  Campbell,  is  a  native  of  Tennessee. 

George  Lopp  was  born  in  North  Carolina  in  the  year 
1791,  and  came  to  Illinois  in  1830.  In  his  native  state 
he  married  Mary  Hedrick,  whom,  with  six  children 
Elizabeth,  George,  Magdalen,  Barbara,  Mary,  and 
Catharine  he  brought  with  him.  He  settled  half  a  mile 
southwest  of  West  Salem,  where  he  purchased  a  small 
improvement  of  John  Brown,  which  had  been  previously 
occupied  by  one  Galloway.  Here  he  died  in  1835. 
George  is  now  a  druggist  and  prominent  citizen  of  West 
Salem.  The  fall  of  1830  witnessed  quite  an  accession 
of  immigrants  from  Davidson  county,  North  Carolina. 
Among  the  number  were  George  Hedrick,  Solomon 
Hedrick,  Thomas  Walser,  Briton  Walser,  John  Lopp, 
already  spoken  of,  Peter  Hiukle  and  Peter  Suyder. 
Solomon  Hedrick  and  Peter  Snyder  were  single  men. 
The  others  had  families.  Hinkle  was  a  widower,  and 
came  to  the  country  in  a  two-horse  wagon,  with  ten 
dollars  in  his  pocket.  He  was  the  earliest  blacksmith 
in  the  precinct.  The  occurrence  of  the  Black  Hawk 
war  and  the  Indian  troubles  checked  immigration  for  a 
number  of  years.  In  1838  six  or  eight  families  arrived 
from  Davidson  county,  North  Carolina,  among  whom 
were  the  Cladfelters.  The  Germans  began  coming  in 
the  year  1849.  Then  four  single  men,  P.  T.  Hallbeck, 
Albert  Knoll,  Christopher  Israel,  and  one  Gelser  ar- 
rived, having  left  Germany  with  West  Salem  as  their 
destination.  Some  time  afterward,  in  the  same  year, 
fifty-four  Germans  from  Saxony,  most  of  them  of  the 


Of  THE 


RESIDENCE^STOCK  AUO  GRAIN  FARM    or  PHILANDER   GOULD 


r.  32,    T i.  R  14  W.   (SALEM  PRECINCT)     EDWARDS    Co.,  IL 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  W ABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


313 


Moravian  faith,  arrived  at  the  village.  To  these  acces- 
sions of  the  Germans  the  origin  of  West  Salem  is  due. 
Prominent  among  the  families  of  the  precinct  are  the 
Goulds.  Philander,  a  wealthy  retired  farmer  of  section 
32,  T.  1  N.,  came  to  the  county  from  West  Virginia  in 
1835.  His  first  wife,  Sarah  Knowlton,  was  born  at 
Amherst,  Massachusetts,  and  came  to  the  county  in  1829 
Thomas  Hocking,  a  farmer  and  stock-raiser,  of  section 
14,  T.  1  S.,  R.  10  E.,  was  born  in  Edwards  county  in 
1833.  His  wife,  Cynthia  A.  Potter,  is  a  native  of  Wash- 
ington county,  Ohio.  The  precinct  was  represented  in 
the  Black  Hawk  war  by  David  Greathouse,  Alfred  Me 
Kenney,  Lewis  Pixley,  Gordon  Coplea  and  Matthew 
Rice,  who  is  yet  living  in  the  precinct. 

The  first  school-house  in  the  precinct  was  built  of 
round  logs,  on  the  N.  E.  quarter  of  the  S.  E.  quarter  of 
section  21,  as  early  as  1824  or  '25.  Its  equipments  were 
of  the  most  primitive  character,  consisting  of  puncheon 
seats  and  a  puncheon  writing  desk,  occupying  one  side 
of  the  building,  directly  over  which  a  log  had  been 
sawed  out  to  afford  light,  the  space  being  filled  with 
genuine  window-glass,  instead  of  the  usual  greased  paper. 
The  chimney  was  made  of  clay  and  sticks,  and  rested 
upon  a  sort  of  trestle  work.  Prior  to  the  building  of 
this  house,  school  was  taught  in  deserted  cabins.  One 
Sweat,  a  colored  man,  taught  in  the  school-house,  as  j 
early  as  1829  or  '30.  Other  early  teachers  were 
Lathrop  Rude  and  Daniel  Abbey,  an  Eastern  man. 

A   log    school-house    was    built    on    the     southeast  I 
quarter  of    section   17,   about  the  year   1836.       Rev. 
Massey,  a  Methodist,  preached  at  Joseph  Robinson's  as  ' 
early    as   1830.       Rev.    Maginnis   was   also   an   early 
preacher.     The  earliest  permanent  burial  place  is  on  the 
Joseph  Robinson  farm,  and  was  used  for  interment  prior 
to  1835.     Higgins'  water-mill,  on  Bonpas  creek,  has  al- 
ready   been    referred   to   as   the  first   in  the  precinct. 
Kellen  and  Cladfelter  put  up  a  one-burr  log-mill  on  the 
S.  W.  quarter  of  the  S  E.  quarter  of  section  8,  in  the 
winter  of  1840.     The  first  permanent  resident  physician 
js  Dr.  Schafer,  of  West  Salem,  who  began  practice  in 
1849.     Drs.  David  and  Samuel  Philbrick,  and  Samuel 
Lesher  practiced  at  an  earlier  date.     The  following  are 
.the  first  land-entries :  the  E.  half  of  the  N.  W.  quarter 
of  section  28  was  entered  by  Henry  J.  Mills,  Sept.  14th, 
1822;  the  W.  half  of  S.  W.  quarter  section  21,  by  T.  ! 
McKiiiney,  July  5th,  1825  ;  the  E.  half  ofN.E.  quarter 
20,  by  George  Walser,  May  14th,  1829  :  the  E.  half  of  j 
S.  E.  quarter  section  21,  George  McClure,  Sept.  3,  1829,  ' 
Enoch  Preston  and  David  Greathouse,  April  12th,  1830, 
entered  respectively  the  W.  half  of  N.  E.  quarter,  the 
E.  half  N.  W.  quarter  and  the  W.  half  of  S.  E.  quarter  j 
of  section  19,  T.  1   N.,  R.  11   E.,  August  21st,  1821. 
Isaac   Greathouse  entered  the  N.  ^  .  quarter  of  section 
13,  March  .,1st,  1827.     Lot  Sams  entered  the  E.  half  of 
S.  E.  quarter  of  section  25. 

WEST    SAI.KM. 

This  prosperous  little  village  of  about  three  hundred 
40 


and  fifty  inhabitants,  occupies  a  central  position  in  the 
precinct,  and  is  located  on  the  S.  E.  quarter  of  the  N. 
E.  quarter  of  section  18,  T  1  N  ,  R.  14  W.  It  is  a 
station  on  the  Peoria,  Decaturand  Evansville  Railroad, 
which  extends  north  and  south  through  the  precinct. 
The  village  is  supported  by  a  prosperous  and  thickly 
settled  farming  community.  It  had  its  origin  in  the 
little  band  of  German  immigrants,  already  referred  to. 
Of  their  number,  P.  T.  Hallbeck  put  up  the  first  building 
within  the  present  village  limits,  July  14th,  1849.  It  is 
a  double  frame  structure,  and  was  used  as  a  storehouse, 
by  Mr.  Hallbeck,  and  as  a  dwelling,  by  him  and  a  num- 
ber of  other  Germans.  Here  were  sold  the  first  gooHs  in 
the  precinct,  consisting  of  linens  and  broad-cloth.  The 
next  building  was  a  frame  storehouse  and  dwelling,  built 
by  Stephen  S.  Gunn,  who  kept  general  merchandise. 
Mr.  Gunn  had  been  running  flat-boats  on  the  Bonpas, 
and  continued  the  business  some  time  after  his  arrival  in 
West  Salem,  till  the  year  1853,  supplying  a  market  for 
the  produce  of  the  country,  at  Vicksburg,  Memphis  and 
New  Orleans.  He  was  a  valuable  citizen,  and  did  much 
to  build  up  the  village,  which  he  left  in  1861,  and  moved 
to  Olney,  where  he  yet  resides.  The  first,  school- house, 
a  frame  building,  about  20x22  feet,  was  put  up  in  the 
winter  of  1850  and  51.  Rev-  Martin  Houser  was  the 
first  teacher  there,  as  well  as  the  first  njiiiister  in  the 
village.  He  was  a  Moravian,  and  entered  the  land  for 
the  village,  in  the  name  of  Charles  F.  Klugha,  Presi- 
dent of  the  Synod  of  the  Southern  Provincial  Conference 
of  the  Moravian  Church  of  North  America.  It  was  first 
called  New  Salem,  but  on  the  establishment  of  a  post- 
office  there,  in  1854,  the  nams  was  changed  to  West 
Salem.  It  was  surveyed  and  platted  by  Thomas  R. 
Bicfcet,  August  3d,  1849.  April  2-'d,  1867,  it  was  in- 
corporated under  the  general  law.  Its  first  Board  of 
Trustees  were  William  Foster,  sr ,  (President),  J.  H. 
McDowell,  J.  B.  Michel,  E.  G.  Altner  and  George  Pix- 
ley, Clerk,  A.  L.  Harnmaker,  Treasurer,  J.  B.  Michel. 
Its  growth,  though  not  rapid,  has  been  steady  and  sub- 
stantial. It  has  a  two-story,  four-room,  brick  school- 
house,  built  in  1880,  at  a  cost  of  about  $4000.  Five 
churches  bear  testimony  to  the  religious  inclinations  of 
iU  citizens,  viz:  the  German  Moravian,  the  oldest 
church  ii»the  precinct,  a  frame  structure,  built  in  1845  ; 
the  English  Moravian,  40x60  feet,  built  of  brick,  in 
1858,  at  a  cost  of  *oOOO;  the  Evangelical,  a  frame,  26x 
46  feet,  built  about  1860  for  $1000;  the  Christian,  a 
frame,  26x36  feet,  erected  in  1860,  at  a  cost  of  about 
$600,  and  the  Seventh  Day  Adventists,  also  a  frame, 
26x40  feet,  built  in  1879  and  '80. 

PRESENT   BUSINESS. 

Salem  Flouring  Mill. — a  three-story  frame  building 
was  put  up  by  Frederick  Luther,  in  1878.  It  is  operated 
by  steam,  and  has  one  wheat  and  one  corn  burr.  It  is 
confined  to  custom  work.  Its  cost  was  $5000.  In  con- 
nection with  it  is  a  circular  saw-mill. 

Phyxieuim.— Herman  Schafer,  John  T.  Plimell,  Eli- 
sha  Jenner,  John  A.  Houser. 


314 


HIS'lORy  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


Druggists. — George  Lopp,  F.  M.  Bussard. 

General  Merchants. — Asa  Pixley,  jr.,  Joseph  H.  Me 
Dowel,  C.  Feldmann  &  Co  ,  A.  Fricke. 

Grocers.— Paul  O.  Hallbeck,  John  Meisenheimer, 
Heury  Harms. 

General  Hardware.— G.  H.  Voight. 

Post  Master. — George  Lopp. 

Spoke  Factory  and  Wagon  Shop.—  William  Voigt, 
Francis  Pixley. 

Blacksmiths. — George  Biggs,  L.  C.  Modrow. 

Dressmakers  and  Milliners.— Emma,  Hallbeck  and 
Anna  Hunter. 

Livery  Stable. — Samuel  A.  Rothrock. 

Hotel— Eliza,  Biehl,  Samuel  A.  Rothrock. 

Marble  Yard— H.  T.  Dwyer  &  Co. 

Carpenters.— J.  P.  Miller,  Daniel  Miller,  Ptrmaue 
Rothrock,  Edwiu  Rothrock. 

Painters. — Moratz  Neuman,  ,1.  B.  Siewers. 

£arber.—W.  R.  Robinsou. 

Butcher.— C.  S.  Foster. 

Fruit  Nursery.— C.  F.  Winter. 


Furniture.— G.  Feldmann,  H.  W.  Busefink. 
Lumber  Dealer. — William  H.  Rotrammel. 
Grain  Dealers.— Pixley  &  Foster,  G.  C.  Walser. 
Saddler  and  Harness  Maker. — Jeremiah  Dixon. 
Shoemakers  — Henry  Harms,  Frederick  Steffens,  Fred- 
erick Grass,  Andrew  Elikofer. 
Bakery — John  Meisenheimer. 
Justice—  G.  C.  Walser. 
Constable.—  Samuel  A.  Rothrock. 

SOCIETIES. 

West  Salem  Lodge,  K.  of  H.,  No.  2833,  was  organized 
September  19th,  1882.  Its  charter  membership  num- 
bered seventeen  ;  its  present  memb  Tship  numbers  twenty 
five.  It  is  free  from  debt  and  has  $100  in  its  treasury. 

The  town  of  Rockford  was  laid  out  on  the  S.  E.  quar- 
ter of  the  S.  W.  quarter  of  section  3,  the  site  of  Higgins' 
water-mill.  It  never  prospered  and  had  no  existence 
beyond  the  paper  upon  which  it  was  platted.  At  the 
mill  was  established  the  first  post-office  in  the  precinct, 
as  early  a*  1836.  It  is  now  kept  at  the  hamlet  of  Pin- 
hook. 


BIOGRAPHIES. 


ANSEL  A  GOULD. 

A  ROSTER  of  the  prominent  farmers  of  Edwards  county 
would  be  incomplete  without  containing  the  name  of 
ANSEL  A.  GOULD,  who  is  one  of  the  most  successful  of 
their  number.  He  was  born  (one  of  twins)  in  Lewis 
county,  Virginia  (now  Upshur  county,  West  Virginia), 
February  13th,  1817.  His  parents,  Ebenezer  and  Eli- 
zabeth Gould,  when  Ansel  was  a  youth,  went  from 
Virginia  to  New  York,  whence  they  preceded  him  here, 
coming  in  1835,— he  following  in  1836. 

Mr.  Gould  was  united  in  marriage,  Nov.  llth,  1838, 
with  Chloe,  daughter  of  Roswell  Knowlton,  who  came 
to  Illinois  from  Virginia  in  1830,  and  died  in  1834. 
By  her  he  has  had  nine  children.  Soon  after  coming 
to  Illinois,  he  hired  out  his  services  at  eleven  dollars 
per  month.  In  the  fall  following  his  arrival  he  went  to 
Arkansas,  where  he  had  $36  per  month  as  a  teamster. 
The  first  money  he  was  enabled  to  save  from  his  wages 
went  to  pay  for  land  he  had  bought  of  George  Flower. 
His  first  venture  in  a  speculative  way  was  to  build  a 
flat-boat,  and  load  it  with  provisions  to  take  to  New 
Orleans.  On  the  way,  both  boat  and  cargo  were  lost  by 
sinking.  The  loss  was  a  severe  one,  as  he  was  paying 
12  per  cent,  interest  on  money  he  had  borrowed  with 
which  to  fit  out  the  boat.  Shipment  of  produce  follow- 
ed which  subsequently  proved  profitless,  but  his  farming 
operations  were  eminently  successful,  so  that  he  acquired 
considerable  property,  and  has  by  energy  and  labor 
succeeded  beyond  most  men.  A  fine  view  of  his  home- 


place  is  shown  elsewhere  in  this  work.  He  is  an  ardent 
Republican,  and  an  earnest,  faithful  member  of  the  M. 
E.  Church.  His  benefactions  in  behalf  of  his  fellow- 
men,  and  in  behalf  of  the  cause  of  religion,  have  been 
large.  The  names  of  his  children  and  dates  of  birth, 
etc  ,  are  as  follows:  Deuel,  born  April  27,  1840  ;  Mary 
A.,  February  13,  1843;  Edson,  January  14,  1846; 
Emily  E ,  August  15, 1849  ;  Harriet  M.,  April  14, 1851 ; 
Olive  M.,  Dec.  28,  1854;  Aaron  A.,  August  19,  1857  ; 
Alice  C.,  Aug.  14,  1860;  Elmina  S.,  October  18,  1863. 
Of  these,  Edson  died  Sept  5, 1848. 

PHILANDER  GOULD. 

FURNISHING  an  apt  illustration  of  what  may  be 
accomplished  by  earnest  effort  and  a  will  that  knows 
no  failure,  Philander  Gould  affords  an  excellent  ex- 
ample. He  was  born  in  Lewis  county,  Virginia  (now 
Upshur  county,  West  Virginia),  one  of  twins,  Ansel  A. 
being  the  other,  February  13,  1817.  His  father,  Ebene- 
zer, was  a  native  of  Massachusetts.  His  mother,  whose 
maiden  name  was  Elizabeth  Meeks,  was  also  a  New- 
Englander.  They  lived  a  few  years  in  Virginia,  thence 
went  to  New  York  In  1835,  in  company  with  his 
father,  Philander  came  to  Edwards  county,  a  penniless 
boy.  He  wanted  to  work,  but  in  a  manner  that  would 
accomplish  the  most  good  for  himself.  His  plan  was  to 
buy  wild  laud  and  improve  it.  Joel  Churchill,  at  the 
time  a  merchant  in  Albion,  assisted  him,  by  fur- 
nishing money  with  which  he  bought  forty  acres  of 


I 

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HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LA  WRENCE  AND  W ABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS.  315 


land.  On  this  tract  he  went  to  work,  and  steadily,  year 
by  year,  has  he  improved  his  financial  condition,  until 
now  he  is  one  of  the  largest  tax-payers  of  Edward* 
county.  Failures  he  has  met  with  a  stout  heart,  and 
overcome;  reverses  and  monetary  losses  he  has  sustained, 
but  they  have  left  no  impress  upon  him.  He  was  mar- 
ried to  Sarah  Knowlton,  a  native  of  Amherst,  Mass. , 


Oct.  30,  1836.  By  her  he  had  ten  children,  all  of  whom 
are  living.  She  died  January  10,  1876.  He  was  again 
married  to  Martha  L.  Courtrecht,  daughter  of  John 
Courtrecht,  a  native  of  New  York,  Sept.  10,  1876.  By 
her  he  has  two  bright,  intelligent  children.  He  is  a 
firm,  uncompromising  Republican  in  political  faith. 


AMONG  prominent  farmers  in  Edwards  county,  who 
combine  with  farming  operations  business  requiring 
sound  judgment  and  tact,  may  be  mentioned  Blashel 
Foster.  To  farming  he  successfully  adds  grain  dealing 
on  an  extensive  scale,  and  likewise  is  a  stock  shipper- 
He  was  born  in  Clark  county,  Indiana,  Nov.  18,  1826. 
The  son  of  William  and  Lucy  (Shirley)  Foster.  The 
family  came  to  Edwards  county  in  1844.  Mr.  Foster's 
wife,  to  whom  he  was  married  in  May,  '55,  was  a  daughter 
of  Martin  Houser,  a  Moravian  preacher  at  Hope,  Bartho- 
lomew county,  Indiana,  and  latterly  of  West  Salem, 
which  village  he  laid  out  in  1845,  after  the  style  of  the 
town  of  Niesky,  Prussia.  Her  name  was  Emeline  C. 
Houser.  By  her  there  were  bom  to  Mr.  Foster  eight 


children,  three  of  whom  died  in  infancy,  and  five, 
William  E.,  Lucy  S.,  Dr.  Martin  D.  (a  physician 
practicing  in  Olney),  Caroline  M.,  and  George  D.,  are 
living.  Blashel  Foster  is  a  member  of  the  A.  F.  and 
A.  M.  Society,  in  whose  workings  he  manifests  great 
interest ;  is  also  a  member  of  the  Christian  church,  in 
which  cause  he  is  earnest  and  enthusiastic.  In  1872,  his 
fellow  citizens  of  the  Liberal  Republican  faith,  as  a 
compliment  to  his  recognized  fitness  for  the  position,  ran 
him  as  a  candidate  for  the  State  Senate,  giving  him  a 
flattering  vote.  Politically  he  might  properly  be  classed 
as  an  Independent  Republican.  He  is  a  gentleman 
possessed  of  social  qualities  of  a  high  order.  A  view  of 
his  home  is  shown  on  another  page  of  this  work. 


310          HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWREXCE  AND  WABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


ASA  PIXLEY  (DKCKASEIO 

AMONG  the  pioneers  of  Wabash  »nd  Edwards  counties 
were  the  Barneys,  McClures,  Ingrahams,  and  Pixleys. 
who  were  all  natives  of  Alleghany  county.  New  York, 
and  who  came  together  first  to  Wabash  county,  about 
1*09.  Asa  Pixley,  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  one  of 
this  number,  was  born  iu  Alleghany  county,  N.  Y.,  in 
1805.  His  father,  Job,  was  a  farmer,  a  man  strongly 
imbued  with  the  old  time  pioneer  spirit  of  adventure. 
In  the  family  was  William,  Asa,  Lewis,  and  Isaac.  Of 
these,  William  died  in  Friendsville,  where  he  was  an 
honored  citizen  all  his  life,  in  1880.  Asa  was  noted  for 
his  love  for,  and  excellence  in,  all  manner  of  athlete 
sports.  When  in  attendance,  in  early  manhood,  upon 
the  annual  battalion  musters,  he  found  few  equals  in 
running,  jumping,  and  other  sports.  For  many  years 
he  lived  iu  Barney  Prairie,  where  his  father  first  located, 
and  in  1829  came  to  Edwards  county.  He  married 
Amanda  Ingraham,  by  whom  he  had  Osman,  Harrison, 
Nancy  Ann,  Eliza,  Asa,  Jr  ,  Pathenia,  and  Caspar.  His 
sons  and  daughters  are  all  doing  well.  Asa  was  an 
earnest,  faithful  Christian  man  ;  a  most  excellent  neigh- 
bor, an  active  participant  in  all  things  calculated  to  ad- 
vance t'  e  interests  of  his  vicinity.  A  kind  husband,  an 
indulgent  father,  he  enjoyed  universal  respect.  He 
died  at  a  good  old  age,  February  9th,  1883. 


Dr.  HERMANN  M  SCHAEFER. 
DURING  the  prevalence  of  the  wars  of  1848-9  in  Ger- 
many, many  of  her  citizens,  and  not  a  few  of  her  soldier-, 
sought  homes  across  the  sea  in  America.  Among  the 
latter -Dr.  H.  M.  Schaefer,  at  the  time  company  surgeon 
at  home,  on  furlough,  slipped  away,  taking  passage  on 
the  boat  Helena,  in  the  Bremen  trade,  and  came  hither. 
As  the  vessel  set  sail  from  the  harbor  of  Bremen,  she 
was  twice  intercepted  and  chased  back,  a  third  attempt 
proved  successful,  a  favoring  wind  lending  aid  to  her 
flight,  and  she  on  a  northwestward  course  soon  left 
pursuing  Danish  sails  far  in  her  wake.  Fearing  to 
encounter  the  enemy  they  pursued  their  way  far  to  the 
north,  passing  between  the  Shetland  and  Orkney  Islands. 


When  cU-ar  of  such  fear  they  raised  the  flag  of  tlieir 
country,  and  reached  the  port  of  New  York  after  a 
voyage  of  seven  weeks,  less  one  day,  on  the  ocean.  Be- 
fore leaving  Bremen  the  captain  of  the  vessel  thought 
of  raising  the  Russian  flag  for  safety,  but  finally  con- 
cluded, without  colors,  to  make  to  sea. 

Dr.  H.  M.  Schaefer  was  born  in  Niesky,  in  lower 
Silesia,  Prussia,  April  14th,  1821.  His  father,  John 
Gottlieb  Schaefer,  was  a  potter  by  occupation.  His 
mother's  maiden  name  was  Christina  Koch.  He  had  a 
brother  and  two  sisters.  One  of  the  sisters,  Marie  Louisa 
Voekel,  died,  the  wife  of  a  missionary  of  the  Moravian 
faith  to  the  West  Indies,  on  the  island  of  St  Croix,  in 
1854.  She  had  been  at  her  post  of  duty  since  1848. 
The  doctor  landed  in  New  York  city,  July  3d,  1849,  so 
that  almost  the  first  pleasing  sight  to  greet  his  vision 
were  flags  and  bunting  in  great  profusion  displaying  our 
national  colors  on  the  natal  day  of  American  Independ- 
ence. July  22d,  of  the  same  year,  found  him  in  West 
Salem,  his  objective  point  upon  bidding  adieu  to  his 
native  land.  At  the  age  of  fourteen  years  he  had  com- 
menced the  study  of  his  chosen  profession,  that  of 
medicine,  which  he  was  quietly  pursuing  when  called 
into  the  Prussian  service,  in  which  he  remained  about 
three  years.  His  attention  had  been  directed  to  the 
northeastern  part  of  Edwards  county,  by  Rev.  Mr. 
Houser,  Moravian  divine,  and  founder  of  West  Salem. 
On  the  30th  of  March,  1850,  he  was  united  in  marriage 
to  Elizabeth  Hedrick,  daughter  of  George  Hedrick,  one 
of  the  old  settlers  here.  By  this  union  they  have  had 
thirteen  children,  seven  of  whom  are  living.  He  is  a 
firm,  outspoken  Republican  iu  politics,  and  during  the 
war  was  an  officer  in  the  Union  League.  In  politics  he 
has  taken  a  somewhat  prominent  part.  In  the  Moravian 
church  he  is  active,  and  has  held  many  positions  of 
honor.  His  faith  is  deep  and  abiding.  In  1878,  his 
house  was  destroyed  by  fire,  but  a  new  structure  of 
beautiful  proportions  was  built  by  him  as  a  permanent 
home.  As  a  physician  he  takes  high  rank  among  his 
brethren  of  the  profession.  He  comes  of  a  long-lived 
family,  his  mother  having  attained  the  age  of  84,  and 
grandfather  86  years. 


ASA     PIXLEY,DEC? 


Of  THE 
UNIVERS 


PETTY. 

LAWRENCE    COUNTY. 


HETTY  Township  is  bounded  on  the  north  by 
Crawford  county,  on  the  east  by  Bond  and 
Lawrence,  and  on  the  south  by  Bridgeport, 
Christy  township,  and  on  the  west  by  Rich 
land  county.     The  surface  generally  is  level,  and  em- 
braces a    considerable  amount    of    fine    prairie    land. 
Christy  String  township,  and  Bogard  prairies  occupy, 
respecdvely,  the   southwestern,    the    northwestern   and 
the  northeastern  parts  of  the  township      "  String  town- 
ship "   is  a  sportive  appellation,  suggested    by  the  form  j 
of  a  hunting  settlement  that  skirted  the  western    bordei 
of  the  prairie.     The  principal  streams  are  the  Embarras  ] 
river,  Little  Muddy  creek,  and  Paragin  slough,  a  slug-  ' 
gish  stream  that  flows  through   an  extensively  wooded 
bottom,  and  at  various  points  widens  into  ponds.     The 
name  is  a  compliment  to  the  memory  of  Peter  Paragin, 
the  pioneer  hunter  of -hat  region,  and  was  suggested  by 
the  circumstance    that   he  slew  the  only  bears,  two   in  | 
number,  ever  killed    along   that   stream.     The  soil    is 
clayey,  with    a  considerable  amount   of  black  loam  in  j 
the  low   lands.      Timber   of  a   good  quality    is  quite  j 
abundant.      The    improvements   of  the    township   are 
good,    and    some   attention    is   paid  to  improvement   of 
breed  in   farm   stock.      David    Watts   introduced   the 
Poland  China  hogs  about  ten  years  ago.     He  is   the 
principal  breeder,  in  his  line,  in  the  county. 

Petty  township  is  the  most  recently  settled  portion  of 
the  county.  In  1818  there  was  but  one  cabin  north  of  the  i 
state  road  and  west  of  the  Embarras  river.  This  cabin  j 
was  the  home  of  Peter  Paragin,  and  stood  on  the  west 
half  of  the  southeast  of  section  9.  Paragin  was  newly 
married  and  came  from  Ohio.  He  was  an  excellent 
type  of  the  pioneer,  being  six  feet  tall,  heavy-boned, 
muscular,  with  retreating  forehead  and  advancing  fea- 
tures. Hunting  occupied  a  large  share  of  his  attention, 
and  to  triumph  over  the  beasts  of  the  forest  was  his 
principal  delight.  He  reared,  to  manhood  and  woman- 
hood, twelve  of  his  thirteen  children,  one  of  whom, 
Joshua,  is  a.  well  known  citizen  of  Bond  township.  The 
next  settler  was  Aaron  Vanatta,  who  came  from  Ohio, 
with  a  family,  in  1820,  and  improved  the  northwest 
quarter  of  the  northwest  quarter  of  section  10.  About  ! 
1830,  he  sold  his  improvement  to  Thomas  Harail-  ' 
ton  and  moved  to  Jasper  county.  Thomas  Bowen  came 
from  Tennessee  to  Lawrence  county  in  1816.  About 
the  year  1822  he  married  Sarah  King  and  settled  on 
the  southwest  quarter  of  section  7,  township  4,  range  12. 
He  reared  a  large  family  of  children,  some  of  whom  | 


live  in  the  township.  His  dea  h  occurred  in  1858  in 
the  fifty-eighth  year  of  his  age.  The  oldest  living  settler 
of  the  township  is  Jacob  Lewis,  who  was  born  in  South 
Carolina,  and  moved  to  Kentucky,  with  his  parents, 
when  a  child.  In  1820  the  Lewis  family  moved  to 
Lawrence  county.  In  1824  Jacob  married  and  settled 
on  the  northwest  quarter  of  section  25,  township  4,  range 
13,  where  he  lived  to  rear  a  family  of  eight  sons  and 
three  daughters,  all  of  whom  married  and  settled  in 
Lawrence  and  Richland  counties.  Mr.  Lewis  is  now 
eighty  two  years  of  age.  hale  and  well  preserved.  In 
1827  he  planted  an  apple  orchard,  of  which  several  trees 
yet  remain.  In  1823  James  Elliott  settled  on  the  west 
half  of  the  northwest  quarter  of  section  17,  township  4, 
range  13.  At  an  early  day  he  planted  an  apple  orchard; 
a  portion  of  which  is  yet  in  bearing.  John  Lewis  mar- 
ried in  the  county  in  1826,  and  settled  on  the  west  half  of 
the  northwest  quarter  of  section  25,  township  4,  range  13, 
where,  after  rearing  quite  a  family,  he  died.  About  this 
time  Joseph  Cummings  settled  on  the  southwest  quarter 
of  the  northwest  quarter  of  section  14,  where  he  reared 
a  family  of  children  He  was  something  of  a  hunter, 
and  about  1840  built  the  first  distillery  in  the  township. 
About  the  year  1828  came  Elijah  King,  James  Vermil- 
jion,  William  James  and  George  C.  King.  The  first 
was  married  in  the  county  and  settled  in  the  southeast 
quarter  of  the  northwest  quarter  of  section  18,  township 
4,  range  12,  where  was  his  permanent  home  and  the 
place  of  his  death.  He  reared  a  family  of  three  sons 
and  one  daughter,  who  married  and  settled  in  the  same 
county.  Vermillion  was  from  .Kentucky,  and  was 
well-to-do  when  he  came.  He  settled  on  the  northwest 
quarter  of  the  northwest  quarter  of  section  20,  township 

4,  range  13.  a  portion  of  the  "  Island,"  an  area  lying 
between   the  Embarras  river  and  Little  Muddy  creek, 
where  he  reared  a  family  of  two  children.     He  was  an 
industrious,  thorough  going  man.      His  death  resulted 
from  "  King's  Evil,"  in  Indiana,  after  returning  from  a 
trip  for  medical  treatment.     William  James  came  from 
Indiana,  married   in  the  county,  and  made  several  im- 
provements, selling  them  when  completed.     George  C. 
King,  brother  of  Elijah,  settled  on  the  north  west  quarter 
of  the  northwest  quarter  of  section  11,  and  was  a  farmer 
and  teamster.     Henry  Vanmeter,  iu  1829,  settled  on  the 
west  half  of  the  southeast  quarter  of  section  32,  township 

5,  range  13.    Washington  Douglas,  about  the  year  1830, 
came  into  the  township,  from  Kentucky,  with  a  family  of 
three  children,  Charles,  Nancy  and  Horace,  and  settled 

317 


318 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


on  east  half  of  the  northwest  quarter  of  section  19, 
township  4,  range  west,  where  he  improved  a  good  farm. 
John  Laws,  from  one  of  the  Carolinas,  about  1830,  set- 
tled on  the  northeast  quarter  of  the  northeast  quarter  of 
section  17.  Just  north  of  his  place,  on  section  8,  was  a 
New  Light  camp-meeting  ground,  where,  at  his  own 
expense,  he  fed  the  assembled  multitudes,  at  a  table 
one  hundred  yards  in  length,  and  provided  sleep 
ing  accommodations  at  his  house  and  barn.  The  horses 
of  those  in  attendance  were  likewise  provided  for- 
Laws  was  a  determined  a?  well  as  skillful  hunter,  and 
would  pursue  a  wolf  for  two  or  three  days  with  as  many 
fresh  horses,  rather  than  give  up  the  pursuit. 

John  Brigman  and  William  Murphy  settled  in  the 
township  prior  to  1838.  The  latter  gentleman  made  an 
improvement  in  section  18,  township  4,  range  12.  Sarah 
James,  a  widow,  with  a  daughter,  came  from  Indiana 
in  1834  In  1838  she  was  married  to  Edward  Fyffe, 
who  settled  on  the  southwest  quarter  of  section  28, 
township  4,  range  13,  where  he  died.  The  Petty  family, 
from  whom  the  township  received  its  name,  arrived  in 
1838,  or  '39.  Josiah  Petty,  familiarly  known  as  "  old 
Uncle  Jeff,"  settled  in  the  west  half  of  the  southwest 
quarter  of  section  11.  Joseph  Petty,  from  Perry  county, 
Ohio,  with  five  children,  Peter,  Mary  Ann,  Balser, 
George  and  William,  settled  on  the  northeast  quarter  of 
the  northeast  quarter  of  section  15,  where  he  resided 
permanently.  In  1838,  John  Decker,  from  Indiana, 
settled  on  the  southwest  quarter  of  the  northwest  quar- 
ter of  section  28,  township  4,  range  13,  where  he  re- 
mained permanently,  and  reared  a  family  of  eight  chil- 
dren. Samuel  James,  about  1840,  settled  and  improved 
a  farm  on  the  east  half  of  the  southeast  quarter  of  sec 
tion  30,  township  4,  range  13.  The  principal  improve- 
ments of  the  township,  especially  north  of  Paragin 
slough,  have  been  made  since  1850.  At  that  time 
Richard  Grier,  Nathan  Fitz,  Ferdinand  Kyger,  William 
Munn,  Nancy  Watts,  Christian  Loss  and  the  Jackson 
family  were  living  in  that  region.  The  west  half  of  the 
southwest  quarter  of  section  33,  township  5,  range  13, 
occupied,  at  present,  by  David  Watte,  is  one  of  the 
earliest  settlements  in  its  neighborhood.  There  was 
also  an  early  improvement  on  the  east  half  of  section  32, 
township  5,  range  13.  A  well  marks  the  site  of  a 
former  improvement  in  David  Brown's  field  east  of 
Chauncey.  Christopher  Dollahan  once  lived  there. 

The  following  are  the  first  land  entries  in  T.  4  N.  R 
13  W.:  August  21,  1821,  P.  and  J.  Paragin  entered  the 
E.  J  of  the  S.  E  J  of  sec.  8;  Jan.  7,  1824,  Jacob  Lewis, 


the  JN.  W.  \  of  sec.  25 ;  8ept.  17,  1825,  John  Lewis,  the 
W.  J  of  the  S.  W.  1  of  sec.  25  ;  Feb.  11,  1823,  James 
Elliot,  the  W.  i  of  the  8.  W.  i  of  sec  17.  The  W.  J  of 
the  S.  E.  3  of  sec.  32,  T.  2  N.  R.  13  W.  was  entered  by 
Henry  Vanmeter,  Oct.  22,1829  The  gentlemen,  whose 
names  appear  below,  have  represented  the  township  in 
the  board  of  supervisors:  Daniel  Grass,  in  1857,  1858  ; 
Peter  Smith,  chairman,  in  1859,  1860;  R.  L  Judy,  in 
1861  ;  Randolph  Heath  in  1862  ;  Richard  Greer,  in  1863, 
1864;  Daniel  Stoltz,  in  1865,  1866,  1867;  Levi  Lathrop, 
in  1868  ;  S.  F.  Baker,  in  1869  ;  Levi  Lathrop,  1H70, 
1871  (chairman),  1872;  Daniel  Stoltz,  1873,  1874,' 
Moses  Petty,  1875,  1876,  1877  ;  H.  M.  Wagner,  1878, 
1879;  David  Smith,  1880,  1881,  1882;  C.  H.  Martin,' 
1883. 

CHAUNCEY 

Was  so  named  by  Peter  Smith,  for  the  second  son  of 
Wna.  H.  Brown.  It  contains  about  seventy  inhabitants, 
and  is  situated  on  the  adjacent  corners  of  sections  28, 
29,  32  and  33  T.  5,  R.  13.  John  Bach  built  the  first 
house,  a  log  dwelling,  in  1856.  He  immediately  put  up 
a  blacksmith  shop  and  began  work.  Luther  Watts  sold 
the  first  goods  in  the  Daniel  Grass  building,  moved  from 
a  point  three  miles  southeast  of  Chauncey,  in  the  fall  of 
1860.  Daniels  and  Waggoner  opened  the  first  grocery 
store,  in  1866.  A  wagon  shop  was  put  up  in  1867,  and 
wagon  making  was  carried  on  some  two  years.  Daniel 
Patton  established  a  drug  store  in  1879. 

PRESENT   BUSINESS. 

Physicians.— H.  P.  Smith,  H.  A.  Murphy. 

Druggist.— D.iniel  Patton 

General  Merchants. — Henry  Berkshire,  George  Rod- 
erick, W.  R.  Newman. 

Cabinet  Maker.— J.  C.  Hughes. 

Blacksmiths.—  C.  F.  Correll,  John  Roderick. 
^Dressmakers—  Mrs.  H.  P.  Smith,  Mrs.  M.  R.  New- 
man. 

Post  Master.—  H.  P.  Smith. 

The  post  office  was  established  in  1873,  and  George 
D.  Barnes  was  the  first  post-master.  The  first  school- 
house  (frame)  was  built  in  1856.  John  Wilgus  taught 
the  first  school.  The  present  two  story,  two-room,  frame 
school  building  was  put  up  in  1872  or  '73.  The  Meth- 
odist Episcopal  Church  (frame)  was  built  in  1858,  at  a 
cost  of  8850.  The  Protestant  Methodist  (frame)  Church 
was  erected  at  a  cost  of  about  $1,000,  in  1860. 


8? 


RESIDENCE    STOCK  AND   GRAIN  FARM  or  ANSEL  A.  GOULD       NOW 


••a***-*  ''•'"•^fe*'>^*^^«wv^-^^ 


AARON  A.GOULD          SEC.  32,     T /,     /?  /4,    (SALEM    PRECIHCT)      EOW*ROS    Co., It 


IWR, 

Of   THE 


BELLMONT. 

WABASH  COUNTY. 


|  HIS  political  division  of  the  county  is  in  the 
west-central  part,  and  is  bounded  on  the 
north  by  Lick  Prairie,  east  by  Mt.  Carrael, 
south  by  Coffee  precinct,  and  west  by  Ed- 
wards county  and  Bonpas  creek.  It  extends  east  from 
this  creek  to  the  central  line  of  Town  1  south,  Range 
13  west,  and  north  from  the  southern  line  of  the  north- 
ern tier  of  sections  of  Town  2  south,  to  the  half  section 
line  of  the  second  tier  of  sections  from  the  north,  of 
Town  1  south.  It  was  formerly  called  Bonpas,  the 
name  having  been  changed  to  Bellmont  in  September, 
1881.  "Bonpas"  is  composed  of  the  French,  "  bon," 
good,  and  "  pas,"  bay  or  inlet,  and  means,  literally, 
good  bay.  The  creek  that  bears  this  name  was  so  called 
by  French  boatmen,  whose  keel-boats,  as  they  plied  the 
waters  of  the  Wabash  in  the  early  spring,  found  safety 
from  the  floating  ice  in  the  inlet  or  bay  at  Its  mouth 
The  surface  is  generally  level,  and  principally  elevated 
Crackles,  formerly  called  Wilson's  and  Sloan's  prairie?, 
are  low  areas  of  land,  and  subject  to  overflow  from 
Bonpas  creek.  They  were  formerly  wet  and  marshy, 
but  have  been  improved,  aud  rendered  quite  arable  ami 
productive  by  drainage.  Fordyce  creek  flows  through 
the  northern  part  of  the  precinct,  and  with  the  Boupas, 
into  which  it  flows,  is  the  principal  source  of  drainage. 
Timber  is  abundant,  and  is  constantly  being  cleared 
away  to  make  room  for  the  plow  The  soil  is  adapted 
to  the  growth  of  the  different  cereals,  and  when  cleared 
of  timber  is  easily  cultivated.  The  Evansville,  Louit- 
ville,  and  St.  Louis  railroad  extends  through  the  prt- 
cinct,  affording  facilities  for  transportation. 

The  territory  of  Bellmout  precinct  was  the  latest  set- 
tled portion  of  the  county.  Its  earliest  settlers  were 
one  Moturey,  Jacob  and  John  Arnold,  Staley  D. 
McClure,  and  Eli  Reed,  all  arriving  in  the  year  1816 
Moturey,  with  his  family,  settled  on  the  S.  E.  J  of  sec 
tion  24,  in  Range  14  west.  Nothing  of  importance  i.- 
remembered  concerning  him,  but  his  name  has  a  placr 
among  the  honored  few  who  were  brave  and  hardy 
enough  to  become  pioneers.  Jacob  Arnold,  a  single 
man,  came  from  Kentucky  to  the  county  prior  to  1812. 
In  1818  he  married  Rebecca  Thompson,  and  settled  in 
section  5,  Town  2  south.  He  was  an  inveterate  hunter, 
brought  down  many  deer,  and  captured  many  a  bruin. 
He  is  represented  in  the  county  by  quite  a  number  of 
descendants.  John  Arnold,  his  brother,  also  came  from 
Kentucky,  and  brought  a  family,  wife,  and  three  chil- 


dren, Isaac,  James,  and  Lucinda.  He,  too,  like  his 
brother,  was  a  hunter,  and  changed  his  place  of  abode 
as  advantages  for  hunting  dictated.  He  moved  to  Mis- 
souri, and  there  died.  McClure  was  also  from  Ken- 
tucky, and  came  to  the  county  prior  to  the  war  of  1812. 
In  1816  he  settled  in  the  precinct,  on  section  28,  T.  1 
S.  R  13  W.  He  had  a  large  family  of  children,  none 
of  whom  live  in  the  county.  He  was  a  man  of  some 
intelligence,  and  was  at  one  time  justice  of  the  peace. 
His  death  closed  a  long  career  of  life,  most  of  which 
was  spent  in  the  precinct. 

The  year  1818  adds  six  to  the  list  of  immigrants. 
Among  their  number  was  William  Wilson,  who  brought 
a  family,  and  settled  on  the  S.  E.  i  of  section  3,  T.  2 
S.  R  14  W.  Here  he  built  his  cabin,  improved  land, 
and  lived  to  a  good  old  age,  dying  many  years  ago.  He 
was  a  farmer,  and  also  exercised  the  trade  of  a  tanner. 
The  prairie  on  which  he  settled,  now  called  Crackles, 
formerly  bore  his  name.  It  was  originally  owned  by 
Uo  Englishmen,  J.  and  J.  Dunlap.  George  Wheeler 
came  with  Wilson  and  his  family,  aud  settled  on  the 
same  section.  He  also  was  a  tanner.  He  raised  a  large 
family,  and  died  on  the  place  of  his  first  settlement.  In 
the  same  year  came  William  Tanquary,  also  a  Vir- 
ginian, with  his  wife  and  children,  Delila,  Reuben, 
Fielden,  Mary,  Lydia,  William,  Alfred,  and  Amelia, 
aud  settled  on  the  N.  J  of  section  30,  T.  1  S.  The 
family  had  previously  lived  for  some  time  .in  Ohio. 
Mr.  Tanquary  was  a  good  farmer,  and  died  on  the  place 
of  his  first  settlement,  at  the  advanced  age  of  eighty 
years.  Of  the  children  who  constituted  a  part  of  the 
pioneer  family,  William,  Alfred,  and  Rebecca  are  still 
liviug.  James,  who  is  a  native  of  the  precinct,  lives  on 
the  old  homestead.  He  has  been  Associate  Judge  of 
the  county  court  for  one  full,  and  for  one  unexpired 
term.  With  Tanquary  came  Jonathan  Gilkinson,  his 
son-in-law.  He  was  a  farmer  and  a  carpenter,  and 
among  the  earliest  representatives  of  that  trade  in  the 
precinct.  He  had  quite  a  numerous  family  of  children- 
William  Deputy  was  among  the  more  prosperous  far- 
mers of  the  precinct  to  which,  with  his  family,  he  came 
in  1818.  He  settled  on  the  S.  E.  t  of  section  21,  T.  1 
S.  R.  13  W.  He  was  a  man  of  influence  in  his  com- 
munity, aud  held  the  office  of  Justice.  He  had  quite  a 
large  family  of  children,  and  died  on  his  farm  at  an 
advanced  age. 

The  Riggs  were  originally  from  Virginia,  but  a  part 
319 


320 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  W ABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


of  the  family  had  moved  to  Kentucky.  Robert  and 
Samuel  came  from  the  former  state  in  the  fall  of  1817. 
Robert  settled  on  the  N.  W.  i  of  section  32,  T.  1  S  R. 
13  W.,  where  he  lived  all  his  life,  and  had  a  large 
family.  Charles,  cousin  of  the  former,  came  from  Vir 
ginia  in  the  spring  of  1818,  with  a  family  of  four  sons, 
Townly,  John,  Arthur,  and  Charles,  Jr.,  and  settled  in 
Mt.  Carmel  precinct.  John  is  living  in  Bellmont,  at 
the  age  of  seventy-seven  years.  Townley  married  Phebe 
Corry,  and  settled  on  the  S.  W.  i  of  section  20,  T.  1  S., 
where  he  resided  till  1871,  when  he  moved  to  Kansas. 
He  was  among  the  earliest  mechanics,  and  was  the  main 
dependence  for  repairs  in  wood.  George  and  James, 
brothers  of  Robert  and  Samuel,  arrived  from  Kentucky 
about  1819;  the  former  with  a  family  of  four  sons, 
Robert,  Jefferson,  Alfred,  and  Harvey,  and  one  daugh- 
ter, and  settled  about  a  mile  east  of  Bellmont,  where 
was  his  permanent  home.  James  brought  three  sons, 
Daniel,  Harvey,  and  Stephen,  and  settled  permanently 
three  miles  northeast  of  the  town.  Andrew  F.  Dyar 
came  from  Wood  county,  Va.,-in  1820,  with  a  family  of 
five  children,  Susanna  F.,  Sally  R.,  John  D.,  Elizabeth 
and  Andrew,  and  settled  on  the  W.  i  of  the  S.  E.  i  of 
section  3,  R.  13  W.,  where  he  made  improvements  and 
lived  till  1828.  He  then  moved  to  N.  W.  i  of  section 
2,  T.  2  S.  R.  13  W.,  where  he  lived  permanently,  and 
died  in  1854.  John  D.,  the  only  survivor  of  the  immi- 
grant family,  lives  on  a  part  of  the  homestead  place. 
In  1822,  Joseph  Ballard,  with  a  family  of  three  chil- 
dren, Iri,  Asiel,  and  Jeremiah,  now  of  Bellmont,  settled 
on  the  S.  E.  i  of  the  S.  E.  !  of  section  32,  T.  1  S.  R. 
13,  W.  Mr.  Ballard  was  a  minister  of  the  New  Light 
persuasion.  He  died  on  his  farm  at  the  age  of  sixty- 
six.  A  German  came  to  the  precinct  about  1821  or  '22, 
and  settled  on  section  29.  Being  a  hunter,  he  fre- 
quently changed  his  home.  He  came  in  company  with 
Samuel  Fettinger,  a  weaver  by  trade,  and  a  Methodist 
exhorter. 

Rodam  Kenner  was  a  Kentuckian.  He  came  to  the 
county  as  early  as  1824,  and  to  the  precinct  in  1826. 
He  brought  a  family  of  five  children,  Alvin,  George, 
James,  William  and  Bryon.  William  Hunter  came 
from  Kentucky  in  1827,  brought  a  wife  and  four  chil- 
dren, Eliza,  Caroline,  William  and  Nancy  Jane,  and  set- 
tled on  the  S.  E.  }  of  section  24.  He  was  quite  ad- 
vanced in  life  when  he  arrived,  and  died  in  Wayne 
county,  at  the  age  of  91  years,  John  Proctor  was  from 
Kentucky.  He  came  about  the  year  1829,  and  with  his 
wife  and  children,  John,  Fanny,  Luciuda  and  Thomas, 
settled  on  the  E.  i  of  the  S.  E.  i  of  section  33.  He  was 
a  mechanic  of  somedivereity  of  talents,  as  well  as  a  farm- 
er. He  lived  to  a  great  old  age  and  died  on  the  place 
of  his  first  settlement.  William  Weir,  a  Virginian, 
came  to  the  county  in  1818.  In  1829,  he  came  to  what 
is  now  Bellmont  precinct,  and  settled  in  section  17.  His  i 
children,  James,  Harvey,  Mary  and  Thomas,  were 
brought  along.  He  was  a  farmer  by  occupation,  but  de- 
voted much  time  to  hunting.  He  was  a  man  of  influ- 


ence, and  held  the  office  of  county  commissioner.  He  died 
in  1848.  Prominent  among  the  older  settlers  is  A.  W.  Co- 
ry, of  Bellmont  village.  He  is  a  native  of  New  York,  and 
at  the  age  of  five  years  came  from  that  state  with  his  moth- 
er and  step-father,  in  1816,  and  landed  at  old  Palmyra. 
His  arrival  in  the  precinct  dates  back  to  1829.  He  is  a 
blacksmith  by  trade,  and  in  his  younger  days  his  shop 
was  sought  by  the  farmers  for  many  miles  around.  He 
enjoys  the  confidence  of  the  people  of  the  county,  and 
in  1841  and  '42,  he  was  collector  of  taxes.  He  was 
assessor  in  1843,  and  took  the  state  census  for  the  coun- 
ty in  1845.  He  also  held  the  office  of  justice  of  the 
i  peace  for  a  number  of  years.  Sloan's  prairie  took  its 
name  from  Joseph  Sloan,  who  lived  and  died  within  its 
limits.  He  came  to  the  precinct,  from  Kentucky,  in 
1829,  having  a  family  of  five  children,  James,  Ephraim, 
Louisa,  John  and  William.  The  family  are  now  all 
dead.  John  Frair  was  among  the  early  arrivals  in  the 
county,  coming  some  time  prior  to  1812.  In  1829  or  '30, 
with  a  family  of  several  children,  most  of  whom  are  dead, 
he  settled  on  the  S.  i  of  the  S.  E.  i  of  section  13,  T.  1,  R. 
14  W.  He  was  a  tanner,  and  at  one  time  had  a  tan- 
yard  in  Mt.  Carmel. 

The  first  school  teacher  was  probably  Oliver  Thrall. 
In  1828,  a  school  was  taught  by  Alvira  Kenner,  in  sec. 
32,  T.  1  S.  R.  13  W.  The  first  house  built  for  school 
purposes  stood  on  the  S.  W.  i  of  sec.  18,T.  1  S.,  and  was 
put  up  in  the  year  1837.  The  earliest  justice,  whose  ju. 
risdiction  embraced  the  territory  of  the  precinct,  was 
William  Tanquary. 

The  earliest  marriage  was  probably  that  of  Jacob  Ar- 
nold and  Rebecca  Thompson,  which  dates  back  to  1818. 
Townley  Rigg  and  Miss  Phoebe  Cory  were  married  in 
1820.  The  religious  doctrine  first  propagated  among 
the  people  was  the  New  Light.  The  earliest  preachers 
Revs.  Joseph  Ballard,  William  Kinkead,  Elijah  Good- 
win and  Rev.  Walsoa.  Rev.  Moses  Trimble  was  of  the 
Campbellite  or  Christian  faith.  The  precinct  was  rep- 
resented in  the  Black  Hawk  War  by  Wm.  Tanquary,  Jr., 
William  Eastwood,  Thomas  Wier,  Harvey  Wier  and  Dr. 
Thrall.  James  Strahan  was  in  the  Mexican  War.  Friend's 
Grove  post  office  on  the  N.  E.  i  of  the  N.  W.  i  of  sec.  21 
is  the  oldest  one  in  the  precinct,  and  was  established 
about  twenty-five  years  ago.  William  Deputy,  the  first 
post-master,  was  superseded  eighteen  years  ago  by  the 
present  incumbent,  Collins  Bredwell.  The  post-office  at 
Maud,  on  the  N.  E.  \  of  sec.  28,  R.  13  W.,  was  founded 
in  1882,  Christian  Ameter  being  the  first  post-master. 
In  this  year  he  began  selling  goods  at  this  point 

The  following  are  the  first  land  entries:  Mar.  5,  1816, 
the  S.  E.  i  of  sec.  4,  R.  13  W.,  by  James  Stillwell ;  Out. 
25,  1816,  the  N.  E.  i  of  sec.  20,  by  James  Miller ;  Aug. 
1,  1817,  the  S.  E.  i  of  sec.  4,  R.  13  W.,  by  Geo.  Flowers  ; 
Dec,  8,  1818,  the  S.  E.  i  of  sec.  33,  R.  14  W.,  by  George 
Flowers. 

BELLMONT. 

This  thrifty  and  growing  town,  named  in  honor  of 
Judge  Robert  Bell,  of  Mt.  Carmel,  was  laid  out  on  land 


RESIDENCE, STOCK  AND  GRAIN  FARMS  (ABOUT  800 ACRES)  OF 


OH  N  GROFF  2?  MILES  NORTH  or  BELLMONT,  WABASH  Co.,  ILL. 


LIBRARY 
Of  THE 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AVD  W ABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


of  Gett  Joachim's  in  section  31,  and  oil  that  of  Elisha 
Brokaw  in  section  36,  the  fourteenth  meridian  extend- 
ing through  the  principal  street  north  and  south.  It 
was  surveyed  and  platted  by  Robert  Buchanan,  county 
surveyor,  and  the  plat  filed  for  record  in  the  office  of 
the  circuit  clerk,  August  22,  1872.  In  1880  it  had  213 
inhabitants.  The  first  lot  was  purchased  by  Mary 
Crackles  and  her  son  Oliver,  and  Thomas  Arnold  sold 
the  first  goods  in  a  little  temporary  building  in  1872 
Shortly  after  this  Harper  and  Son  opened  a  general 
store.  In  the  same  year  the  firm  of  Joachims  Bros,  be- 
gan business  as  general  merchants  ;  Joseph  Bare  built  a 
blacksmith  shop,  and  Jeremiah  Ballard  a  shop  for  gen- 
eral repairs.  Ballard  also  kept  the  first  hotel  in  1-874. 
The  Bellmont  Flouring  Mills  were  built  in  this  year  by 
M.  &  F.  H.  See,  the  present  proprietors  and  operators. 
The  building  is  a  two-and-a-half  story,  25x40  feet  struc- 
ture, with  shed  23x50  feet,  for  the  engine  and  cornsheller. 
It  has  two  run  of  burrs,  and  is  valued  at  $4,000.  The 
first  school-house,  a  frame  one-room  building,  24x36 
feet,  was  put  up  in  1874,  and  David  Dean  was  the  first 
teacher,  in  the  same  year.  The  present  school-house,  a 
frame  two-story  six-room  structure,  was  built  in  the.  fall 
of  1881,  at  a  cost  of  $1,921,  exclusive  of  equipments. 
H.  H  Rigg  was  the  contractor  and  builder,  and  H.  L. 
Arnold  taught  the  first  school.  The  Congregational 
church,  the  oldest  in  the  village,  was  moved  from  a 
point  about  two  miles  south,  and  put  up  in  1875.  The 


Christian  church,  built  partly  of  the  materials  of  ano- 
ther such  building  thatstood  about  two  and  a  half  miles 
northeast  of  the  village,  was  erected  in  1879  at  a  cost  of 
about  $800-  The  Methodist  Episcopal,  a  neat  frame, 
34x60  feet,  was  built  in  1880,  at  a  cost  of  $1853. 

PRESENT  BUSINESS. 

Physicians.—  N.  Bristow,  C.  T.  McClain,  J.  D.  Trego. 
General  Stores. — Peter  Kirch,  E.  Joachims,  Mann  & 
Lines. 

Grocers— J  A.  Ingram,  Elliott  Bros. 

Dmgr/ists.—^.  J.  Newsum,  J.  D.  Trego,  N.  Bristow. 

Farming  Implements  and  Pust-Office. — F.  C.  Manley. 

Lawyer — Joseph  Bare. 

Justice. — L.  B.  Baird. 

Contstalle.—P.  D.  French. 

Shoemaker.— William  Bockhouse. 

Blacksmiths. — Samuel  Sawyer,  Joseph  Bare. 

Hotel. — Benjamin  Weisenberger. 

Meat  Markets— 'L.  Middleton,  W.  H.  Root. ' 

Grain  Dealer.— J.  I.  Tanquary. 

Gunsmith. — T.  Grealhouse. 

Carpenter  and  Cabinet  maker. — H.  H.  Rigg. 

Furniture  — W.  M.  Young. 

War/on  Maker. — P.  D.  French. 

Fruit,  Nursery.— K.  C.  Rassman. 

Machinery  Agent.— W.  H.  Knowles. 


BIOGRAPHIES. 


CAPTAIN  WILLIAM  ULM. 

THE  Ulm  family  take  their  name  from  the  following 
circumstance.  There  was  in  the  seventeenth  century  a 
poor  German  boy  who  lived  in  the  city  of  Ulm.  He  : 
was  placed  on  board  a  vessel  shipping  from  one  of  the  j 
German  ports.  His  real  name  was  unknown.  The 
sailors  and  captain  called  him  Ulm,  from  the  fact  that 
he  was  from  the  city  of  that  name.  He  adopted  the  ; 
name,  and  in  course  of  time  came  to  America  and  set- 
tled in  Virginia,  on  the  south  branch  of  the  Potomac. 
He  there  married  and  reared  a  family  of  seven  sons  and 
one  daughter.  Six  of  the  sons  became  soldiers  in  the 
revolutionary  war,  and  fought  through  the  entire  strug- 
gle. The  sister  married  Sergt.  Champ,  who,  as  history 
records,  was  selected  by  Washington  to  undertake  the 
perilous  adventure  of  capturing  Arnold  after  he  had 
betrayed  the  patriot  cause  and  gone  over  to  the  British. 
He  made  the  attempt,  penetrated  the  enemy's  lines,  and 
was  only  prevented  from  carrying  out  the  orders  of 
Washington  and  seizing  the  traitor,  by  the  removal  of 
the  latter  on  the  night  when  his  capture  was  to  be  at- 
42 


tempted.  Of  the  sons  of  Mr.  Ulm  was  Matthias,  who 
was  the  seventh,  and  grandfather  of  the  subject  of  this 
sketch.  He  was  born,  reared,  and  died  in  Virginia.  His 
son  Edward,  father  of  Captain  Ulm,  was  born  on  the 
south  branch  of  the  Potomac,  Va.,  in  1784.  He  removed 
to  Ohio  with  the  Rennix  family, "who,  in  their  day,  were 
largely  engaged  in  the  cattle  trade.  Edward  Ulm  set- 
tled in  Ross  county,  and  there  remained  until  1820, 
when  he  came  west  to  Illinois,  and  settled  in  Mt-  Car- 
mel.  Five  years  later,  he  moved  to  what  is  known  as 
the  Chapman  place,  in  the  vicinity  of  Mt.  Carmel.  In 
1862  he  went  to  Wayne  county,  and  lived  with  his  son 
Daniel,  and  there  died  in  1874,  in  the  ninetieth  year  of 
his  age.  He  married  Katie  Nathan,  who  was  the  daugh- 
ter of  Nicholas  Nathan.  He  was  a  German  by  birth, 
and  a  soldier  in  the  army  of  Cornwallis.  At  the  sur- 
render of  the  British  forces  at  Yorktown,  he  refused  to 
accept  the  exchange,  but  declared  his  intention  to  be- 
come an  American  citizen.  He  settled  in  Virginia, 
where  he  married,  and  moved  to  Ohio  ;  and  his  daugh- 
ter Katie  was  born  in  Ross  county  in  1879.  She  died  in 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


Wabash  county,  Illinois,  in  1859.  There  were  nine 
children  who  grew  to  maturity,  the  offspring  of  the  union 
of  Edward  and  Katie  Ulrn.  William,  the  subject  of 
this  sketch,  is  the  fifth  in  the  family.  He  was  born  in 
Ross  county,  Ohio,  Oct.  21,  1814,  and  was  but  six  years 
old  when  the  family  came  to  Illinois.  He  grew  up  on 
his  father's  farm,  and  remained  at  home  until  he  mar- 
ried. He  then  engaged  in  farming  and  milling,  and 
remained  in  Mt.  Carmel  and  vicinity  until  1872,  when 
he  came  to  Lick  prairie  and  settled  on  section  36, 
where  he  still  resides.  On  the  29th  December,  1836,  he 
was  married  to  Miss  Hester  M.,  daughter  of  Neil  and 
Hester  Campbell.  They  were  natives  of  Kentucky  and 
of  Scotch  descent.  Mrs.  Ulm  died  in  1844,  leaving  five 
children,  four  of  whom  reached  maturity.  Harriet  was 
the  wife  of  Victor  Wood.  She  died  leaving  four  chil- 
dren. Sarah  Ann  married  Nelson  Wood  and  left  seven 
children.  William  Edward  was  a  soldier  in  the  late  war. 
He  was  a  member  of  Co.  I  of  the  40th  Regt.  Illinois 
Volunteers,  and  was  killed  at  the  battle  of  Mission 
Ridge.  Samuel  Neil  was  also  a  member  of  the  same 
company  and  regiment,  and  was  killed  in  the  charge  at 
Kenesaw  Mountains.  After  the  death  of  his  first  wife, 
Mr.  Ulm  married  Elizabeth  Payne.  She  died  ill  the 
spring  of  1854.  On  the  27th  of  July,  1854,  he  married 
Miss  Sarah,  daughter  of  James  and  Mary  Glenn 
(Pritchet)  Campbell.  Her  father  was  a  native  of  Ten- 
nessee, and  her  mother  from  Virginia.  Mrs.  Ulm  was 
born  in  Wilson  county,  Tenn.,  Oct.  11,  1837.  By  her 
marriage  with  Mr.  Ulm,  there  have  been  ten  children, 
seven  of  whom  are  living.  Their  names  in  the  order  of 
their  birth  are  :  Benjamin  C.,  who  married  Ida  Root ; 
they  have  two  children;  Mary  E.,  wife  of' Nelson  Wood; 
Hester  M.,  wife  of  William  Tiffany,  who  has  one  child ; 
George  VV.,  Matthew  S.,  Frances  Rose  and  Daniel  Ulra. 
Mr.  and  Mrs  Ulm  are  members  of  the  M.  E.  church.  Mr 
Ulm  was  regularly  ordaintd  a  minister  of  that  religious 
organization  in  1860  by  Bp.  Simpson  at  Bunker  hill,  Ills. 
Mr.  Ulm,  as  shown  above,  comes  of  revolutionary  and 
patriotic  stock.  The  love  of  country,  and  veneration 
and  respect  for  the  institutions  of  the  best  government 
the  world  ever  saw,  is  as  strong  in  him  as  ever  thrilled 
the  heart  of  an  American  citizen.  He  gave  his  two 
sons — his  eldest  born — to  be  sacrificed  upon  the  altar  of 
patriotism.  They  died  at  the  head  of  the  column, 
charging  the  enemy,  and  fell  with  their  faces  to  the  foe. 
Nor  did  he  only  send  his  sons  to  the  front  when  the 
Union  was  threatened,  but  with  characteristic  prompt- 
nets,  before  the  reverberatiots  of  the  first  gun  fired  at 
Sumter— and  whose  echoes  awakened  the  slumbering 
patriotism  of  the  North — had  died  away,  he  shouldered 
his  musket  and  enrolled  as  a  private  in  Co.  I  of  the  32d 
Regt.  Illinois  Volunteers.  At  the  organization  of  the 
company  he  was  elected  Second  Lieutenant.  He  re- 
mained in  active  service  up  to  and  including  the  battle 
of  Shiloh.  In  that  desperate  engagement  his  command 
occupied  the  center.  The  Union  forces  were  shattered 
and  driven  back.  His  company  lost  heavily.  While 


falling  back  before  superior  numbers,  he  was  wounded, 
being  struck  by  no  less  than  seven  balls.  He  fell,  and 
the  enemy,  flushed  with  apparent  victory,  passed  over 
him.  He  lay  upon  the  battle-field  from  two  o'clock,  P.M. 
until  seven  o'clock  next  morning.  Twice  more  the 
enemy  passed  over  him  and  his  wounded  comrades.  He 
determined  to  get  off  the  battle-field.  Several  of  the 
bullets  had  entered  his  hips  and  back,  and  when  he  at- 
tempted to  rise,  he  learned,  for  the  first  time,  that  his 
lower  limbs  were  paralyzed ;  but,  nothing  daunted,  he 
crawled  along,  dragging  his  limbs  for  some  distance. 
This  process  of  locomotion  was  slow,  and,  fearing  that 
his  strength  would  fail  before  aid  could  be  reached,  he 
improvised  a  pair  of  crutches.  He  found  a  stout  stick, 
about  the  proper  length  that  would  do  for  one, — and,  in 
looking  around,  found  another,  but,  unfortunately,  it 
was  too  long.  How  to  reduce  it  to  the  proper  length 
was  the  query.  It  was  too  stout  to  break,  and  he  had 
no  knife ;  but,  happily,  he  recollected  that  he  had  good 
sound  teeth.  He  set  to  work  gnawing  it,  and  in  the 
course  of  an  hour  had  it  in  a  condition  to  break.  Prop- 
ping himself  agavust  a  tree,  he  mounted  the  crutches, — 
his  limbs  barely  supporting  his  weight  when  standing 
erect, — and  by  their  aid  succeeded  in  reaching  the  Union 
lines.  He  informed  the  soldiers  of  the  condition  of  his 
comrades,  whom  he  had  left,  and  they  were  immediately 
succored  and  rescued  from  a  slow,  torturing  death  on  the 
battle-field.  Lieut.  Ulm  was  sent  to  the  hospital,  and 
on  the  3d  of  Sept.,  1862,  was  honorably  discharged.  He 
still  bears  in  his  body  two  bullets  as  souvenirs  of  the 
enemy's  regard.  After  his  return  home,  and  during  the 
last  years  of  the  war,  he  was  commissioned  by  Governor 
Yates  as  Captain  in  the  Home  Guards.  Politically, 
Captain  Ulm  is  a  sound  Republican. 


HON.  JOHN  GROFF. 

ONE  of  the  leading  and  representative  men  of  Wabash 
county  is  the  subject  of  the  following  sketch.  He  was 
born  in  Germany/Hesse  Casel  on  the  Rhine,  Oct.  llth, 
1826.  His  parents,  John  Frederick  and  Anna  Mary 
(Baum)  Groff,  emigrated  to  America  in  1841.  They 
came  direct  to  Wabash  county,  Illinois,  and  purchased 
two  hundred  acres  of  land  in  section  18,  township  1  S., 
range  13  west,  for  which  Mr  Groff  paid  eight  hundred 
francs,  or  seven  hundred  and  sixty  dollars  in  United 
States  currency.  There  was  a  small  log  house  on  the 
place,  and  about  forty  acres  of  the  land  was  cleared. 
There  he  lived  and  continued  the  improvement  of  the 
farm  until  his  death,  which  occurred  June  3d,  1849. 
His  wife  survived  him  and  died  in  March,  1858.  Th.  ra 
were  ten  children  by  that  union.  John,  the  subject  of 
this  sketch,  is  the  third  in  the  family.  His  father  being 
in  feeble  health  after  his  arrival  in  this  country,  and 
John  being  the  oldest  son  at  home,  the  work  of  running 
the  farm  devolved  upon  him, — consequently,  he  had 
little  opportunities  for  receiving  an  English  education. 
But  his  natural  good  sense  has,  perhaps,  been 
of  more  real  value  to  him  than  any  information  he  could 


JOHN    GROFF 


MRS- HARRIET     GROFF 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  W ABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


323 


have  obtained  from  books  la  1849  Mr.  Groff  com- 
menced life  for  himself.  He  purchased  eighty  acres  of 
land  in  section  19  in  same  town,  for  which  he  paid  $200. 
He  built  thereon  a  small  log  house,  and  lived  there  until 
1860,  when  he  purchased  the  homestead  where  he  now 
lives,  and  in  1866  erected  the  large  and  commodious 
brick  farm-house,  a  view  of  which  can  be  seen  on  another 
page,  and  there  he  still  resides.  Mr.  Groff  is  one  of  the 
most  successful  farmers  in  Wabash  county,  and  has  a 
large  body  of  fine  land  (nearly  800  acres),  all  well  im- 
proved and  in  a  good  state  of  cultivation.  The  accumu- 
lation of  this  property  has  been  effected  through  the 
exercise  of  patient  industry  and  rigid  economy  on  the 
part  of  Mr.  Groff,  assisted  and  aided  by  his  excellent 
and  amiable  wife. 

On  the  30th.  of  September,  1849,  he  married  Miss 
Harriet,  daughter  of  Benjamin  F.  and  Mary  (Bratten) 
Gard.  She  was  born  in  Bonpas  precinct,  Wabash 
county.  Illinois,  March  14,  1829.  Seth  Gard,  her  pater- 
nal grandfather,  was  one  of  the  first  settlers  in  Wabash 
county,  and  a  prominent  man  in  his  day.  He  was  a 
member  of  the  Territorial  Legislature  in  1817,  and  a 
member  of  the  First  Constitutional  Convention  that  as- 
sembled at  Kaskaskia  in  1818.  There  have  been  born 
to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Groff  eleven  children.  Their  names  in 
the  order  of  their  birth  are :  Benjamin  F.,  born  August 
29th,  1850;  he  married  Miss  Harriet  Ellen  Ingram; 
they,  have  had  five  children  whose  names  are :  Benja- 
min P.,  John  F.  (dead),  Minnie  M-,  Lewis  L.,  Eddie 
E.  and  Lula  Medora.  John  Frederick  Groff,  born  Jan. 
29th,  1853,  married  Margaret  L  Brines;  they  have  had 
five  children,  whose  names  are:  Harriet  Maria,  Rosa 
B.,  John  L.  (dead),  William  L.,  Carrie  M.  (dead). 
Mary  Elizabeth,  eldest  daughter  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Groff, 
is  the  wife  of  John  T.  Davis;  they  have  four  children, 
whose  names  are  :  Harriet  A.,  William  P.,  John  L.  and 
Nora  Belle  Davis.  Anna  Margaret  was  born  Sept.  3d, 
1856,  and  married  George  H.  Rigg ;  they  have  three 
children,  named  Harriet  E.,  Laura  B.  and  Lewis  Sher- 
man Rigg.  Frances  Elraira,  born  August  23d,  1858,  is 
the  wife  of  H.  M.  Cowling ;  they  have  two  children, 
named  William  L.  and  Caroline.  Perry  Allen,  born 
Feb.  25,  1860.  Alfred  died  in  infancy.  Harriet  Me- 
dora, born  Feb.  17,  1863 ;  William  Albert,  born  Dec. 
23d,  1864;  Lewis  E.,  born  June  9th,  1867  ;  and  Flora 
Viola,  born  March  4, 1872.  Politically,  Mr.  Groff  is  a 
Democrat.  He  served  one  term  on  the  Board  of  Com- 
missioners of  the  county,  and  while  in  that  position  gave 
excellent  satisfaction  to  his  constituents. 

Such,  in  brief,  is  an  outline  sketch  of  the  life  of  Judge 
Groff.  He  came  here  a  stranger  in  a  strange  land,  with 
DO  influential  friends  to  back  him  ;  but  by  his  energy, 
tact,  and  strong  common  sense,  has  risen,  in  a  few  short 
years,  to  be  one  of  the  leading  agriculturalists  of  southern 
Illinois. 

The  strong  characteristics  of  the  sturdy  German 
people,  which  are  economy,  industry  and  honesty,  are 
marked  in  him.  In  the  neighborhood,  and  among  the 


people  who  know  him  best,  it  is  said  of  him  that  he  is  a 
good,  honorable  citizen,  a  kind  neighbor  and  friend,  and 
a  man  whose  word  is  as  good  as  his  bond. 

HENRY  H.  RIGG 

WAS  born  May  27th,  1842.  His  grandfather,  Charles 
Rigg,  was  a  native  of  West  Virginia.  He  came  to  Illi- 
nois in  1818,  and  settled  in  Wabash  county,  where  he 
died  in  the  year  1842.  His  son  John,  father  of  Henry, 
was  born  in  West  Virginia,  March  3d,  1805,  and  was  in 
his  thirteenth  year  when  the  family  came  west.  He  has 
remained  a  citizen  of  Wabash  county  from  that  time  to 
the  present,  except  for  a  short  time  in  1854,  when  he  was 
in  Wisconsin.  John  Rigg  married  Mary  Hunter,  a  na- 
tive of  Kentucky.  She  was  a  resident  of  Wabash  county 
at  the  time  of  her  marriage.  She  died  March  4,  1864. 
Mr.  Rigg  subsequently  married  Mrs.  Middleton,  and, 
after  her  death,  married  his  third  and  present  wife,  who 
was  the  Widow  Baird.  By  the  first  marriage  there  were 
eight  children,  four  of  whom  are  living.  Henry  H.,  the 
subject  of  this  sketch,  is  next  to  the  youngest.  He  was 
raised  on  the  farm,  and  was  thus  engaged  when  the  war 
broke  out.  He  enlisted  for  three  years  in  Co.  G,  of  the 
48th  Regiment  Illinois  Volunteers.  His  enlistment 
dates  from  October,  1861.  He  remained  in  the  service 
and  veteranized  with  his  regiment,  was  mustered  out 
and  honorably  discharged  in  August,  1865.  He  entered 
as  a  private,  and  was  mustered  out  as  second  sergeant. 
The  48th  Illinois  was  a  part  of  the  16th  Army  Corps, 
and  subsequently  became  a  part  of  the  15th.  He  par- 
ticipated with  his  regiment  in  the  battles  of  Forts  Don- 
elson  and  Henry,  Shiloh,  the  Vicksburg  and  Atlanta 
campaigns,  and  was  with  Sherman  in  his  march  to  the 
sea.  He  was  wounded  on  the  22d  of  July  at  the  fciege 
of  Atlanta.  He  rejoined  the  army  at  Beaufort,  S.  C. 
He  returned  home  and  engaged  in  farming,  in  which  he 
continued  until  April,  1871,  when  he  came  to  Bellmont 
and  commenced  the  business  of  builder,  and  erected 
the  second  house  in  the  village.  In  1879,  he  added  un- 
dertaking to  the  business  of  builder.  On  the  29th  Sep- 
tember, 1864,  when  at  home  on  leave  of  absence,  on  ac- 
count of  wounds,  he  married  Miss  Rachel  J.  Risley, 
daughter  of  Jeremiah  and  Jane  Risley.  She  died  April 
7, 1877.  Subsequently  he  married  Mary  E.  Davis,  who 
died  Oct.  3d,  1879,  leaving  one  child.  His  present  wife 
was  Miss  Jennie  A.  Hill,  born  in  Licking  county,  Ohio. 
The  child  of  the  second  marriage  is  named  Guy  C.  Rigg. 
Mr.  Rigg  and  wife  are  members  of  the  M.  E.  Church. 
Politically,  he  is  a  Republican.  . 

GEORGE  C.  EWALD. 

JOHN  EWALD,  the  father  of  George  C.  Ewald,  was 
born  in  Germany,  April  30th,  1816.  On  the  1st  of 
January,  1849,  he  married  Anna  Catherine  Mergle. 
She  was  the  daughter  of  Conrad  Mergle,  who  was  a 
forester.  Mr.  Ewald  left  Germany  in  1860  and  emi- 
grated to  America,  landing  in  New  Orleans  in  May  of  the 
same  year.  He  came  up  the  river  to  Wabash  county, 


324 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WABASII  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


and  bought  one  hundred  and  eighty  acres  of  land  in 
section  32,  of  Bellraont  township,  and  here  he  has  lived 
until  the  present.  There  are  two  sons  born  to  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Ewald.  George  C.  was  born  February  22d,  1857, 
and  John  William  in  1850,  and  one  daughter  named 
Paulina,  who  is  the  wife  of  Thomas  Newsaud,  of  Bell- 
mont.  George  C.  was  a  mere  lad  when  his  parents  came 
to  America.  He  grew  up  on  the  farm,  and  attended  the 
public  schools  in  the  winter  months,  and  therein  received 
a  fair  English  education.  On  the  19th  of  August,  1880, 
he  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Sarah  Jane,  daughter 
of  Jacob  Seylar.  She  was  born  in  Mt.  Carmel  towuship, 
Wabash  county,  Illinois.  There  are  two  children,  the 
fruits  of  that  union,  whose  names  are  John  Jacob  and 
Ida  Ewald.  Politically  the  family  are  Democrats.  Mr. 
Ewald  is  a  member  of  Eureka  Grange.  He  belongs  to 
the  progressive  race  of  men,  and  is  liberal,  and  a  patron 
of  every  enterprise  that  has  for  its  object  the  prosperity 
or  good  of  his  locality  or  county. 


and  locality.     On   the   3d  of  September,  1863,  he  was 

united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Mary  C  ,  daughter  of  Lee 

Allen  and  Elizabeth  (Wells)  Kitchen.     Mrs.  MeClane 

I  was   born  in  New  Hope,    Edwards   county,   of  which 

j  county  her   parents   were   old   and   prominent  settlers. 

Her  paternal  grandfather  was  a  native  of  South  Caro- 

[  Una.     There  have  been  six  children  born  to  Mr.  and 

Mrs.  MeClane,  five  of  whom  are  living.     Their  names 

in  the  order  of  their  birth  are  Eldridge,  Logan,  Norma 

Otto,  Roy  Dale,  Jean  and  infant  not  yet  named.     Both 

]  the  Doctor  and  his  estimable  wife  are  members  of  the 

;  Christian  church.     Politically  Dr.  MeClane   votes  the 

Democratic  ticket.     In  the  spring  of  1878  he  was  elected 

one  of  the  school  directors  of  Bellmont,  and  through  his 

!  labors  and  energy,  the  present  system  of  graded  schools 

was  established  in  the  village  of  Bellmont.     He  is  a 

:  wide-awake,  active  and  enterprising  citizen,  and  gives 

1  encouragement  to   any  and  all  enterprises   that    have 

for  their  object  the  increase  of  the  material  wealth  or 

prosperity  of  the  town  or  county. 


DR.  C.  T.  McCLANE 
Was  born  in  what  was  formerly  known  as  Bonpas  pre-  j 
cinct,  Wabash  county,  July  23, 1845.    Thomas  MeClane    ! 
his  grandfather,  was  born  in  the  north  of  Ireland.     He 
emigrated  to  America,  and  in  1812  settled  in  Kentucky, 
and  in   1818  came  to  Illinois  and  settled  at  Rochester 
Mills  on  the  Wab^sh  river,  in  Wabash  county,  and  there  | 
died  in  1850.     He  had  a  son  named  Charles,  father  of  j 
Dr.  MeClane,  who  was  born  in  Maryland,  iii  1806.    He 
came  with  his  father  to  Illinois  in  1818.     He  here  mar- 
ried and  located  on  Bald  Hill  Prairie,  and  from  there 
moved  to  a  place  known  as  Kitchen's  Bridge  in  Bell- 
mont  precinct,  and  there  lived  and  carried  on  farming 
until  he  came  to  the  village  of  Bellmont,  where  he  died  j 
in  February,  1883.     He    married    Louisa,  daughter  of  \ 
Joseph  and  Mary  (Hamilton)  Sloan,  a  native  of  Ken-  j 
tucky.     She  died  in  1856.     He  subsequently  married  j 
Mrs.  Anna  McClain.     There  was  no  offspring  of  the  j 
latter  marriage.     By  the  first  there  were  nine  children, 
four  of  whom  are  living.     Dr.  C.  T.  is  the  eighth  in  the 
family.     He  spent  his  youth  upon  the  farm,  working  in 
the  summer  months  and  attending  the'public  schools  of 
his  neighborhood  in  the  winter.     He  remained  at  home  | 
until  he  reached  his  twentieth  year,  then  married  and  ! 
farmed.     He  had  determined  to  adopt  the  profession  of  j 
medicine  as  the  business  of  his  life,  and  therefore  pur- 
chased the  standard  medical  works  and  commenced  the 
study.     He  also  pursued  his  studies  under  the  direction  j 
of  Dr.  Strahan,  of  New  Hope,  and  commenced  the  prac-  ! 
tice  in  Lick  Prairie.     In  1877  he  entered  the  Eclectic 
Medical  Institute  at  Cincinnati,  and  graduated  therefrom  ! 
in  the  spring  of  1878,  with  the  degree  ofM.  D.  He  contin-  '. 
ued  his  practice  in  Lick  Prairie  for  four  years.     In  1876 
he  removed  to  the  village  of  Bellmont,  and  there  he  has 
continued  to  the  present.     His  practice  has  grown  large 
and  lucrative.     As  a  practitioner  he  has  had  much  suc- 
cess in  the  treatment  of  diseases  incident  to  this  climate 


SAMUEL  FREEMAN 

Is  a  native  6f  Butler  county,  Ohio,  where  he  was 
born  October  6,  1809.  John  Freeman,  his  father,  was 
born  July  4th,  1776,  near  Monmouth,  iu  New  Jersey. 
He  removed  to  Ohio,  in  December,  1797.  The  trip 
was  made  through  Pennsylvania  over  the  mountains  in 
wagons.  They  stopped  at  the  mouth  of  the  Big  Sandy 
and  built  a  boat,  and  in  it  floated  down  the  river.  His 
wife  and  himself  with  one  child  named  Johanna,  who 
was  born  on  the  boat  as  they  came  down  the  Ohio  river, 
landed  at  the  frontier  village  of  Cincinnati.  They 
wintered  on  Mill  Creek,  eight  miles  north  of  Cincinnati, 
at  a  point  known  as  White  Station.  The  following 
ispring  they  moved  to  Sims'  Purchase,  which  land  Jay 
between  the  Miami  rivers,  and  there  located.  His 
maternal  grandfather  had  purchased  800  acres  of  the 
above  named  tract,  and  divided  it  among  his  children. 
Mr.  Freeman's  part  of  the  land  lay  at  the  head  waters 
of  Mill  creek.  There  the  old  pioneer  lived  in  Hamilton, 
Butler  county,  until  his  death,  which  occurred  in  the 
eighty-fourth  year  of  his  age.  He  was  a  soldier  in  the 
Indian  wars  from  1812  until  their  close.  He  married 
Elizabeth  Seward,  daughter  of  Samuel  Seward,  of  New 
Jersey.  They  were  closely  related  to  the  Seward  family 
of  New  York,  of  which  William  H.  was  a  conspicuous 
member.  She  died  in  1828,  leaving  five  children. 
Samuel,  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  is  the  only  survivor 
of  that  family.  He  was  born  in  the  pioneer  era  of  the 
west,  and  received  but  a  limited  education,  which  at 
best  was  confined  to  the  subscription  schools  of  that 
period,  presided  over  and  taught  by  muscular  Irishmen, 
whose  chief  recommendation  for  the  place  was  their 
ability  to  wield  the  birch.  Therein  he  learned  to  read, 
write  and  cipher,  which  accomplishment  made  the  sum 
total  of  his  early  education.  At  the  age  of  nineteen  he 
left  home  and  went  to  work  in  a  brick  yard  in  Cincin- 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


32'> 


nati,  and  remained  there  two  seasons,  then  teamed  for 
a  while,  and  then  went  to  work  on  the  public  works  of 
the  State.  In  1851  he  came  to  Illinois,  and  secured  the 
contract  to  build  the  earth  work,  tie  and  lay  the  track  of 
the  air  line  railroad  from  Louisville,  New  Albany,  Mt. 
Carmel  and  Alton,  Illinois.  The  failure  of  the  con- 
tractors threw  Mr.  Freeman  out  and  he  lost  heavily  in 
the-  enterprise.  He  then  engaged  in  farming  on  the 
Deputy  farm  in  Coffee  township,  and  rented  land  in 
that  vicinity,  and  continued  there  until  the  1st  of  Janu- 
ary, 1864,  where  he  purchased  146  acres  in  section  6,  T. 
1  S.,  13  west,  and  there  he  has  lived  and  added  to  his 
original  purchase  until  he  has  now  390  acres  of  fine 
tillable  laud,  all  of  which  is  DOW  under  cultivation.  In 
1838  he  was  united  in  marriage  to  Matilda  Bolander,  of 
Warren  county,  Ohio.  She  died  in  March,  1860,  leav- 
ing six  children.  The  names  of  the  children  in  the 
order  of  their  birth  are  Wallace  A.,  who  was  a  member 
of  Co.  I  of  the  115th  Regiment,  111.  Vols.,  during  the 
late  war.  He  married  Ella  E.  Stevenson,  of  Xenia, 
Ohio.  Elizabeth,  yet  at  home.  Thomas,  the  second 
son,  was  also  a  member  of  the  same  company  and  regi- 
ment as  Wallace  A.,  and  was  killed  at  the  battle  of 
Chickamauga.  Samuel  D.  married  Emma  Mayne,  of 
Springfield,  Ohio.  Sarah  J.  is  the  wife  of  .Robert 
Fenton,  of  Burnt  Prairie,  in  White  county,  Illinois. 
Benjamin  A.  married  Hattie  Greathouse.  Charlotte  is 
yet  under  the  parental  roof.  In  November,  1862,  Mr. 
Freeman  married  Mrs.  Sarah  Rotrammel,  nee  Johnson, 
of  Sullivan  county,  Indiana.  Both  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Freeman  are  members  of  the  M  E.  Church.  Politi- 
cally Mr.  Freeman  was  originally  a  Democrat,  and 
sustained  that  political  organization  until  1864,  when 
being  a  strong  Union  man,  and  in  favor  of  the  speedy 
suppression  of  the  rebellion,  he  joined  the  Republican 
party,  and  from  that  time  to  the  present  has  uniformly 
voted  that  ticket.  He  helped  to  organize,  and  was  one  of 
the  charter  members  and  first  Worshipful  Master  of  the 
Mt.  Carmel  Lodge  of  Ancient  Free  and  Accepted 
Masons,  and  still  holds  his  membership  with  that  lodge. 
Mr.  Freeman  during  the  last  thirty  years  has  followed 
the  quiet  and  peacful  life  of  a  farmer  and  stock  raiser. 
In  the  latter  business  he  has  devoted  considerable  time 
and  pa;d  considerable  attention  to  the  breeding  of  stock, 
particularly  the  Poland  china  breed  of  swine,  and  in  it 
has  been  quite  successful. 


WILLIAM  BOCKHOUSE 

WAS  born  in  Hanover,  Germany,  April  19,  1836. 
His  parents,  Henry  and  Elizabeth  (Dick)  B  >ckhouse, 
emigrated  to  America  in  1843,  and  settled  in  Auglaize 
count}-,  Ohio,  and  there  engaged  in  the  wholesale 
grocery  business.  He  died  January  3d,  1875.  His 
wife  still  survives,  and  is  a  resident  of  the  above  named 
county.  William,  is  the  third  in  a  family  of  six 
children,  all  of  whom  are  livirg.  He  learned  the 
trade  of  shoemaking,  and  worked  at  the  trade  in 


Wisconsin,  Chicago  and  other  places.  In  1856  he 
went  to  Murphysboro,  in  Jackson  county,  Illinois, 
and  took  the  management  of  a  shoe  shop,  and  continued 
there  until  the  late  war  broke  out,  when  on  the  2d  of 
September,  1861,  he  enlisted  in  Co.  G  of  the  2d  Ills. 
Cavalry.  The  regiment  rendezvoused  at  Golconda,  from 
there  went  to  Paducah,  Ky.,  then  to  Cairo,  Ills.,  and 
then  on  a  scout  as  far  as  Columbus,  Ky.  The  regiment 
was  employed  scouting  up  to  the  battle  of  Holly  Springs, 
and  from  there  went  to  Memphis,  and  in  the  spring  was 
with  Grant  in  the  siege  and  capture  of  Vicksburg,  and 
soon  after  went  to  New  Orleans,  where  he  was  discharged 
on  account  of  sickness.  He  came  up  the  river  and  soon 
after  went  back  to  Ohio,  where  for  two  years  he  re- 
mained before  he  was  able  to  work.  In  the  fall  of  1865, 
he  came  to  West  Salem,  in  Edwards  county,  111.,  and 
stayed  there  until  1871,  then  moved  to  his  farm  in 
Wabash  county,  and  six  years  later  came  to  Bellmont, 
opened  a  shoemaker  shop,  and  has  continued  there  until 
the  present.  On  the  18th  of  September,  1867,  he  was 
united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Susan  M.  Bearrier,  a  native 
of  North  Carolina,  daughter  of  Solomon  and  Elizabeth 
(Sink)  Bearrier.  There  is  one  child  living  named  Altha 
Bockhouse.  His  wife  is  a  member  of  the  Congregation- 
alist  Church.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  fraternity, 
and  belongs  to  Lodge  No.  500,  of  Parkersburg,  Rich- 
laud  county.  He  is  a  Republican  in  politics. 

FRANK  C.  MANLEY, 

WAS  born  in  what  is  now  known  as  Bellmout  precinct> 
Wabash  county,  Illinois,  July  29th,  1844.  The  family 
on  the  paternal  side  were  natives  of  Vermont,  and  from 
there  emigrated  to  Muskingum  county,  Ohio,  and  settled 
near  Zanesville.  There  Benjamin  F.  Manley  lived  until 
1842,  when  he  came  to  Illinois  and  took  up  his  residence 
in  Wabash  county.  His  wife  dying  in  1854,  he  went 
north  to  Logan  county,  in  this  state,  and  there  died  tome 
years  later.  He  married  Julia  Ford,  a  native  of  New 
Jersey.  The  Fords  removed  to  Ohio,  and  there  married 
Mr.  Manley.  By  that  marriage  there  were  three  sonsi 
one  of  whom  was  Francis  Perry  Mauley,  the  father  of 
the  subject  of  this  sketch.  He  was  born  in  Muskingum 
county,  Ohio,  and  came  with  his  father  to  Illinois  in  the 
year  above  mentioned.  Here  he  followed  farming  for  a 
few  years,  and  in  1854  read  medicine  with  Dr.  Paul 
Sears,  of  Mt.  Carmel,  and  followed  the  practice  of  medi- 
cine until  his  death,  which  took  place  Dec.  18th,  1862. 
He  married  Maria,  daughter  of  James  Wiley.  He  was 
a  soldier  of  the  war  of  1812,  and  came  to  Wabash  county, 
Illinois?,  with  Dr.  Baker,  for  whom  he  worked  one  year 
after  his  arrival  in  Illinois,  in  order  to  pay  him  back 
expenses  incurred  bringing  him  from  New  Jersey.  Mrs. 
Manley  was  born  near  Card's  Point,  in  this  county.  She 
died  in  April,  1862,  leaving  fuur  children,  whose  names 
are  Laura,  wife  of  William  Hamilton,  the  subject  of 
this  sketch ;  Alfred  P.  and  Dr.  Paul  G.  Manley. 

Frank  C.  had  but  slight  opportunities  for  receiving 


326 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WAS  ASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


such  an  education  as  usually  falls  to  the  lot  of  most  boys. 
Being  the  eldest  of  the  sons,  the  labor  of  providing  for 
the  support  of  the  young  ones,  after  the  death  of  his 
parents,  devolved  upon  him.  He  taught  school  for  a 
short  time,  then  engaged  in  farming,  in  which  he  con- 
tinued six  or  seven  years,  also  teaching  in  the  winter 
months.  In  1875,  he  moved  to  the  town  of  Bellrnont, 
and  for  ten  months  clerked  in  a  store.  In  1877,  he  pur- 
chased a  grocery  store,  and  continued  in  that  business 
until  Nov.,  1879,  then  sold  out,  and  in  the  spring  of 
1880  formed  a  partnership  with  W.  H.  Knowles,  in  the 
agricultural  implement  business,  which  continued  until 
July  26th,  1882,  since  which  time  he  has  continued  the 
business  alone.  In  1878  he  was  appointed  post-master. 
He  served  several  years  and  then  resigned.  On  the  5th  of 
January,  1883,  he  was  re  appointed.  On  the  22d  of 
August,  1868,  he  married  Miss  Louisa  M.,  daughter  of 
Alanson  VV.  and  Louisa  (Hunter)  Cory.  Mrs.  Manley 
was  born  in  this  precinct,  in  1843.  Five  children  have 
been  born  to  them,  four  of  whom  are  living.  Their 
names  are  Addis,  Nora  Olive,  Lenard,  and  Bertha. 
Both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Manley  are  members  of  the  M.  E. 
church.  Politically  he  has  uniformly  voted  the  Re- 
publican ticket. 

He  was  elected  justice  of  the  peace,  but  resigned  one 
year  after  his  election.  It  may  be  stated  that  Mr.  Man- 
ley  worked  two  years  in  the  printing  business.  In  1863 
he  was  in  the  office  of  E.  L.  Merritt,  of  Salem,  Illinois. 
Not  liking  the  business  he  abandoned  it  after  two  years 
trial. 

HERNY  PARMENTER, 

WAS  born  in  Ceuterville,  Wabash  county,  Illinois,  Oct. 
5th,  1828.  Isaac  Parmenter,  his  father,  was  a  native  of 
New  York,  and  came  west  when  a  young  man,  soon 
after  the  state  was  admitted  to  the  union.  He  was  a 
soldier  of  the  war  of"  1812,  and  held  the  position  of 
colonel,  and  was  wounded  in  one  of  the  battles.  He  was 
also  a  soldier  in  the  Black  Hawk  war,  and  was  an  officer. 
While  on  duty  placing  the  guard,  he  was  accidentally  shot 
through  the  leg  by  a  soldier.  He  was  for  many  years  a 
leading  and  prominent  man  in  this  locality.  He  was 
sheriff  of  Edwards  county  before  Wabash  was  erected, 
and  also  of  Wabash  county  after  it  was  formed.  He 
owned  a  farm,  and  his  sons  operated  it  while  he  was  in 
his  official  position.  He  was  by  trade  a  carpenter  and 
builder,  and  also  a  millwright,  and  built  mills  through- 
out this  section  of  the  state.  When  he  came  to  Illinois 
lie  settled  in  Centerville,  which  was  the  county  seat  of 
Wabash.  He  died  in  1869.  He-married  Sar: 


daughter  of  Major  Henry  Utter,  who  was  born  in  New 
Jersey,  and  came  with  her  parents  to  Illinois  in  I817i 
and  settled  at  Bald  Hill  prairie.  She  died  in  1845, 
leaving  three  sons  and  three  daughters,  all  living,  except 
Adin,  the  eldest  son.  He  was  a  soldier  in  the  late  war, 
and  a  member  of  the  80th  Regt.  Ind.  Vols.,  and  was 
killed  at  the  battle  of  Perry  ville.  After  the  death  of  his 
wife,  Mr.  Parmenter  married  Mrs.  Doretha  H.  Bi»au- 
champ,  by  which  union  there  were  four  children.  Mrs. 
Parmenter  is  yet  living.  Henry  Parmenter  is  the  third 
in  the  family  by  the  first  marriage.  He  was  three 
years  old  when  his  parents  removed  to  Bald  Hill  prairie, 
and  there  grew  up  on  the  farm.  In  the  winter  months 
he  attended  the  subscription  schools  of  his  neighborhood. 
He  remained  at  home  until  his  twenty-second  year,  when 
he  engaged  in  farming  in  the  same  neighborhood.  He 
purchased  one  hundred  acres  which  he  kept  four  years; 
then  sold  it,  and  in  1858  bought  one  hundred  and  fifty- 
two  acres  in  section  5,  township  2,  range  13  west.  It 
was  only  slightly  improved,  with  no  buildings  on  it  ex. 
cept  a  email  log  cabin,  and  a  few  acres  cleared.  There 
he  has  lived,  cleared  the  farm,  erected  the  fine  build- 
ings, which  ornament  the  place,  and  improved  it,  and 
there  he_  still  continues  to  reside. 

On  the  4th  of  August,  1854,  he  was  united  in  marriage 
to  Miss  N.  J.  Putman,  daugh'ter  of  Eber  and  Tryphosia 
Putman,  old  settlers  of  Illinois  and  Wabash  county. 
Her  family  were  originally  from  Massachusetts,  and 
from  there  removed  to  Ohio,  then  to  Indiana,  and  in 
1818  came  to  Illinois.  Mrs.  Parmenter  was  born  in 
Wabash  county,  March  18th,  1830.  There  have  been 
seven  children  born  to  Mrs.  Parmenter,  six  of  whom  are 
living.  Lester,  one  of  the  sons,  was  accidentally  killed  at 
the  age  of  fourteen  years.  The  names  of  the  children  in 
the  order  of  their  birth  are  Adin  T.,  who  married  Miss 
Mary  Alice  Bristow,  and  have  two  children  ;  Lettie  A., 
Sarah,  Merriam,  Henry,  and  William  Franklin  Par- 
menter. Mrs.  Parmenter  and  two  eldest  daughters  are 
members  of  the  Christian  church.  Politically  the  family 
were  originally  old  line  Whigs,  then  Republicans.  Mr. 
Parmenter  votes  the  Republican  ticket  on  all  National 
and  State  occasions. 

Mr.  Parmenter  is  one  of  the  substantial  farmers  of 
Wabash  county.  He  is  an  old  settler,  born  and  bred  in 
Wabash  county.  Here  where  he  has  lived  among  these 
people  who  know  him  best,  he  is  regarded  as  a  straight- 
forward wide  awake  energetic  and  honorable  business 
man,  conducting  his  business  on  correct  principles.  He 
has  also  lately  been  interested  in  constructing  ditches 
for  the  purpose  of  draining  the  low  lands  in  the  county. 


DIVERSITY  Of  "ILLINOIS 


BRIDGEPORT 


LAWRENCE   CO. 


|HIS  township  is  bounded  on  the  north  by 
Petty,  east  by  Lawrence  and  Denniscn,  south 
by  Lukin,  ard  west  by  Christy  township,  and 
comprises  an  area  of  about  fifteen  sections.  It  was  or- 
ganized as  a  voting  precinct,  in  1872,  by  taking  two  and 
a  half  sections  from  the  east  side  of  Christy.  It  was 
first  settled  by  Kentuckians,  and  the  first  to  locate  here 
•were  Samuel  H.  and  his  brother,  Rezin  Clubb ;  they 
came  and  settled  on  the  Old  Indian  trace,  in  1817,  on 
the  southeast  quarter  of  section  12,  township  o — 13, 
where  Samuel  H.  erected  a  cabin  for  his  family.  Sam- 
uel H.  was  born  in  the  year  1788,  and  came  here  with 
his  wife  at  the  date  above  mentioned.  Soon  after,  con- 
siderable immigration  began,  and  Mr.  Clubb  enlarged 
his  cabin  and  opeued  an  inn,  and  entertained  travelers 
for  several  years,  and  his  house  became  quite  a  noted 
place.  Among  other  pioneers,  soon  after  the  laying  out 
out  of  the  county  seat,  he  moved  there  and  became 
county  treasurer,  and  subsequently  laid  out  Clubb's 
addition  to  the  town.  He  also  represented  the  county 
in  the  legislature  of  the  state.  Mr.  Clubb  was  three 
times  married  and  left  four  children.  Henry  A.  Clubb, 
Deputy  County  Clerk,  is  the  only  son  living.  Mr.  Clubb 
died  March  28th,  1863.  Rezin  Clubb  lived  but  a  short 
time  in  this  county,  moving  farther  west  and  settling  on 
land  afterward  included  in  Richland  county,  where  he 
reared  a  family,  some  of  whom  are  yet  living.  On  the 
18th  of  April,  1818,  James  Lanterman,  a  Kentuckian, 
arrived  ;  he  settled  with  his  family  on  section  17,  (T.  3 
— 12).  He  made  the  trip  here  in  an  old  Virginian  wagon 
drawn  by  six  horses.  His  father-in-law,  Hugh  Drennen; 
had  come  to  the  oounty  the  year  prior,  and  entered  160 
acres  of  land  for  each  of  his  children.  When  Mr.  Lant- 
erraan  came,  he  found  an  old  Indian  with  his  squaw  and 
three  children,  who  had  an  elm-bark  camp  on  this  tract, 
which  they  were  occupying.  He  soon  made  a  trade 
with  the  Indian,  and  for  a  quart  of  whisky  and  a  half 
side  of  bacon,  the  camp  was  purchased,  and  the  Indian 
with  his  little  family,  left  never  to  return  again.  The 
camp  was  moved  a  short  distance,  to  a  small  elevation  of 
ground,  and  a  canvas  tent  placed  near  it ;  the  old  bark 
tent  was  used  for  a  kitchen  and  the  tent  and  large  cov- 
ered wagon  for  sleeping  apartments.  It  was  here  they 
made  their  residence,  until  after  their  crop  had  been 
planted,  and  a  log-cabin  was  completed,  into  which  the 
family  moved  on  the  3d  of  July.  Mr.  Lanterman's 
family  consisted  of  himself  and  wife,  whose  name  was 


Jane,  and  their  children,  Lettie,  David  D.  and  Margaret, 
who  were  then  quite  small ;  besides,  there  was  Robert 
Drennen,  Richard  McCann,  and  another  young  man. 
James  Lanterman  was  a  good  and  useful  citizen,  he  died 
in  the  year  1861,  in  the  village  of  Bridgeport.  Of  those 
of  his  family  who  came  with  him,  his  son,  David  D.,  is 
the  only  one  now  living.  He  is  still  a  resident  of  Bridge, 
port,  hale  and  hearty,  and  delights  in  relating  incidents 
and  anecdotes  of  the  olden  times.  In  the  year  1817, 
Nathan  Rawlings  settled  on  section  8.  He  was  a  Ken- 
tuckian, and  a  man  of  large  family.  His  sons  were 
Provence,  Nathan,  James  and  Scott.  They  all  subse- 
quently married  and  continued  to  reside  in  the  county. 
They  are  now  all  deceased,  but  some  of  their  descendants 
still  survive.  The  elder  Rawlings  was  a  noted  hunter 
in  his  day,  and  was  quite  a  champion  in  all  athletic  sports. 

Henry  Bennett,  an  Ohioan,  came  here  in  the  fall  of 
1817,  and  settled  on  the  N.  E.  quarter  of  section  17, 
almost  within  the  present  limits  of  the  town  of  Bridge- 
port. He  reared  a  small  family  and  died  about  the  year 
1828,  soon  after  which  his  wife  and  family  returned  to 
Ohio.  William  Martin,  a  Yankee,  as  the  early  settlers 
termed  him,  also  came  in  the  year  1817.  He  located 
with  his  family  on  section  18,  where  he  erected  a  cabin, 
tilled  some  ground-  and  lived  for  about  ten  years,  and 
then  left  the  county.  His  father,  John  Martin,  resided 
with  him  until  his  death,  which  occurred  a  few  years 
after  he  came.  Thomas  Fish,  a  native  of  the  state  of 
Vermont,  settled  on  the  southwest  quarter  of  section  18, 
in  the  year  1818— the  same  year  that  Illinois  was  ad- 
mitted into  the  Union  as  a  State.  His  family  consisted 
of  himself,  wife,  and  three  children,  Sally,  Josiah  and 
John.  The  latter  is  still  living  on  the  old  homestead, 
and  is  among  the  oldest  residents  of  the  county.  Samuel 
Newell,  a  Virginian  by  birth,  came  to  the  county  as 
early  as  1816  ;  first  stopped  on  Allison's  prairie  for 
a  year  or  two,  where  he  made  a  farm ;  he  then 
removed  to  section  8,  T.  3 — 12,  where  he  erected  a  cabin 
and  made  other  improvements,  and  lived  until  his  death, 
which  occurred  about  the  year  1854.  He  had  a  large 
family  of  children,  only  three  of  whom  are  now  living  in 
the  county,  viz :  Mrs.  William  Cooper,  Mrs.  T.  A.  Martin 
and  Samuel.  Another  son,  John  A.  lives  in  Kansas 
and  is  over  seventy  years  of  age.  Samuel  resides  on  the 
old  home  place.  James  Stewart,  a  Tennesseean,  was  also 
another  early  settler,  arriving  in  1817. 

Early  Schools  and  Churches.— The  first  school  was 
327 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  W ABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


taught  by  John  Martin,  on  section  18,  in  a  little  log- 
cabin,  in  the  year  1819.  Among  the  scholars  were 
David  D.  Lantermin,  Lettie  Lanterman,  the  Miller 
children  and  the  Fish  children.  In  a  year  or  two,  1820- 
21,  a  log  school-house,  with  greased  paper  windows,  was 
built  on  the  southwest  corner  of  section  17,  T.  3—12, 
near  which  was  built  a  hewed  log  church  by  the  •'  New 
Lights,"  (Christians)  about  the  same  time,  which  were 
known  as  the  Spring  Hill  church  and  school-house,  so 
named  on  account  of  there  being  a  perennial  spring  near 

by. 

William  Kinkaid  was  the  earliest  resident  preacher 
in  the  neighborhood.  Among  the  traveling  preachers 
were,  Rev.  James  Hughes,  John  Rogers,  David  Me 
Donald  and  Elijah  Gooden. 

A  burial  ground  was  started  here,  and  the  first  person 
interred  therein  was  James  Flanigan. 

Mrs.  Ealsa  Miller,  a  widow  with  eight  children,  (she 
was  a  daughter  of  Samuel  Kinkaid),  came  with  her 
father  and  brothers,  Hugh  and  William,  in  the  spring 
of  1819.  She  settled  on  the  N.  E.  quarter  of  section  20 
(T.  3—12),  where  she  reared  her  family.  Josephus  M. 
Miller,  her  son,  born  in  Kentucky  in  1809,  has  always 
live  011  the  old  homestead,  and  is  well-known  as  among 
the  older  residents  of  the  county.  It  is  related  that 
when  Mrs.  Miller  came,  during  a  part  of  the  y«ars 
1819-20,  a  band  of  about  five  hundred  Shawnee  Indians 
were  camped  on  the  Indian  creek,  in  this  township. 
They  were  on  a  hunting  expedition  and  did  not  molest 
the  few  and  scattered  settlements.  The  Indians  were 
accompanied  by  their  squaws  and  children.  The  settlers 
would  frequently  congregate  at  the  camp  of  the  Indians 
for  purposes  of  barter,  and  to  witness  the  antics  and 
various  other  amusements  of  the  papooses. 

John  Scott,  a  Kentuckian  and  a  Christian  preacher, 
settled  on  section  19,  in  1817,  he  continued  to  reside  there 
about  five  years,  with  his  family — then  they  removed  to 
one  of  the  centre  counties  bordering  on  the  Illinois  river. 
Barney  McMann  came  in  1817  and  settled  west  of 
Bridgeport ;  he  was  soon  after  taken  sick,  and  died. 
After  this  date,  settlers  came  in  quite  rapidly  and  the 
county  became  more  thickly  populated. 

Land  entries:  On  the  30th  of  July,  1816,  Samuel 
Newell  entered  the  N.  half  of  section  8,  (T.  3—12),  and 
August  12th,  1816,  Nathan  Rawlings  entered  the  E. 
half  of  S.  W  quarter  of  section  8,  (T.  3—12.)  June  10th, 
1817,  Cormlius  Vanarsdale  entered  N.  E.  quarter  sec- 
tion 32,  (T.  4—12) ;  Aug.  13th,  1817,  W.  French  and 
T.  Roseman,  S.  W.  quarter  section  32,  (T.  4—12)  ; 
Oct.  30th,  1817,  James  Stewart,  S.  E.  quarter  section  12, 
(T.  4—12) ;  Samuel  Clubb  entered  the  S.  E.  quarter 
section  12,  (T.  3—13)  on  the  12th  of  May,  1818,  and 
the  same  day  and  year,  May  12th,  1818,  William  Martin 
entered  the  N.  E.  quarter  of  section  13,  (T.  3 — 13). 
Frequently  the  settlers  would  "Squat"  on  the  land  and 
make  an  improvement,  and  live  on  it  for  a  time  before 
entering  the  tract. 

The  following  gentlemen  have  represented  this  town- 


ship in  the  board  of  supervisors.  The  township  was 
organized  at  the  September  term,  1872,  and  the  first 
supervisor  was  M.  E.  Barnes,  1873,  David  D.  Lanterman, 
1874,  by  re-election  held  the  office  until  1879.  G. 
A.  Abernathy,  1879,  and  by  re  election  held  the  office 
four  terms,  until  1883;  Hyatt  W.  Bunn,  elected  in  1883, 
is  the  present  incumbent. 

Stiver's  Mineral  Springs,  located  about  one  and  a  half 
miles  southwest  from  Bridgeport,  are  gaining  some  pop- 
ularity. The  waters  are  strongly  impregnated  with 
valuable  medical  properties,  to  the  curative  effect  of 
which  many  can  testify.  They  are  situated  in  a  beautiful 
grove  of  natural  trees,  and  the  surrounding  scenery  is 
pleasant  and  interesting.  A  hotel  and  bath-houses  have 
been  erected,  and  other  conveniences  made  for  the  en- 
tertainment and  comfort  of  the  guests.  Moses  Stivers 
is  the  proprietor. 

TOWN   OP   BRIDGEPORT 

Is  located  on  parts  of  sections  8-9,  (T.  3 — 12),  on  the 
line  of  the  Ohio  and  Mississippi  Railroad.  The  original 
proprietors  were  David  D.  Lanterman  and  Aaron  Shaw. 
They  had  the  town  laid  out  and  platted  by  Walter  Bu- 
chanan, County  Surveyor,  in  the  summer  of  1854. 
During  the  building  of  the  O.  &  M.  R.  R.,  the  company 
erected  five  or  six  shanties  on  the  north  side  of  the  road, 
(which  have  since  been  torn  down),  and  John  Burk,  one 
of  the  foremen,  named  it  Bridgeport,  from  the  bridge 
crossing  Indian  creek  at  this  point,  and  a  year  later, 
when  the  town  was  laid  out,  the  name  was  continued. 

Samuel  Thorn  erected  a  frame  one-story  store  building, 
just  north  of  the  railroad,  which  is  still  standing  on 
what  is  now  the  west  side  of  Main  street.  He  put  in  a 
general  stock  of  goods.  In  1854,  G.  W.  Cooper,  jr.  built 
a  small  frame  store-house  on  the  lot  where  now  stands 
the  Centennial  Hotel.  It  was  the  first  business  house 
erected  after  the  town  was  platted.  In  the  spring  of 
1854,  George  Schreck  erected  a  small  log-house  on  2d 
street,  between  Main  and  Jefferson,  which  was  the  first 
residence  in  the  town.  About  the  time  of  the  completion 
of  the  above,  several  parties  began  the  erection  of  resi- 
dences and  stores,  and  during  the  remainder  of  the  year 
ten  or  a  dozen  were  completed.  Among  the  parties  who 
erected  buildings,  were  George  W.  Cooper,  sr.,  George 
W.  Cooper,  jr.,  Philip  Guiues,  Henry  Guines,  James 
Lanterman,  John  and  Jerre  Hill.  Jackson  Lamott 
built  the  first  hotel,  in  1858.  The  town  kept  on  growing 
until  the  fall  of  1861,  when  a  fire  broke  out  in  the  centre 
of  the  business  block,  on  the  we-t  side  of  Main  street  and 
destroyed  the  whole  block.  Within  a  year  or  two  the 
buildings  were  replaced,  only  to  be  again  destroyed  by 
fire  about  twelve  years  later.  The  block  was  again  re- 
placed with  larger  and  more  durable  buildings,  this 
time  with  substantial  brick  structures. 

The  first  resident  physician  was  Dr.  Samuel  Hayes. 
He  is  still  practicing  here.  Samuel  L.  Spencer  was  the 
first  blacksmith. 

About  the  year  1870  the  town  reached  its  most  pros- 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


329 


perors  condition.  It  then  had  a  pork  packing  establish- 
ment and  other  enterprises  and  industries  flourished  here, 
which  attracted  the  citizens  from  several  miles  of  the 
surrounding  country,  and  the  place  became  quite  a 
business  centre  for  trade  with  the  farmers.  It  was  a 
rival  of  Lawrenceville  for  the  county  seat,  for  which  a 
vote  of  the  people  of  the  county  was  taken,  the  majority 
vote,  however,  was  in  favor  of  retaining  the  county  seat 
at  Lawrenceville. 

Corporation.  Bridgeport  was  incorporated  by  sper  ial 
act  of  the  Legislature,  Feb.  16th,  1865,  by  the  name  and 
style  of  "The  Town  of  Bridgeport."  The  government 
being  vested  in  five  trustees,  to  be  elected  by  the  voters 
of  the  town,  on  the  .first  Monday  in  April,  of  each  year; 
also  to  elect  one  Police  Magistrate,  and  town  Constable. 
The  corporate  trustees  were  M.  D.  Frazier,  Gideon 
Schleuker,  Lyman  Utter,  G.  W.  Cooper,  jr.,  and  William 
Lockwood.  The  present  board  at  this  writing,  (March, 
1883),  are  John  A.  Baird,  president  of  the  board,  Theo. 
Smith,  Martin  Eshelmau,  B  F.  Watson  and  Adolph 
Schmalhausen.  Carl  Busse,  Clerk  and  Police  Magis- 
trate. William  Gray,  Constable. 

Early  Churches. — The  first  house  of  worship  erected  in 
the  town,  was  by  the  Christian  denomination,  about 
the  year  1858.  At  the  present  writing,  there  are  a 
Christian,  Methodist.  Presbyterian,  and  Catholic,  all 
substantial  buildings. 

Early  Schools. — The  first  school-house  was  a  frame 
building,  erected  in  the  northwest  part  of  the  town,  in 
1860.  It  was  used  until  the  present  commodious  brick  struc- 
ture was  erected,  in  1881,  at  a  cost  of  upward  of  $4000. 

Bridgeport  City  Milk,  was  built  by  J.  L.  Coleman, 
about  twenty-five  years  ago.  The  present  proprietors 
are  J.  D.  Sage  &  Son.  They  purchased  the  mill  in  1873. 
It  is  a  three-story  building,  operated  by  steam,  and  con- 
tains three  run  of  burrs,  one  set  of  rolls  and  two  purifiers, 


and  is  both  a  custom  and  merchant  mill.  "Sages Pride" 
and  several  other  brands  find  a  ready  market  in  Cincin- 
nati, besides  many  local  points.  Capacity,  100  barrels 
per  twenty  four  hours. 

Lodge. — A  Masonic  lodge  was  organized  here  a  short 
time  since,  and  is  in  a  flourishing  condition. 

PRESENT  BUSINESS. 

General  Stores.— Casper  Pixley,  and  Warner  Bros. 

Druggists. — L.  R.  Schmalhausen,  F.  Frazier,  and 
G-  W.  Cooper. 

Groceries.— Schmalhausen  &  Co.,  Jacob  Schleuker,  G. 
C.  Schleuker,  C.  Busse. 

Hardware  and  Groceries.— W.  C.  Fyffe. 

Stoves  and  Tinware. — H.  Schmalhausen. 

Agricultural  Implement  Dealer. — F.  W.  Cox. 

Millinery.— Mrs.  Ellen  Cooper,  Mrs.  A.  M.  Piper  and 
Miss  Annie  Cappass. 

Photographer.— H.  W.  Bunn. 

Furniture. — B.  F.  Bunn. 

Blacksmiths.— W.  H.  Black,  H.  Milbern,  Wade  Bros. 

Shoemakers. — C.  Busse,  Daniel  McBride. 

Barber.— A.  B.  Wolf. 

Paint  Shop.—~B.  F.  Watson. 

Livery  Stable—  Gillespie  &  McBride. 

Hotel.— Paul  Sheridan. 

Grain  Dealer.— W.  L.  Gray. 

Insurance  Agents. — J.  M.  Rosenborough,  Charles 
Vannausdel. 

Postmaster — H.  K.  Lanterman. 

Butchers. — Lanterman  &  O  Donell. 

Physicians.— M.  D.  Frazer,  A.  M.  Maxwell,  H.  V. 
Lewis. 

Dentist.— Samuel  Hayes. 

Harness  Maker.— William  Williamson. 

Sewing  Machine  and  Organs. — J.  T.  McJunsey. 


BIOGRAPHIES. 


HARLIE  V.  LEWIS. 

THE  Lewis  family  trace  their  ancestry  back  through  , 
several  generations  to  David  Lewis,  a  Scotch-Irishman, 
who  came  to  America  in  the  latter  part  of  the  last  century, 
He  was  a  tall,  athletic  man,  the  father  of  Isaiah,  who 
came  to  Lawrence  county  in  1820,  and  settled  on  a  farm 
known  since  as  the  Bear  farm,  where  he  lived  a  number 
of  years,  then  moved  to  Terre  Haute,  Indiana.     He  , 
taught  the  first   school,  in   several  different  neighbor- 
hoods.    Prior  to  coming  to  Illinois  there  was  born   to 
him  a  son,  Philip,   who  remained   in    Lawrence  county,  ! 
Philip,  a  wheelwright  and  farmer,  was  for  some  years  a 
preacher  of  the  Universalist  faith.     During  the  latter 
42 


part  of  his  life  he  was  equally  zealous  as  a  member  of 
the  Christian  church.  He  died  Feb.  4,  1873.  His 
family  consisted  of  sixteen  children.  One  of  these, 
William  M.,  was  born  in  1828.  William  M.  Lewis  was 
an  active  business  man.  When  a  young  man  he  followed 
the  trade  of  a  carpenter.  When  Bridgeport  was  first 
laid  off  he  erected  the  depot,  and  soon  after  commenced 
dealing  in  grain.  In  this  business  he  continued  until 
the  time  of  his  death,  which  occurred  February  3d, 
1882.  During  the  last  five  years  he  combined  with  his 
other  interests  that  of  dealer  in  hardware.  As  a  busi- 
ness man  he  possessed  marked  ability.  Although  he 
had  never  attended  school  longer  than  six  months,  but 


330 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


he  was  a  natural  mathematician,  and  as  such  was  often 
appealed  to  for  arbitration  in  cases  where  settlements 


Chicago  Law  Schools.     Politically,  the  Doctor  is  an  ar- 
dent, earnest  Republican,  although  he  affiliated  with  the 


democracy  from  the  time  of  casting  his  first  ballot,  which 
was  for  James  K.  Polk,  until  the  organization  of  the 
Republican  party,  in  1856.  He  is  a  member  of  the 


between   parties   were    difficult.      He   was  married   to 
Catharine  Eaton,  daughter  of  Caius  Eaton,  a  native  of 
Vermont,  who  survives  him.     Caius  Eaton  was  among 
the  first  teachers  as  well  as  first  justices  in  Lawrence-  j  M,  E.  Church,  also  of   the  Masonic  order,  being  M 
ville.     Mrs.  Lewis  is  an  evangelist  in  the  strictest  sense     ter  of  the   Bridgeport  Lodge   No.  383,  at  the   present 
of  the  term,  as  she  proclaims  her  faith  in  every  house- 
hold.       Few   more    zealous   or  active   Christian    wo- 
men can   be  found  than   she.    To  William  M.  and  wife 
were  born  six  children,  Henry  H.  and  Mollie  M.,  now 
dead.    Harlie  V..  Siegel  D.,  and  Marion  are  living. 

Dr.  Harlie  V.  Lewis  obtained  a  good  common  school 
education,  then  attended  the  medical  institute  of  Cin- 
cinnati, whence  he  graduated  March  2d,  1880.  He 
was  married  to  Hettie  Ray,  daughter  of  Dr.  Thomas 


Ray,  Oct.  5,  1881.  In 1882  he  was  elected  coroner  of 
Lawrence  county.  He  is  a  pronounced  democrat  po- 
litically, an  active  member  of  the  Christian  church, 
religiously.  As  a  physician  he  is  acquiring  a  fine  prac- 
tice. 


DR.  MILTON  D.  FRAZER. 

THIS  leading  physician  was  born  in  Richmond,  Wayne 
county  Indiana,  April  26th,  1824.  His  father,  Daniel 
Frazer,  was  a  native  of  Randolph  county,  North  Carolina, 
as  was  also  his  mother,  whose  maiden  name  was  Sarah 
Hays.  About  the  year  1814,  they  moved  from  their 
Carolinian  home  to  Indiana.  Their  ancestral  line  runs 
back  on  the  father's  side  to  English  birth,  and  on  the 
mothers,  to  Scotch.  To  David  and  wife  were  born  a  fam- 
ily of  thirteen  children,  two  of  whom  died  in  infancy.  The 
members  of  this  family  are  much  scattered,  some  in  Kan- 
sas, Missouri  and  here.  David  Frazer  died  in  1845. 
Milton  D  Frazer  obtained  a  fair  common  school  educa- 
tion in  New  Castle,  where  his  parents  located,  in  1833, 
which  was  supplemented  by  attendance  at  the  County 
Seminary.  In  1844,  he  commenced  the  study  of  his 
chosen  profession,  that  of  medicine,  with  Dr.  James 
Home,  of  Middletown,  Indiana,  with  whom  he  remained 
three  years,  when  he  commenced  practice  in  Yorktown. 
He  continued  in  the  practice  hereabout  five  years:  then 
in  Xenia,  Miami  county,  Ohio,  until  1861,  when  he  came 
to  Bridgeport.  He  was  graduated  from  the  Cincinnati 
College  of  Medicine  and  Surgery,  in  1863.  In  his 


time.  Social  in  his  demeanor,  skilled  in  his  profession, 
earnest  in  his  study,  he  is  recognized  as  among  the  best 
physicians  of  this  part  of  the  state. 

PHILIP  BELLES. 

THE  subject  of  the  folio  wing  sketch  was  born  in  Lu- 
zerne  county,  Pa.,  in  1843.  He  was  the  fourth  son  of 
Philip  Belles,  Sr.,  who  married  Jane  Keichliue.  He 


emigrated  with  his  parents  to  Lawrence  county  in  1854, 
and  settled  on  section  29,  range  3,  12  west.  He  resided 
with  his  parents  until  1862,  when,  on  the  14th  day  of 
August  of  that  year  he  enlisted  in  company  I,  130th 
regiment  Illinois  infantry.  He  took  part  in  the  follow- 
ing engagements:  Port  Hudson,  Champions  Hill,  Big 
Black  river,  Siege  of  Vicksburg  and  Jackson,  Miss. 
After  these  engagements  he  was  transferred  to  the  Gulf 
department,  and  during  Banks'  unfortunate  expedition 
up  Red  river  he  was  taken  prisoner  at  Sabine  Cross 
Roads.  He  was  immediately  taken  to  Camp  Ford,  near 
Tyler,  Texas,  where  he  was  confined  as  a  prisoner  of- 
war  from  April  6th,  1864,  until  paroled  May  25,  1865. 
The  prisoners  who  were  confined  there  were  put  in  a 
stockade  eight  feet  high  in  which  was  a  dead-line  fifteen 
feet  from  the  stockade,  and  any  prisoner  passing  that 
line,  either  accidentally  or  otherwise,  incurred  the  penalty 
of  death,  at  the  option  of  the  guard.  It  is  also  his  candid 
opinion,  from  circumstances  which  came  under  his  own 
personal  observation,  that  guards  were  promoted  and 
given  furloughs  for  shooting  down  a  prisoner  when  found 
over  the  dead-line.  To  illustrate  it  more  distinctly,  he 
remembers  a  case  in  which  a  prisoner  from  an  Ohio  regi- 
ment was  persuaded  across  the  dead  line  by  a  sentinel, 
with  promises  that  he  should  not  be  molested,  as  he 
simply  wanted  to  talk  to  him.  When  the  prisoner  was 
within  five  or  six  feet  of  the  stockade  thesentinel  warned 
the  man  that  he  would  shoot  him,  and  as  the  prisoner 
turned  to  run  the  sentinel  shot  him  in  the  back.  That 

0.    __    0    „,  sentinel  was  not  seen  again  for  thirty  days,  and  when 

practice^e  has  had  marked  success.  He  is  a  member  !  next  seen  was  sergeant  in  command  of  a  squad  of  Con- 
of  the  Grant  county  (Indiana)  Medical  Society,  and  of  federate  soldiers.  During  their  confinement  three  difler- 
the  Lawrence  co.,  Society  of  which  he  is  president.  He  ent  attempts  were  made  to  tunnel  out  of  the  prison, 
was  united  in  marriage  with  Eliza  Haupt,  daughter  of  [  Owing  to  the  treachery  of  some  of  the  prisoners  these 
Abraham  and  Eliza  Haupt,  of  Wabash  county,  June  were  not  very  successful,  and  even  when  successful,  the 
28,  1845.  To  them  have  been  born  six  children,  two  of  chances  of  escape  to  the  Union  lines  were  very  meager, 
•whom  died  in  infancy,  and  four  are  living,  namely :  Car-  j  as  there  was  a  corral  of  blood-hounds  kept  at  the  stock- 
oline  Beau  champ,  of  Tipton,  Indiana;  Charles  Frazer,  ade  for  the  purpose  of  capturing  escaped  prisoners 
a  practicing  physician,  at  St.  Francesville,  Wabash  coun-  ;  Some  of  the  hounds  would  strikea  trail  forty-eight  hours 
ty,  Illinois ;  Fremont,  a  cleik  in  a  drug  store,  and  Edwin  |  old  and  overtake  the  prisoner.  At  one  time  he  was  an 
H.,  Deputy  cleik,  Lawrenceville,  and  attorney  at  law.  !  eye-witness  where  six  blood-hounds  caught  a  prisoner 
Edwin  H.  was  educated  in  Vincennes,  Bloomington  and  and  mangled  him  so  that  he  died  within  five  days.  Atone 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS.  331 


time  their  rations  for  five  days  were  a  pint  and  a  half  of 
shelled  corn.  The  above  are  some  of  the  hardships 
endured  by  Mr.  Belles  and  his  comrades  in  a  rebel 
prison.  To  enumerate  all  of  them  would  require  a 
volume.  He  was  mustered  out  of  service  on  the  17th 
day  of  June,  1865,  and  immediately  returned  to  his 
father's  home,  where  he  has  since  followed  the  occupa- 
tion of  a  farmer.  He  was  married  Dec.  20,h,  1866,  to 
Miss  Lizzie  Ramsey,  daughter  of  Joseph  and  Mary  \ 
Ramsey,  nee  Wiuship,  who  now  reside  in  Richland 
county,  111.  From  this  union  there  are  no  offspring. 
He  united  with  the  Presbyterian  church  in  1881,  of 


which  he  is  still  a  consistent  member.  He  became  a  life- 
member  of  the  Union  Ex-Prisoners  of  War  Association 
Jan.  12,  1882.  Since  he  became  a  voter  he  has  always 
been  a  staunch  Republican,  being  the  only  one  of  his 
family  who  incline  to  that  belief.  He  is  a  representa- 
tive man  of  his  party,  having  been  several  times  dele- 
gate to  county  conventions,  and  also  strongly  solicited 
to  serve  as  supervisor  of  his  township,  which  honor 
he  has  studiously  declined.  He  is  an  honest,  upright, 
industrious  citizen,  respected  by  his  neighbors  and  loved 
by  his  friends. 


COFFEE. 


WABASH    COUNTY. 


jjOFFEE  precinct  derives  its  name  from  the 
circumstance,  that  a  quantity  of  coffee  was 
lost  from  a  keel  boat,  in  her  passage  up 
the  Wabash,  near   the   island  which  also 
received  the  name  of  Coffee  island.     It  is  irregularly 
triangular  in  shape,  and  embraces  all  that  portion  of 
the  county  lying  between  Bunpas  creek  and  the  Wa- 
bash, and   south   of  the   northern  tier  of  sections   of 
township  2  south.     It  is  bounded  on  the  north  by  Bell- 
mont  and  Mt.  Carmel  precincts,  on  the  east  and  south 
by  Indiana,  from  which  it  is  separated  by  the  Wabash, 
and  on  the  west  by  El  wards'  county,  from  which  it  is 
separated   by  Bonpas   creek.     The  surface   is   mainly 
level.     A  range  of  bluffs  extends  along  the  Wabash, 
and  gradually  terminates  towards  the  Bonpas  bottom. 
The  soil  both  of  the  upland  and  the  bottom  is  sandy.  | 
It  is  fertile,  and  yields   corn   and   wheat   abundantly,  j 
South   and   west  of  Keensburg   is  Compton's   prairie, 
about  two  miles  long  and  a  mile  and  a  half  in  width. 
There  are  heavy  belts  of  timber  along  the  Bonpas  and  . 
Wabash.     The   country   around    Keensburg,    some   of 
which   now   supports  a  heavy  growth  of  timber,  was  ' 
originally  covered  by  "blackjacks."     There  was  once  a  j 
large  quantity  of  cane  in  the  bottom,  now  displaced  by  j 
timber.     Coffee  and  Village  creeks  supply  drainage  for 
the  interior. 

The  first  important  settlement  in  the  county  was  made 
in  this  precinct,  on  the  Wabash  river,  at  Rochester,  by 
a  few  families  of  French  descent,  in  the  early  part  of 


the  present  century.     The  pioneers  in  this  settlement 
and  the  leaders  among  the  colonists  were  the  brothers  j 
Augustus  and  William  Tougas  or  Lavulette,  or,  as  the  ' 
family  name  now   is,  Lovelette.      Mrs.  Tougas,  mother 
of  Augustus   and    William,   and   two   other   brothers, 
Joseph  and  Francis,  married  a  man  named  Lavulette 


or  Lovelette,  and  this  became  the  family  name.  Joseph 
and  Francis,  however,  who  settled  at  St.  Francesville, 
Lawrence  county,  adhered  to  their  ancestral  name  of 
Tougas.  These  four  brothers  were  men  of  large  stature, 
and  of  great  physical  power  and  courage.  This  wa« 
especially  true  of  Augustus.  He  was  six  feet  and  six 
inches  in  height,  and  to  his  great  physical  powers  were 
added  shrewdness  and  foresight.  He  and  his  brother 
remained  in  the  midst  of  the  hostile  and  treacherous 
Piankishaws,  trading  with  them,  while  others  fled  at  the 
news  of  the  Cannon,  and  the  Burway  and  Pichinaut 
massacres.  Their  families  were  at  different  times,  as 
occasion  demanded,  sent  to  Vincennes  for  safety.  The 
word  of  Augustus  among  the  tribe  was  law,  not  because 
they  loved,  but  because  they  feared  him.  He  even  went 
so  far  as  to  punish  them  for  their  misdeeds.  On  one  oc. 
casion  an  Indian  stole  a  rifle,  which  Lovelette  had  re- 
cently purchased  at  Vincennes.  The  Indian  at  first  de- 
nied the  taking,  but  after  having  been  "strung  up" 
three  successive  times,  much  after  the  fashion  of  the 
late  occurrence  at  Taylorsville,  he  confessed  his  guilt, 
and  told  where  the  gun  might  be  found.  After  the 
manner  of  his  day,  he  would  sometimes,  as  occasion  de- 
manded, indulge  in  a  "rough-and-tumble."  The  hard- 
est fight  of  his  life  was  with  an  Indian,  many  of  whose 
comrades  stood  by  and  witnessed  the  contest,  never 
offering  to  interfere,  showing  something  of  honor  where 
there  was  so  much  of  treachery  and  cruelty.  Augustus 
not  only  traded  with  the  Indians,  but  purchased  pro- 
duce from  the  white  settlers,  and  boated  it  to  New 
Orleans,  sometimes  walking  all  the  way  back.  At  one 
time,  on  his  return,  he  and  some  companions  met  a  man 
who  invited  them  to  go  with  him  to  his  cabin  and 
spend  the  approaching  night.  Though  a  brave  man, 
Lovelette  felt  some  misgivings,  but  yielded  to  the  de- 


332 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  W ABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


sire  of  the  rest  of  the  company,  who,  less  shrewd  than 
he,  saw  no  danger.  Their  suspicions,  however,  became 
^xcited,  as  one  by  one,  strangers,  each  armed  with  a 


Rochester,  remaining  there  about  two  years,  and  then 
moving  to  the  N.  J  of  section  10,  where  he  followed 
farming  and  stock  raising.  Here  he  died  in  184->,  leav. 


gun,  came  into  the  cabin.  They  set  their  guns  near  the  ing  children,  yet  living  in  the  precinct.  Joseph  Bur- 
cabiu  door  as  they  entered,  and  spent  much  of  their  j  way  and  Joseph  Pichinaut  also  belonged  to  the  French 
time  without.  Lovelette  and  his  companions  lay  down  j  settlement.  The  former  married  Theresa  Gaudier,  and 
to  rest,  apparently,  but  really  to  watch,  having  arranged  j  had  one  child,  a  little  boy,  when  he  arrived.  The  latter 
for  a  signal,  at  which,  in  case  of  any  hostility  shown  by  had  a  wife,  whose  maiden  name  was  Barbara  Bierjaut, 
their  hosts,  they  were  to  leap  to  the  door  and  seize  the  and  two  little  boys. 

guns.    The  cabin  floor  was  at  a  considerable  distance         In  1815,  shortly  after  the  Cannon  massacre,  they  were 

killed  by  the  Indians  in  the  Coffee  bottoms.  They  had 
gone  in  quest  of  their  horses  to  go  to  mill  at  Vincennes. 
Pichinaut  was  unarmed,  but  Burway  was  carrying  a 
heavy  rifle  that  made  a  peculiar  report  when  dis- 
charged. William  Arnold,  John  Compton,  and  Samuel 
Simcoe,  the  latter  on  horseback,  were  in  the  bottom  at 
the  time  referred  to.  They  heard  the  report  of  a  gun, 
which  they  recognized  as  Burway's,  followed  by  a  volley, 
and  guessing  the  meaning  and  result,  without  further 
investigation  spread  the  alarm,  and  Samuel  Mclntosh, 
John  Compton,  John  Decker,  Thomas  Pirlliam,  Henry 


from  the  ground,  and  the  puncheons  were  not  fastened 
down.  During  the  night  one  of  them  was  raised  up 
and  a  hand  appeared.  The  preconcerted  signal  was 
given,  the  guns  were  seized,  the  strangers  disarmed  and 
held  under  guard  till  morning,  when  the  arms  were 
broken  and  cast  into  a  pond.  The  Lovelettes  came  to 
the  county  from  Vincennes,  and  first  settled  a  little 
above  Rochester,  at  the  mouth  of  Coffee  creek.  Subse- 
quently Augustus  moved  to  the  present  site  of  Roches- 
ter, and  there  built  a  heavy  log-house,  and  also  a  block- 
house, continuing  there  till  about  1838,  when  he  sold 
out  to  Dr.  Ezra  Baker,  and  moved  to  Mt.  Carmel,  there  Gambrel,  Russell  Aldridge,  Jarvis  Hazleton,  William 
keeping  a  hotel.  He  continued  this  business  a  number  j  Arnold,  and  George  Barney  went  in  pursuit.  They 
of  years,  and  then  returned  to  the  precinct  where,  in  found  the  bodies  of  the  men  at  the  head  of  Baird's 
1849,  he  died-  His  wife's  maiden  name  was  Eleanore  pond,  stripped,  scalped,  and  mutilated.  The  body  of 
Desloriers.  His  first  child,  Eleanore,  now  Mrs.  Stewart,  !  Burway  had  been  pierced  by  many  bullets,  and  the 
of  Texas,  was,  according  to  the  best  recollection,  born  in  character  of  his  wounds,  together  with  several  reports 
Vincennes  in  1803.  Five  children  lived  to  rear  families,  of  his  rifle,  showed  that  he  had  died  game.  Pichinaut 
one  of  whom  is  Mrs.  Sharp,  of  Mt.  Carmel.  It  is  re-  was  of  a  timid,  peace-loving  disposition,  had  been 
lated  of  William  Lovelette,  who  it  is  claimed  by  some  !  tomahawked,  not  shot.  His  hands  were  split  open  from 


traded  with  the  Indians  at  Rochester  before  his  brother, 
that  on  one  occasion  he  thrust  a  burning  candle  into  a 
keg  of  powder,  to  the  great  terror  of  a  number  of  In- 
dians who  were  present,  demanding,  with  hostile  de- 


between  the  fingers,  indicating  that  he  had  raised  them 
before  his  blood-thirsty  pursuers  in  protection  of  his 
head.  The  Indians'  trail  was  pursued  for  some  distance 
without  important  practical  results.  Calumny,  that 


monst  rations,  a  gun   which  had  been  pawned  for  mer-     ever  stands  ready  to  tarnish  the  reputation  of  the  brave, 


chandise  by  one  of  their  number.  When  he  first  arrived 
at  the  mouth  of  Coffee  creek  he  had  a  family  of  two 
children,  William  and  Jane.  After  a  residence  of  six 


says  that  the  party  were  about  to  come  up  with  the  In- 
dians, and,  through  cowardice,  abandoned  the  pursuit. 
It  is  supposed  that  Burway  killed  five  of  his  assailants. 


or  seven  years  at  this  point  he  moved  to  the  banks  of  I  A  newly  made  grave,  and  the  body  of  an  Indian  that 


Raccoon  creek  in  Lawrence  county,  and  thence,  after  a 
couple  of  years,  to  the  neighborhood  of  Viucennes. 
After  a  short  stay  at  this  point  he  returned  to  the  pre- 
cinct, and  settled  on  the  S.  E.  1  of  section  10,  T.  2  S. 
R.  13  W.  As  early  as  1816  or  '17  he  built  and  oper- 
ated a  horse-mill.  In  1815  he  was  assessed  for  a  "  man- 
sion house."  This  was  the  only  assessment  for  that 
species  of  property  at  that  time  in  Edwards  county. 
He  died  on  his  farm  at  the  age  of  seventy-five  years. 
Some  of  the  members  of  his  numerous  family  of  chil- 
dren are  yet  in  the  precinct.  Shortly  after  William 
first  arrived  came  his  mother  and  her  daughter,  Bar- 
bara, about  ten  or  twelve  years  of  age.  He  built  for 
her  a  separate  cabin  near  his  own. 

John  Degan,  a  member  of  the  French  settlement, 
came  from  Detroit  to  Vincennes,  and  thence  to  the  pre- 
cinct, shortly  after  the  Lovelettes.  His  family  con- 


had been  concealed  in  a  hollow  low  log,  were  found  by 
the  pursuing  party.  Some  time  afterward,  three  or 
four  other  bodies  that  appeared  to  have  been  hastily 
covered  with  leaves  and  brush  were  discovered.  At 
the  time  of  the  massacre,  John  Stillwell  was  attending 
his  cattle  in  the  bottom,  and  the  Indians  had  encamped 
the  previous  night  within  half  a  mile  of  his  head- 
quarteis.  He  was  seized  with  alarm,  and  left  his  cattle 
to  take  care  of  themselves,  observing  that  the  Indians 
"might  want  old  John's  scalp."  Francis  Degan, 
brother  of  John,  came  about  1811  or  '12  with  a  family 
of  two  children,  Augustus  and  Francis,  Jr.,  and  settled 
on  the  bluff,  a  short  distance  below  Rochester.  Francis 
is  now  one  of  the  influential  farmers  of  the  precinct. 
One  Gail,  known  in  his  day  as  old  Grandfather  Gail, 
was  an  early  settler,  with  a  large  family.  The  Indian  de- 
predations brought  alarm  to  the  settlement,  and  its  mem- 


sisted  of  his  wife,  his  sons,  Henry  and  William,  and  his  I  hers  fled  for  safety  to  Vincennes.     This  circumstance  en- 
step  son,  Frank  Burway.     He  settled  first  on  the  site  of    tailed  a  weakness  upon  it,  from  which  it  never  recovered. 


RESIDENCE  AND  DRUG  STORE  or  DFt.R  G.MANLEY,    KEENSBURGH.WABASH    Co.,  ILL 


RESIDENCE  or  W.  E.  KEEN, 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WABASII  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


As  early  as  1810,  a  settlement  was  formed  at  Camp- 
bell's Landing,  sec.  11, T.  2  S.  R.  14  W.,  the  central  fig- 


brel.     The  captives  were  with  the  Indians  about  six 
months,  and  were  ransomed  with  ponies  by  Governor 


ure  of  which  was  the  family  of  that  name.  James  ,  Harrison.  The  year  of  this  massacre,  1815,  was  that  of 
Campbell,  of  Scotch  descent,  came  from  Kentucky,  with  '  the  arrival  in  the  precinct  of  Daniel  Keen  and  David 
a  family  of  seven  children,  viz.,  Samuel,  John,  Dougal,  Wright.  .The  former  at  the  age  of  eighteen  years  came 
James,  Mary,  Hester  and  Sally.  He  also  had  thirteen  I  as  a  part  of  his  father's  family  from  Ohio,  to  what  is  now 
slaves  whom  he  set  at  liberty,  in  Illinois.  Eleven  of  j  Wabash  precinct,  about  the  year  1814,  and  there  in  the 
them  were  afterward  kidnapped  and  sold  back  again  in-  •  following  year  married  Mary  Compton,  moved  to  Coffee 
to  slavery.  The  family  were  not  wholly  unmolested  by  i  precinct,  and  settled  on  the  N.  E.  i  of  sec.  9,  the  place 
the  hostile  Piaukishaws,  whose  village  was' a  short  dis-  j  of  his  permanent  residence.  He  was  an  influential  man 
tance  above  the  Landing,  but  were,  at  one  time,  obliged  in  his  neighborhood  and  served  acceptably  as  county 
to  flee  across  the  river  for  safety.  The  Landing  was  i  commissioner  for  a  number  of  years, 
the  receiving  point  for  the  produce  in  that  vicinity  that  |  He  was  a  heavy-set,  powerful  man,  and  withal  a  good 
sought  a  market  over  the  waters  of  the  Wabash.  Here  j  specimen  of  the  pioneer.  His  cabin  home  was  the 
was  Campbell's  Ferry,  over  which  the  ill-starred  Cannon  )  settlers'  church,  where  the  gospel  was  first  heard  and  the 
family  crossed  to  their  cruel  fate.  Henry  Painter,  a  "jerks"  first  witnessed.  Here  also,  in  1819,  the  first  church 
German,  not  far  from  this  time,  1810,  with  a  family  of  '  society  (of  the  New  Light  Persuasion)  was  organized, 
three  sons,  Jacob,  Philip  and  Joseph,  and  a  daughter,  Three  of  Mr.  Keen's  children  are  yet  living,  E.  B.  on  the 
Chaney,  settled  on  the  present  site  of  Cowling.  Here  !  old  home  place,  where  his  father  died,  in  1874,  at  the 
was  the  old  Painter  grave-yard,  over  which  extended  the  I  age  of  82  years.  David  Wright  was  originally  from 
wagon-road.  One  Parks  and  Henry  Gambrel  lived  j  Ohio,  and  came  to  the  precinct,  a  widower,  having  left 
somewhere  in  this  vicinity.  John  Grayson,  with  a  fam-  :  his  little  son,  now  Robert  E.  Wiight,  of  Mt.  Carmel,  in 
ily  of  six  children,  viz.,  Jackson,  Susan,  William,  Na-  j  Indiana.  About  1820  he  married  Sarah  Mclntosh, 
poleon,  Elijah  and  Robert,  arrived  from  Indiana  in  1814,  j  sister  of  Samuel,  and  settled  on  the  S.  E.  },  section  22, 
and  entered  the  S.  W.  1  of  sec.  31.  He  was  a  man  of  range  13  west,  and  his  son  then  becoming  a  member  of 
character  and  enterprise,  and  built  the  first  water-mill  ,  the  new  family.  He  was  a  wide-awake  business  man, 
in  the  precinct,  on  the  Bonpas,  a  short  distance  above  '  and  traded  in  cattle  and  real  estate.  His  death,  which 
the  railroad.  A  writ  of  quod  damnum  was  issued  to  ]  resulted  from  a  stab,  received  at  the  hands  of  his  nephew, 
view  a  site  for  the  mill,  in  1817,  and  it  was  probably  !  took  place  in  1830. 

built  in  that  year.  It  was  at  one  time  rebuilt,  and  it  |  Elijah  Compton,  brought  with  him  a  family  of  three 
subsequently  washed  partly  away  and  was  abandoned,  children,  William,  John,  and  Emanuel,  and  scitled  on 
Grayson  and  most  of  his  family  died  from  disease  con-  the  N.  E.  J  of  section  8,  township  2  S.  He  reared 
traded  in  the  malarial  bottom.  Some  of  the  descen-  a  family  of  eight  children,  and  died  about  1840.  Walter 
dants,  however,  are  living  in  the  precinct.  John  Cannon,  i  Garner  came  from  Virginia,  in  1816  or  '17,  and  settled 
his  three  sons  and  his  son-in-law,  John  Starks,  came  j  on  theS.  W.  i  of  section  24.  He  reared  quite  a  family 
across  the  river,  from  Indiana,  in  1815,  and  built  a  house  j  of  children,  amd  after  a  residence  in  the  precinct  of 
on  or  near  the  site  of  the  old  Painter  grave-yard.  The  about  twenty-jears,  moved  away.  James  Landsdown  was 
building  was  completed  for  the  rest  of  the  family,  and  a  hunter,  and  never  located  anywhere  permanently.  He 
they  came  and  took  possession  of  their  new  home,  late  i  was  rather  trifling  in  disposition  and  fond  of  fighting 
in  the  afternoon.  Two  of  the  sons  were  to  return  to  In-  j  He  reared  a  considerable  family  of  children.  John 
diana  the  next  day,  and  went  that  afternoon  as  far  as  |  Cradock  settled  in  section  24.  He  had  three  sons, 
Samuel  Campbell  s.  The  father,  mother,  their  little  I  Joseph,  Benjamin,  and  Michael,  and  two  or  three 
daughter,  their  son  Samuel,  the  son-in-law  and  an  aged  daughters.  Charles  P.  Burns  moved  from  North  Caro- 
lady  remained  and  spent  the  approaching  night  at  their  lina  to  Kentucky,  and  came  thence  to  Illinois,  in  1817. 
new  home.  Next  morning  they  went  out  to  cut  a  bee-  He  married  a  daughter  of  James  Campbell,  and  settled 
tree  they  had  discovered  a  few  days  before,  and  were  at-  on  section  11,  township  3  south,  at  Campbell's  lauding. 

He  lived  here  till  1831,  and  then  moved  to  Albion, 
where  he  died.  He  was  one  of  the  earliest  justices  in  the 
made  captives.  The  later  ran  so  fast  that  his  pursuers  '  precinct.  He  reared  a  family  of  four  children,  two  of 
had  some  difficulty  in  overtaking  him.  He  leaped  from  1  whom,  Nancy  and  N.  C.  are  yet  living,  the  latter,  well- 
a  rock  or  b'uff  clear  across  the  Bonpas,  and  landing  in  known,  in  Mt.  Carmel.  D.iniel  Groves  belongs  to  this 
the  soft  mud  sank  into  it  nearly  to  his  knees.  His  body  i  period,  and  was  an  excellent  citizen.  He  lived  in  Jor- 
was  found  headless  and  bereft  of  the  collar  bones,  and  ,  dan's,  now  Crackle's  prairie.  John  McCleary  and  his 
of  the  lower  portions  of  the  limbs,  which  were  left  stick-  |  wife  were  natives  of  Pennsylvania,  and  moved  to  Ohio, 
ing  in  the  mud.  The  bodies  were  wrapped  in  a  horse-  j  They  carne  thence  in  1815  to  the  vicinity  of  Vincennes, 
skin,  and  buried  without  a  coffin,  in  the  first  grave  dug  where  they  remained  till  1817,  when  they  moved  to 
in  the  Painter  grave-yard.  Among  those  who  officiated  fractional  section  31,  township  2  south,  range  13  west,  a 
at  this  sad  rite  were  Samuel  Mclutosh  and  Henry  Gam-  '  locality  known  as  the  McCluarly's  Bluff.  They  brought 


tacked  by  the  Indians.  Cannon   was  murdered  on  the 
spot,  and  the  rest  of  the  family,  except  Samuel,  were 


334 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


six  children,  James,  John,  Elizabeth,  Peggy,  Sarah,  and 
Juli&nna.  Mr.  McCltary  died  iu  1837,  at  the  age  of 
seventy  years,  and  was  buried  on  the  bluff.  His  wife 
died  in  1844,  aged  sixty-nine  years,  and  was  buried  by 
her  husband.  Their  sons,  James  and  John,  became 
well-known  citizens  of  the  precinct. 

About  the  year  1818  came  William  Arnold,  Thomas 
Baird,  Reuben  Blackford.  Henry  Bignon,  Elias  Jordan, 
and  one  Violette.  Arnold  lived  on  the  N.  W.  t  of  sec" 
tion  10,  township  2  south,  range  13  west.  He  had  a 
family  of  three  boys,  Thomas,  Jesse,  and  William,  Jr. 
He  was  a  daring  hunter,  and  on  one  occasion  when  he 
and  a  neighbor  were  hunting  in  the  bottom, and  the  dogs 
had  brought  a  bear  to  bay,  he  approached,  and  placing 
the  muzzle  of  his  gun  close  to  the  animal's  side  shot  it. 
Baird  came  fropi  Ky.  with  a  family  of  two  sons, 
Ralph  and  James,  and  settled  in  the  precinct. 
The  sons  married  and  settled  on  portions  of  the  old 
place.  The  Bairds  were  good  farmers  and  excellent 
citizens.  Blackford  brought  to  the  precinct  a  family  of 
five  children,  Easter,  Thompson,  James,  John,  and 
Betsey,  and  settled  on  section  13.  Jordan  settled  about 
four  miles  west  of  Keensburg,  in  the  prairie,  now 
Crackle's,  that  then  bore  his  name  He  was  a  man  of 
influence,  force  of  Character  and  bravery,  and  served  as 
captain  in  the  Black  Hawk  war.  He  had  four  sons, 
Ji. ho,  William,  Logan,  and  Charles.  Bignon,  and  one 
Violette,  were  also  settlers  of  1818,  the  latter  living  a  little 
north  of  Cowling.  Two  brothers,  James  and  John  Gray, 
brought  families  from  Kentucky,  and  also  settled  near 
this  village. 

At  first  Indian  hostility  and  outrage,  especially  during 
the  war  of  1812,  and  later  the  noxious  miasma  of  the 
low  lands  checked  the  progress  of  immigration,  and  in 
1819  or  '20  there  was  a  smaller  number  of  arrivals  than 
in  1817  or  '18.  In  1820  Mathew  Heniken  settled  about 
two  miles  south  of  Keensburg.  James  Keunerly  also 
arrived  in  this  year,  as  likewise  John  Nesler.  Kennerly 
settled  near  Campbell's  landing.  He  was  twice  married, 
and  by  his  second  wife  had  one  child,  Charles.  He  is 
reputed  to  have  been  a  good  man,  and  he  represented 
the  county  in  the  State  Legislature.  He  also  held  the 
office  of  justice  of  the  peace.  Nesler  was  a  short,  thick- 
set man  from  Kentucky.  He  married  Susan  Garner, 
and  settled  on  the  N.  E.  J-  of  section  10.  He  died  in  the 
precinct  at  an  advanced  age,  leaving  children  who  still 
survive  him.  Mo.'es  P.  New&um  was  a  native  of  Mass.,  and 
came  to  Illinois  in  1820.  He  settled  on  fractional  sec- 
tion 36,  township  2  south,  range  14  west.  lie  had  one 
son  when  he  arrived  in  the  country.  He  was  by  pro-  j 
fession  a  minister  of  the  gospel.  Henry  Rotrammel,  a  ! 
Pennsylvania  German,  came  from  Indiana  with  a  large  I 
family  iu  1824.  He  was  a  bell-maker,  and  established 
a  forge  at  Campbell  s  landing.  Bell-making  was  at  this 
time  an  important  trade.  Ephraim  Phar  came  to  the 
precinct  with  three  children,  Eliphalet,  Melinda,  ami 
Mary,  in  1825.  He  was  a  man  of  some  education  for  ! 
his  day,  and  a  new  light  minister.  He  also  held  the  office  i 


of  county  commissioner.  Jeremiah  Ruth,  in  1825,  settled 
opposite  Gray  ville.  On  the  west  half  of  section  13,  there 
was  an  Indian  village  and  a  burial-ground.  Seven  graves 
could  be  distinctly  seen.  The  spot  is  now  under  cultiva- 
tion. There  was  also  one  of  these  villages  at  "  Village 
Bend,"  on  the  Wabash,  in  section  5  or  7.  Piankishaw 
Bend,  so  named  from  the  Piankishaw  Indians,  occurs  at 
sec.  36,  township  2  south.  Bonpas  Ferry,  just  south  of  the 
Wabash,  St.  Louis,  and  Pacific  railroad  bridge,  was  es- 
stablished  as  early  as  1835,  and  continued  in  operation 
till  1872.  The  boat  was  sufficient  to  carry  a  four-horse 
team  and  wagon.  The  first  school  was  taught  by  William 
Townsend,  a  bachelor  and  Methodist  minister,  in  the 
year  1818,  in  a  log  school-house,  on  the  S.  E.  J  of  the  S. 
E.  J  of  section  10.  The  Arnolds,  Landsdowns,  Bairds, 
Lovelettes,  and  De  Gans,  to  the  number  of  about  twenty 
attended  the  school.  Townsend  taught  about  six  months> 
and  was  succeeded  by  Reuben  Fox,  also  a  bachelor. 
Fox  was  something  of  a  "  permanent "  in  the  county ; 
and  taught  at  different  points.  Early  land  entries  in 
township  2  south,  range  13  west:  October  3,  1814,  Wra. 
Jones  entered  all  of  section  11 ;  October  12,  1814,  John 
Grayson,  of  all  section  31 ;  December  2, 1814,  A.  Tougas 
Lovelette,  fractional  section  14;  December  12,  1814, 
John  Marshall,  the  S.  E.  i  of  section  10  ;  July  2,  1815, 
Levi  Compton,  the  N.  E.  J  of  seciion  9  ;  January  20, 
1816,  J  B.  Langlois,  N.  Mr.  J  of  section  10:  Oct.  7,  1816, 
Joan  McClary,  fractional  section  29;  July  14,  1817, 
John  Ruth,  the  S.  E.  1  of  section  7. 

ROCHESTER, 

Formerly  called  Coffee  Island,  is  situated  on  the.  north- 
east quarter  of  section  14,  township  2,  south  range  13 
west.  Its  history  has  been  a  very  eventfuLone.  It  has 
twice  risen  to  prominence  and  importance,  and  as  often 
sunk  into  decay  and  obscurity.  It  was  the  scene  of  one 
of  the  two  first  settlements  made  in  Wabash  county,  and 
the  place  of  the  first  negotiations  in  trade  between  the 
white  man  and  the  Indian.  An  eye-witness,  now  living> 
saw  as  many  as  three  hundred  "children  of  the  forest" 
gathered  at  a  time  in  idle  contentment  about  the  rude 
trading-place  of  her  father.  The  town  was  laid  out  in 

1839  by  Dr.  Ezra  Baker,  Jr.,  and  surveyed  and  platted 
by  James  Knapp,  county  surveyor.     In  that  year  the 
building  of  the  Rochester  grist  mill  was  begun.     When 
completed  it  was  one  of  the  best  mills  in  its  range  of  coun- 
try.    It  supplied  Mt.  Carruel,  Albion,  Grayville,  Prince- 
ton and  Olney  with  flour,      leaker's  store  was  built  in 

1840  or  '41.  It  was  at  that  time  the  best  store  in  Wabash 
county.     In  connection  with  the  store  the  proprietor 
did  a  large  business  in  pork-packing  and  grain  buying, 
pressing   into  his  service  a  steamboat  expressly  for  the 
advancement    of  these  different  depanments.       About 
1839    he  prft  up  a  saw-mill    with    two  sets    of  saws, 
water  and  steam-power,  shipping  lumber  to  New  Orleans 
and  other  points  in  flat  boats  built  in  Rochester.  Baker 
put  up  a  carding  machine  about  1845,  the  smithing  and 
forging  for  which  were  done  by  Samuel  Shaw,  of  Mt. 
Carmel.     In  1847  Shaw  built  a  shop  and  made  the  first 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


335 


Diamond  plows  manufactured  in  the  county.  A  chair 
factory  was  also  in  operation  here.  The  grist  mill, 
about  1850,  came  into  the  possession  of  George  Legier, 
who  moved  it  back  from  the  river.  But  "the  noise  of  the 
busy,"  the  hum  of  machinery  and  the  clank  of  the  anvil 
are  no  more.  Disease  settled  like  a  pall  over  the  town, 
and  what  were  once  life  and  activity  are  in  the  last 
stages  of  decay.  About  this  year  Baker  laid  out  Ro- 
chester, and  adjoining  it  on  the  north,  by  Thomas  S. 
Hinde,  was  laid  out  Pocahontas,  which  was  always  re- 
garded as  its  rival.  It  was  surveyed  and  platted  by 
James  Knapp,  county  surveyor,  but  was  never  im- 
proved. 

KEENSBURG, 

On  the  southwest  quarter  of  section  8,  township  2  south, 
range  13  west,  was  surveyed  and  platted  by  county 
surveyor,  Robert  Buchanan,  for  Ornamiel  H.  Keen,  and 
the  plat  was  recorded  in  the  office  of  the  circuit  clerk, 
April  18,  1874.  The  town  enjoys  the  advantages  of  a 
good  location  on  the  Wabash  railroad,  and  by  the 
census  of  1880  had  sixty-eight  inhabitants.  The  first 
building  was  a  store  put  up  by  Keen,  the  proprietor, 
and  the  first  goods  sold  were  disposed  of  by  the  firm  of 
Keen  and  Mitchell  (William  C.  Keen  and  B.  M. 
Mitchell)  in  the  spring  of  1873.  In  March  20,  1874, 
the  post-office  was  moved  to  this  place  from  Rochester, 
William  C.  Keen  being  the  first  post-master.  In  this 
year  Dr.  John  Truscott  located  in  the  town.  The 
Keensburg  Flouring  Mill  was  moved  from  Rochester  to 
its  present  site  in  1874.  It  is  Dr.  Baker's  old  three- 
story  frame  mill,  and  has  two  run  of  burrs.  In  1879  it 
became  the  property  of  William  E.  Keen,  its  present 


owner.     The   Christian    (frame)    church  was   built   in 
1881  at  a  cost  of  about  $1200. 

PRESENT   BUSINESS. 

Physician,  Druggist  and  Post-master. — Paul  G.  Man- 
ley. 

General  Merchants. — D.  S.  Harvey  &  Son. 
Grocer.— B.  M.  Mitchell. 
Grain  Dealer— J.  R.  Carl  ton. 
Blacksmith—  Elijah  C.  Compton. 


Was  surveyed  and  platted  by  Robert  Buchanan  for 
Francis  M.  Cowling  on  the  southeast  quarter  of  section 
26,  and  Joseph  Snyder  on  the  southeast  quarter  of  the 
northeast  quarter  of  said  section,  township  2,  south  range 
14  west.  The  plat  was  filed  for  record  June  26, 1875.  The 
town  contains  a  store  kept  by  Joseph  H.  Compton,  a 
blacksmith  shop  and  seven  or  eight  dwellings.  The 
post-office  was  moved  to  this  place  from 

LOGAN, 

formerly  called  Logansburg.  situated  on   the  southeast 
i  quarter  of  section  18,  township  2  south,  range  13  west. 
It  was  surveyed  and  platted  by  Robert  Buchanan,  for 
|  William  Cowling,  but  the  plat  was  never  filed  for  re- 
j  cord.     The  town  had  a  post-office,  two  general  stores, 
j  kept  by  William  Cowling  and  James  Langford,  respect- 
ively, a  drug  store,  of  which  Dr.  Walker  was  proprietor, 
I  and  a  saloon  kept  by  William  Buttrick.     The  toVn  had 
|  an  existence  of  about  two  or  three  years.    Cowling  and 
i  Walker  died,  and  with  them  it  sank  into  decay. 


BIOGRAPHIES. 


HON.  E.  B.  KEEN. 

THE  subject  of  the  following  sketch  is  of  pioneer 
stock.  His  family  were  the  pioneers  of  three  states. 
They  were  originally  from  New  Jersey.  Peter  Keen, 
the  grandfather,  was  a  native  of  that  state.  Soon  after 
the  Revolutionary  War  he  moved  to  Ohio,  which  was 
then  a  part  of  the  North  West  Territory.  He  settled  at 
a  point  eight  miles  north  of  Cincinnati,  which  was  then 
a  small  struggling  frontier  village,  and  there  entered  a 
lot  of  land,  and  lived  until  1814,  when  he  sold  out  and 
came  west  to  the  territory  of  Illinois,  and  settled  in  what 
is  now  known  as  Wabash  county,  then  part  of  Edwards. 
He  bought  a  tract  of  land  now  known  as  the  Fox  farm, 
two  miles  south  of  the  present  town  of  Allendale. 
While  a  resident  there  he  was  one  of  the  original  pro- 
prietors of  the  town  of  Palmyra,  which  was  subsequently 
the  first  county  seat  of  Wabash  county.  He  afterward 


!  removed  to  a  place  north  and  close  to  Friendsville  in 
this  county,  and  there  died  in  1840.     He  married  Jemi- 
ma Card,  sister  of  Seth  Gard,  who  was  also  one  of  the 
pioneers  of  Illinois  and  a  prominent  roan  in  his  day. 
He  was  a  member  of  the  territorial  Legislature  in  1817, 
and  a  member  of  the  Legislative  body  after  the  State 
was  admitted  to  the  Union.     Mrs.  Keen  survived  her 
husband,  and  died  some  years  later.     There  were  three 
sons  and  two  daughters,  the  offspring  of  that  union. 
Of  those   was  Daoiel   Keen,  the  father  of  the  present 
I  family.     He  was  born  in  Hamilton  county,  Ohio,  in 
1794,  and  was  a  young  man  when  the  family  emigrated 
to  Illinois.     He  married  in  1815,  and  immediately  there- 
j  after  moved  to  the  southern  part  of  the  county,  in  what 
i  is  now  known  as  Coffee  precinct,  and  settled  on  section 
'  nine,  town  two,  range  thirteen.    It  was  wild  land,  uuim- 
j  proved.     There  he  opened  up  a  farm,  improved  it,  and 


336 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


remained  until  1852,  when  he  removed  to  the  northern 
part  of  the  county,  but  returned  to  the  old  place,  and 
there  died  August  13,  1875.  lu  1815  he  married  Mary 
Compton,  daughter  of  Levi  and  Rosanna  Compton. 
They  were  natives  of  Virginia,  but  came  to  Illinois  in 
1802,  and  are  credited  with  being  the  first  settlers  in 
this  part  of  the  State.  Their  son  Joseph  was  the  first 
male  child  born  in  what  is  now  known  as  Wabash 
county.  *Levi  Compton  in  his  day  was  also  one  of  the 
prominent  men  in  Illinois.  He  was  a  member  of  the 
first  constitutional  convention  held  in  Kaskaskia  in 
1818,  the  same  year  the  State  was  admitted  to  the  Union. 
His  wife  was  a  Phinesy,  and  was  born  iu  Kentucky. 
Mrs.  Daniel  Keen  died  in  1831.  By  the  union  of 
Daniel  and  Mary  Keen  there  were  five  sons  and  two 
daughters.  Two  of  these  yet  survive.  Marshall  Keen, 
who  is  a  resident  of  Hamilton  county,  Ohio,  and  the 
subject  of  this  sketch.  After  the  death  of  his  first  wife, 
Daniel  Keen  married  Julydia,  -daughter  of  Thomas 
McClain,  by  which  marriage  there  are  two  children 
living. 

Ezra  Baker  Keen  was  born  on  the  old  homestead, 
the  place  where  he  now  lives,  December  1st,  1821.  He 
is  the  third  son  of  the  union  of  Daniel  and  Mary 
(Compton)  Keen.  He  was  raised  on  the  farm  and  re- 
ceived a  limited  education  in  the  subscription  schools  of 
the  pioneer  days  of  Illinois.  In  those  schools,  held  in 
the  log  school-houses,  he  learned  to  read,  write  and 
cipher,  and  for  a  short  time  enjoyed  the  special  privi- 
lege of  obtaining  some  knowledge  of  grammar  under  the 
tuition  of  a  "  Yankee  "  by  the  name  of  Reuben  Fox, 
who  was  well  educated  and  added  English  grammar  to 
the  studies.  At  least  his  opportunities  were  meagre, 
and  his  education  is  more  the  result  of  reading  and  close 
observation  of  men  and  things  acquirad  in  after  life, 
than  of  knowledge  obtained  in  schools.  During  his 
early  manhood  Mr.  Keen  employed  his  time  in  various 
ways,  teaching  school,  working  on  the  farm,  and  boating 
on  the  river.  He  made  many  trips  on  the  Mississippi 
to  New  Orleans,  which  in  those  'days  was  the  market 
for  all  kinds  of  surplus  produce  of  this  section  of  the 
country,  In  18-56  he  commenced  farming,  married  and 
purchased  the  old  homestead,  and  there  he  has  lived  as 
a  farmer  until  the  present.  On  the  6th  of  March,  1856, 
he  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Lucinda,  daughter 
of  Ephraim  and  Cynthia  (Kimball)  Knowles.  She  was 
born  in  Gibson  county,  Indiana,  January  6th,  1830. 
Her  family  were  originally  from  Delaware,  but  her 
father  was  a  native  of  Georgia,  and  emigrated  to  Indi- 
ana in  1811.  Jesse  Kimball,  her  maternal  grandfather, 
was  a  soldier  of  the  revolutionary  war.  He  died  in 
1858,  at  the  advanced  age  of  ninety-seven  years.  He 
•was  born  iu  Connecticut,  was  of  English  ancestry,  and 
moved  to  Kentucky  about  the  close  of  the  last  century, 
and  soon  after  moved  to  Indiana,  settled  in  Gibson  ! 
county,  and  there  died.  By  the  union  of  E.  B  and  ! 
Lucinda  Keen,  there  have  been  six  children,  five  of  whom 
are  living.  Ferdinand  died  in  his  fourteenth  year.  ; 


The  names  of  those  living  in  the  order  of  their  birth  are 
Peter,  now  a  student  at  school  at  Mitchell,  Ind.,  Mary 
C.,  Daniel  E ,  Ezra  B.  and  Marshall  G. 

Politically,  Mr.  Keen  was  originally  a  member  of  the 
Old  Whig  party.  He  cast  his  first  presidential  vote  for 
Henry  Clay  in  1844.  He  remained  a  member  of  that 
party  until  its  disbandment,  and  in  1860  voted  for 
Abraham  Lincoln,  and  in  all  subsequent  elections  has 
uniformly  voted  the  Republican  ticket.  In  1880  he 
was  elected  by  his  party  to  represent  this  district  in  the 
32d  General  Assembly  of  the  State.  He  served  on  the 
committees  of  Insurance,  Labor  and  Manufactures. 
While  a  member  of  that  body  his  course  was  marked 
throughout  by  an  earnest  desire  to  legislate  in  the  inter- 
est of  the  whole  people,  and  in  the  direction  of  economy 
and  reform.  As  a  legislator  he  received  the  commenda- 
tion of  his  constituents,  who  publicly  said,  "  Well  done 
good  and  faithful  servant." 

The*" family  are  members  of  the  Christian  Church.  His 
father  was  one  of  the  charter  members  of  that  religious 
organization,  and  helped  to  form  the  church  in  1819  in 
Wabash  county. 

This  in  brief  is  an  outline  history  of  Mr.  E.  B.  Keen. 
As  intimated  before  he  comes  from  pioneer  stock.  The 
family  were  among  the  pioneers  of  Kentucky,  Ohio, 
Indiana  and  Illinois.  He  retains  many  of  the  charac- 
teristics of  the  old  pioneers,  chief  of  which  is  simplicity 
of  manners  and  unpretentious  style,  plain  and  honest. 
That  is  the  character  he  bears  among  these  people 
where  he  has  lived  through  youth,  manhood  and  mature 
age. 

PAUL  G.  MANLEY,  M.  D. 

THE  Manley  family  on  the  maternal  side  are  from  New 
Jersey,  and  on  the  patefnal  side,  from  Vermont.  Ben- 
jamin F.,  the  paternal  grandfather,  emigrated  from  the 
latter  state,  and  settled  near  Zinesville,  in  Muskingum 
co.,  Ohio,  and  from  there  came  to  Illinois  and  stopped 
in  Bonpas  precinct,  Wabash  county,  Illinois.  His  wife 
dying,  in  1854,  he  removed  north  to  Logan  county,  and 
there  died  some  few  years  later.  He  married  Julia  Ford 
in  Muskingum  county,  Ohio,  by  which  union  there  were 
three  sons,  one  of  whom  was  named  Francis  Perry  Man- 
ley,  the  father  of  the  present  Manley  family,  in  Wabash 
county.  He  was  born  in  the  county  above  named,  in 
Ohio,  and  came  here  with  his  father.  For  some  time 
he  farmed,  and,  in  1854,  commenced  the  study  of  medi- 
cine in  the  office  of  Dr.  Paul  Sears,  of  Mt.  Carmel.  He 
commenced  the  practice  and  continued  in  it  until  his 
death,  Dec.  15,  1862.  He  married  Miss  Maria  Wiley, 
daughter  of  James  Wiley.  She  was  born  near  Gard's 
Point,  in  Wabash  county,  Illinois,  and  died  in  April 
1862,  leaving  four  children,  whose  names  are  Laura, 
wife  of  William  Hamilton,  Frank  C.,  Alfred  P.,  and 
Paul  G.  Manley.  The  latter,  the  subject  of  this  sketch, 
was  born  on  Bald  Hill  Prairie,  Wabash  county,  Janua- 
ry 14,  1855.  His  opportunities  for  obtaining  an  educa- 


ET,M  I  LLER  S 

PL  A  N  I  N  G     M  -I.L  -L 


RESIDENCE  &  PLANING  MILL    PROPERTY  OF   COWARD    MIL  L£  R     MT  CAFfM  E  i.     I  L  L  . 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


337 


tion  in  schools  were  limited,  but,  even  slight  as  they  were, 
he  made  the  most  of  them.  He  studied  hard  and  eager- 
ly, and  read  all  books  lhat  fell  in  his  way.  While  yet 
in  childhood,  his  parents  died  and  left  the  family  with- 
out means.  He  was  compelled  to  become  self-support- 
ing at  an  early  age.  At  the  age  of  seventeen  years  he 
had  made  sufficient  progress  in  obtaining  an  education, 
that  he  was  found  worthy  and  competent  to  take  charge 
of  a  school.  After  he  had  taught  five  terms,  he  deter- 
mined to  adopt  the  profession  of  medicine  as  the  busi- 
ness of  his  life,  and  with  that  idea  in  view,  read  the  stan- 
dard medical  works,  and  also  pursued  his  studies  a  por- 
tion of  the  time  in  the  office  of  Dr.  Lemen,  of  Olney, 
Illinois,  now  president  of  the  Board  of  Health  of  Colo- 
rado, and  Dean  of  Denver  Medical  College.  Subse- 
quently Mr.  Manley  studied  medicine  with  Dr.  Paul 


Sears,  of  Mt.  Carmel,  Illinois.  In  the  winter  of  1876- 
'77,  he  entered  the  Miami  Medical  College  at  Cincinnati, 
and  graduated  from  the  institution  in  March,  1879,  with 
the  degree  of  M.  D.  His  graduation  was  very  creditable 
as  he  received  the  highest  percentage  upon  examination 
in  a  large  graduating  class.  During  the  last  year  of 
his  stay  in  the  College,  he  was  physician  to  the  Free 
Dispensary  of  Miami.  In  the  spring  of  1879,  he  com- 
menced the  practice  in  Keensburg,  Wabash  co.,  where 
he  still  continues,  and  where  he  has  met  with  great  suc- 
cess. On  the  6th  of  April,  1876,  he  was  united  in  mar- 
riage to  Miss  Mary  E.,  daughter  of  Cipt  Richard,  and 
Mary  J.  (Earls)  McClure.  Mrs.  Manley  was  born  in 
Lawrence  county,  Illinois.  They  have  had  three  chil- 
dren, two  of  whom  are  living.  Both  he  and  his  wife  are 
members  of  the  M.  E.  Church. 


FRENCH    CREEK 


EDWARDS    COUNTY. 


|  HIS  precinct  deserves  honorable  mention  from 
the  fact  of  being  among  the  first  portions  of 
territory  settled  in  the  county.  Indeed,  the 
first  land  entry  in  Edwards,  was  made  in 
this  precinct,  October  26th,  1814.  It  lies  in  the  extreme 
southeast,  and  is  bounded  on  the  north  by  Albion  pre- 
cinct, on  the  east  by  Bonpas  creek,  on  the  south  by 
White  county,  and  west  by  Dixon  precinct.  It  receives 
its  name  from  the  creek  passing  through  it  from  north 
to  south — French  creek,  and  its  territory  embraces  a 
portion  of  four  townships,  as  follows :  T.  2  S.,  R.  14  W. 
2d  P.  M.,  T.  3  S.,  R.  14  W.  2d  P.  M.,  T.  4  S.,  R.  11  E. 
and  T.  2  S.,  R.  10  E. 

The  precinct  is  principally  timbered  land,  having  a 
prairie  belt  extending  from  north  to  south  through  the 
centre  of  its  territory,  with  a  small  arm  ranging  north- 
west from  the  main  body.  It  is  known  as  French  Creek 
prairie  and  extends  from  the  head  of  French  creek  to 
the  southern  boundary  of  the  county.  The  soil  of  the 
timber  land  is  a  chocolate-colored  clay  subsoil,  and  is 
specially  adapted  to  the  culture  of  wheat,  which  is  the 
staple  product.  The  prairies  are  composed  of  two  dis- 
tinct soils,  a  dark  rich  loam,  and  what  is  known  in  this 
section  of  country  as  white  craw-fish  land.  The  former 
is  very  productive  for  maize  and  the  grasses,  while  the 
latter  is  thin,  cold,  and  unproductive.  The  natural 
drainage  is  fair,  having  the  Bonpas  creek  on  the  east, 
and  French  creek,  with  its  small  tributaries,  in  the 
centre.  The  Peoria,  Decatur  and  Evansville  Railroad 
passes  centrally  through  the  precinct  from  north  to  south  | 
43 


affording  good  transportation  facilities.  The  Wabash, 
St.  Louis  and  Pacific  road  also  extends  across  the  south- 
east corner  of  the  precinct,  including  about  four  sections 
of  its  territory. 

FIRST   SETTLEMENTS. 

Probably  the  first  white  man  to  locate  and  form  a 
home  in  this  precinct,  was  an  emigrant  from  the  south, 
in  1817.  His  name  was  Clem  Martin,  and  he  located 
in  section  33,  township  2  south,  range  14  west,  on  the 
farm  now  owned  by  Mrs.  White.  He  was  a  man  with  a 
family,  none  of  whom  are  now  living  in  the  precinct. 
He  died  many  years  ago ;  several  of  his  grandsons  are 
residing  in  White  county.  Edward  Coad  came  from 
England  in  1812,  and  with  several  other  emigrants 
pushed  into  the  interior  of  the  state,  and  located  in 
Clinton  county,  now  Carlyle.  Mr.  Charles  Slade,  after- 
wards member  of  Congress,  was  the  leader  of  the  party. 
Mr.  Coad,  not  liking  the  location  came  to  Edwards 
county,  and  for  a  time  rented  land  of  George  Flowerj 
south  of  Albion.  In  1821  he  purchased  a  farm  in  the 
north  part  of  this  precinct,  where  he  removed  until  his 
death,  some  years  ago.  "  Old  Neddy  Coad,"  as  he  was 
familiarly  known,  was  one-  of  the  staunch  yeomen  of 
his  times,  and  his  decease  was  mourned  by  many  warm 
friends.  Mrs.  C.  had  died  several  years  before  him. 
Four  of  the  children  are  yet  living  ,  Thomas,  Mrs.  A. 
Cowles,  widow  of  Dr.  Cowles,  Mrs.  Jane  White,  widow 
of  Benjamin  White,  and  James.  The  latter  resides  at 
the  old  homestead.  Thomas  and  Mrs.  White  are  residents 
of  this  precinct,  and  Mrs.  Cowles  of  Dixon  precinct. 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LA  WRENCE  AND  WABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


Another  early  settler  was  George  Woodham,  also  a 
native  of  England.  He  came  to  this  county  in  1818, 
then  a  poor  man,  and  first  located  at  Wanborough,  near 
the  present  town  of  Albion.  In  1830  he  moved 
to  this  precinct,  and  located  in  the  west  part,  where  he 
improved  an  excellent  farm,  and  amassed  a  good  compe- 
tency for  his  old  age.  His  wife's  maiden  name  was 
Huston.  He  died  several  years  ago.  His  widow  yet 
survives  him,  and  is  living  with  one  of  her  sons,  Cornp- 
ton,  at  the  old  home.  John  Cowling  came  from  Eng- 
land, a  single  man,  the  same  year  as  the  above.  He 
subsequently  married  Mary  Coad,  and  located  in  the 
north  of  the  precinct,  where  he  resided  until  his  death, 
which  occurred  about  twenty  years  ago.  A  large  family 
of  children  were  born  to  them,  several  of  whom  are 
living.  Charles  resides  in  section  8,  township  3,  range 
14  west,  and  Addison  lives  on  the  old  place.  Another 
settler  in  the  county  at  the  same  date  was  James  Green, 
Sr.,  also  from  England.  At  his  coming  he  settled  in 
Albion  precinct,  where  he  remained  until  his  death, 
which  occurred  several  years  ago.  He  married  here  and 
reared  a  family.  A  son,  James,  Jr.,  resides  in  this  pre- 
cinct, section  19,  township  2,  range  11  east.  One  of  the 
oldest  citizen  of  the  county  is  Thomas  Shepherd,  Jr., 
•who  came  with  his  father,  Thomas,  Sr.,  in  1818.  He 
was  then  but  a  few  years  old.  The  family  located  in 
the  English  settlement,  near  Albion.  Thomas  Jr.,  sub- 
sequently married  Mrs.  Millie  Brown.  In  about  1870 
they  moved  to  Grayville  (this  precinct),  where  they  yet 
reside. 

Among  others  who  came  in  1818  were  David  Thomp- 
son, Caleb  Dickinson  and  John  Massey.  The  former 
was  a  native  of  Scotland,  and  on  hia  arrival  he  located 
in  section  21,  township  2,  range  14  west.  He  died  here 
about  thirty  years  ago.  None  of  his  descendants  are  in 
the  county.  Caleb  Dickinson  entered  land  in  section 
17,  township  3  south,  range  14  west,  where  he  settled 
with  his  family.  He  died  in  1820,  and  none  of  the  de- 
scendants are  left  to  give  his  history.  It  is  only  known 
to  the  early  settlers  that  he  came  from  the  south.  Massey 
came  from  England  and  located  in  section  9,  township 
3  south,  range  14  west.  His  wife  died  here  at  an  early 
day,  and  soon  afterward  he  sold  out  and  moved  to  Ga- 
lena. 

The  following  were  settlers  in  1819:  Isaac  Butler 
came  from  England  in  the  fall  of  the  above  year  and 
settled  in  section  7,  township  3  south,  range  14  west. 
His  family  then  consisted  of  his  wife,  Elizabeth,  nee 
Owen,  and  two  sons,  Joseph  and  Caleb.  His  first  house 
was  a  small  log  cabin  with  puncheon  floor,  and  other 
belongings  peculiar  to  the  pioneer  times.  He  entered  a 
quarter  section  of  land,  but  subsequently  relinquished 
one  half  of  it  in  accordance  with  a  certain  act  of  Con- 
gress. It  was  here  that  he  made  his  home  until  his 
death,  which  occurred  in  1842.  His  widow  survived 
hinTbut  eight  years.  Joseph  died  the  same  year  as  his 
father.  Caleb  resides  in  section  17,  township  3  south, 
range  14  west,  and  is  the  oldest  surviving  settler  of  this 


precinct.  He  is  a  representative  citizen,  having  served 
as  justice  of  the  peace  for  twenty-years,  and  overseer  of 
the  poor  of  his  precinct  for  the  same  length  of  time. 
William  Wood  was  also  from  England,  and  at  his  com- 
ing was  a  widower  (Mrs.  Wood  died  on  the  way)  with 
two  sons,  John  and  Joseph.  He  located  in  Albion,  and 
subsequently  was  twice  married.  All  the  family  are 
now  dead.  Thomas  Wood,  who  resides  in  the  north  of 
the  precinct,  is  a  son  of  Joseph,  and  grandson  of  William. 
John  Mather  came  from  England  about  the  same  time 
as  the  above,  and  located  in  section  31,  township  2, 
range  14  west.  He  moved  to  New  Harmony,  Indiana, 
where  he  died.  None  of  his  descendants  are  in  the  pre- 
cinct. John  Hat  field  located  in  the  precinct  in  1820. 
He  was  a  native  of  England,  but  afterward  moved  to 
New  Harmony,  Ind.  James  Hean  came  from  England 
and  located  in  section  19,  township  2  south,  range  14 
west.  He  was  then  a  single  man.  He  afterwards  mar- 
ried and  reared  a  family  of  two  sons  and  two  daughters. 
None  of  the  family  are  now  living  in  the  county.  An- 
drew Hunter  was  born  in  South  Carolina,  and  at  an 
early  day  moved  to  Kentucky,  where  he  remained  until 
his  advent  in  this  state,  in  the  spring  of  1827.  The 
most  of  the  distance  was  made  by  means  of  a  flat-boat, 
and  it  required  nearly  two  months  to  make  the  trip. 
His  family  consisted  of  his  wife,  Sarah,  nee  Carr,  and 
six  children,  David  P.,  Jam^s,  Solomon,  Laviria,  Jef- 
ferson and  Sarah.  He  located  in  section  20,  township  2 
south,  range  14  west,  where  he  resided  until  his  death, 
which  occurred  in  the  spring  of  1857.  Mrs.  H.  died  in, 
1847,  ten  years  before  her  husband.  Only  one  of  the 
pioneer  children  is  a  citizen  of  the  state,  David  P.,  who 
is  a  prominent  farmer  residing  in  section  29,  township  2 
south,  range  14  west.  Mrs.  Eliza  Cora,  a  younger 
member  of  the  family,  lives  in  Coffee  precinct,  Wabash 
county.  All  the  others  now  living  are  in  the  state  of 
•Missouri.  Edward  D.  Jacobs  and  Adam  Wick  are 
also  old  settlers  of  the  precinct. 

First  Land  Entries. — The  following  entries  are  all 
made.— Township  No.  2  S.,  R.  14  W.  of  the  2d  P.  M. : 
Oct.  26,  1814,  John  Grayson  entered  the  N.  E.  i  of  sec- 
tion 34.  April  25,  1818,  Joseph  Wright  entered  the  S. 
E.  i  of  the  same  section.  June  10,  1818,  Thomas  Tav- 
ner  entered  the  W.  J  of  section  21.  September  17, 1818, 
Robert  Leslie  entered  the  N.  W.  i  of  section  34.  Sept. 
28, 1818,  John  Martip  entered  the  E.  }  of  the  N.  E.  1  of 
section  33.  Sept.  30th,  1818,  Clem.  Martin  entered  the 
S.  W.  1  of  section  34.  Dec.  8th,  1818,  James  Hean  en- 
tered the  N.  E.  1  of  section  19.  February  9,  1819,  John 

j  Mather  entered  the  N.  E.  i  of  section  31.  April  7th, 
1819,  David  Thompson  entered  the  E.  i  of  the  N.  E.  J 

j  of  section  21.  April  8,  1819,  John  Cowling  entered  the 
W.  *  of  the  N.  W.  J  of  section  20. 

The  following  entries  were  made  in  township  3  S.,  R. 
14  W.  of  2d  P.  M. :  May  18,  1815,  Clem.  Martin  en- 
tered the  S.  W.  \  of  section  9.  Feb.  18th,  1817,  Caleb 

!  Dickinson  entered  the  E.  J  of  the  S.  E.  J  of  section  17. 

I  May  11,  1818,  Moses  Thompson  entered  the  N.  \V.  }  of 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WAS  ASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


339 


section  8.    Aug.  1,  1818,  Isaac  Butler  entered  the  W.  * 
of  the  N.  E.  i  of  section  7.     Same  date,  Morris  Bick-  ! 
berk  entered  the  S.  W.  t  of  section  8.     April  28,  1819,  j 
John  Massey  entered  the  N.  W.  1  of  section  9.     The 
following  entries  were  made  in  township  3  S,  R.  11  E.  : 
July  28th,  1831,  Peter  Kershaw  entered  the  N.  E.  J-  of 
section  7.    Sept.  14th,  1832,  Asa  Turner  entered  the  N.  ; 
E.  t  of  section  18.     The  following  entries  are  in  town- 
ship 2  S.,  R.  10  E. :     Oct.  31,  1817,  James  Parker  en- 
tered the  N.  W.  i  of  section  25.     July  26th,  1817, 
Hugh  Stewart  entered  the  E.  i  of  the  S.  W.  i  of  sec- 
tion 24. 

The  privations,  hardships  and  inconveniences  of  the 
first  settlers  cannot  be  fully  comprehended  by  the  present 
generation.  There  were  no  mills  to  grind  their  corn,  and 
they  were  obliged  to  improvise  methods  to  prepare  the 
meal  for  cooking  purposes.  The  mortar,  with  an  iron 
wedge  for  a  pestle,  constituted  the  machinery  for  a  grist 
mill.  The  first  mill  constructed  in  the  precinct  was  in 
1830.  This  was  what  was  known  as  a  horse-mill,  built  ; 
by  James  Higginson,  and  was  situated  on  his  premises  ! 
in  the  northern  part  of  the  precinct.  About  the  same  : 
time  a  water  mill  was  put  in  operation  by  John  Gray- 
son,  located  on  Bonpas  creek,  in  section  34.  It  contained 
one  run  of  stone,  and  for  all  practical  purposes  was  a 
godsend  to  the  people.  It  continued  to  operate  about 
ten  years,  when  Mr.  Grayson  died  and  the  mill  went  to  , 
decay.  The  first  smithing  done  was  by  John  Rotrammel 
1825.  His  shop  was  situated  on  the  east  side  of  the  pre- 
cinct, near  the  Bonpas  creek.  The  smith  and  shop  have 
passed  away  long  ago.  The  first  to  attend  to  the  wants 
of  the  sick  was  Dr.  Archibald  Spring,  of  Albion.  The 
first  resident  physician  was  Harrison  Simms.  He  moved 
away  several  years  ago. 

The  first  school-house  was  built  in  1831,  and  situated 
in  section    17,  township  3  south,  range   14  west,  and 
within  the  northern  limits  of  the  present  town  of  Gray- 
ville.     It  was  the  usual  pioneer  style  of  school-house, 
built  of  unhewn  logs,  puncheon  floor,  puncheon  seats 
and  desks,  and  other  belongings  peculiar  to  these  times. 
The  first  teacher  was  Daniel  R.  Jacobs,  who  in  his  day 
•was    considered   an   excellent   teacher.      The   first   to  j 
preach  the  gospel  to  the  few  pioneers  was  Rev.  Charles  j 
Slocumb,   a   Methodist   "  circuit   rider."      His   circuit  i 
embraced  a  large  territory,  including  a  portion  of  the 
States  of  Illinois  and  Indiana.    While  in  this  section  he  ; 
preached  at  the  private  house  of  Caleb  Dickinson.     It  j 
must  be  remembered  that  at  that  time  there  were  but  j 
very  few  church  houses  in  the  country,  and  services  were  ( 
held  at  the  cabins  of  the  settlers. 

The  first  Baptist  preacher  was  Rev.  Elias  Roberts, 
and  the  first  church  building  erected  was  by  his  denomi-  j 
nation  in  1838.     It  is  situated  in  the  northern  limits  of 
Grayville,  and  is  in  a  good  state  of  preservation.     It  is 


a  frame,  50x60  feet  in  size,  and  is  adorned  with  a  spire 
and  supplied  with  a  bell. 

The  first  place  of  burial  is  situated  near  the  north 
boundary  of  the  city  of  Grayville.  The  first  interment 
was  made  in  1818,  the  deceased  being  Mrs.  John  Taylor, 
from  White  county.  No  head-stone  marks  the  spot, 
neither  is  it  known  where  the  grave  was  made.  It  is 
said  that  the  sexton,  in  sinking  a  grave,  often  strikes  the 
remains  of  those  who  have  been  long  forgotten,  there 
being  no  head-stones  to  guide  his  labors.  The  first 'ma- 
gistrates in  the  precinct  were  David  Thompson,  Daniel 
R.  Jacobs  and  Caleb  Butler. 

A  great  sensation  was  created  in  this  section  of  the 
county  in  1824,  caused  by  the  missing  of  a  little  boy 
three  years  old,  a  son  of  Samuel  Dransfield.  About 
ten  o'clock  in  the  forenoon  he  was  missed,  and,  after  a 
short  search,  the  family  became  convinced  that  he  had 
strayed  away  into  the  timber  or  tall  prairie  grass,  where 
he  would  be  devoured  by  the  wolves  unless  prompt 
action  was  taken.  The  alarm  was  given  in  the  neigh- 
borhood, which,  in  a  few  hours,  was  spread  for  miles 
around.  The  settlers  came  pouring  in  from  every  point, 
and  the  excitement  became  intense  to  the  hunters,  and 
heart-rending  to  the  parents  of  the  little  one.  The  day 
passed  without  tidings.  Fires  were  kept  burning  in  the 
timber  all  night,  to  prevent  the  wolves  from  venturing 
near  the  limits  of  the  settler's  cabin.  Another  day 
came,  and  still  the  people  flocked  in  as  the  word  spread 
abroad.  The  day  passed, — night  closed  in  again  with 
unfruitful  efforts  on  the  part  of  the  searchers.  Fires 
were  again  kindled,  anxious  watchers  keeping  them  well 
supplied  with  fuel.  Morning  dawned,  and  hundreds 
were  then  gathered  to  prosecute  the  search.  About  ten 
o'clock  of  the  second  day  a  joyful  shout  of  "  Found ! " 
resounded  through  forest  and  prairie.  He  was  found 
wandering  around  in  the  tall  prairie  grass,  about  three- 
fourths  of  a  mile  from  his  home.  He  appeared  very 
much  scared  and  weary ;  yet,  with  all  his  tramp  and 
times  of  sleep,  he  had  not  even  lost  his  hat.  . 

At  this  writing,  the  precinct  is  well  populated,  and 
many  fine  farms  are  within  its  boundaries.  About  one- 
fourth  of  the  population  of  the  city  of 

GRAYVILLE 

is  in  this  precinct.  The  only  business  on  this  side  of  the 
boundary  line  is  the  firm  of  W.G.  Wheatcroft&Co.and 
Robert  Glover.  The  formsr  are  engaged  in  the  manu- 
facture of  tile  and  brick  on  Main  street.  Ten  men  are 
employed,  and  it  is  estimated  that  6,000  rods  of  tiling 
and  400,000  bricks  are  turned  out  annually.  The  latter 
industry  is  the  stave  factory  and  cooper  shops,  owned  by 
Mr.  Glover.  This  is  an  extensive  business,  giving  em- 
ployment to  upwards  of  forty  hands. 


LICK    PRAIRIE 


WABASH  COUNTY. 


HIS  precinct  is  bounded  on  the  north  by  Lan- 
caster, on  the  east  of  Friendsville  and  Mt. 
Carmel,  on  the  south  by  Bellmont,  and  on 
the  west  by  Edwards  county.  Its  territory 
extends  two  miles  and  a  half  north,  and  a  mile  and  a 
half  south  of  the  base  line,  and  from  Bonpas  creek  to  a 
line  three  miles  east  of  the  fourteenth  meridian.  Most 
of  the  surface  is  level,  but  some  of  it  is  slightly  rolling. 
Lick  prairie  in  the  northwest  is  of  this  character.  It 
is  about  two  miles  wide,  and  is  so  named  from  the  deer 
lick  within  its  limits.  Bald  Hill  prairie  is  a  semi-circu- 
lar area  lying  partly  within  the  precinct  on  the  east.  It 
derived  its  name  from  the  circumstance  that  one  Bald- 
win settled  on  its  highest  part,  or  more  probably  from 
its  barren  appearance.  In  section  19  there  was  a  small 
circular  prairie,  called  Brush  prairie,  from  the  low 
growth  of  brush  surrounding  it.  Griffin's  prairie,  in 
sections  25  and  26,  comprised  about  one  hundred  and 
sixty  acres  of  land.  Mud  prairie,  so  named  from  its 
natural  condition,  lies  along  Bonpas  creek,  one  and  a 
half  mile  long  and  three-fuurths  of  a  mile  wide.  The 
soil  is  rich  and  black,  and  is  from  five  to  six  feet  in 
depth.  It  is  subject  to  overflow  from  the  creek,  and  was 
originally  too  wet  for  cultivation,  but  has  been  reclaimed. 
The  first  to  settle  in  it  was  Franklin  Card.  The 
principal  water  courses  are  Bonpas  and  Little  Bonpas 
creeks. 

The  earliest  and  most  prominent  settler  of  Lick  prai- 
rie was  Seth  Gard,  who  came  from  Hamilton  county, 
Ohio,  and  established  a  permanent  home  on  the  south- 
east quarter  of  section  28,  about  1814.  This  locality 
•was  called  Gard's  Point,  and  the  post-office,  originally 
established  iu  that  vicinity,  is  still  called  by  that  name. 
Gard  was  a  man  of  much  force  of  character,  of 
good  judgment  and  of  strong  and  lasting  convictions. 
Through  his  mental  make-up  there  ran  a  vein  of  humor 
tending,  generally,  to  point  some  moral  precept.  This 
shows  itself  in  the  Christian  names,  Reason  and  Justice, 
given  to  his  twin  sons.  He  brought  to  the  county  a 
family  of  seven  children,  the  two  just  named,  Susan, 
Ruth,  Amelia,  Franklin,  Hiram  and  Joseph.  Reason 
and  Justice  resembled  each  other  so  closely  that  to  most 
people  a  wart  on  one's  nose  was  the  only  distinguishing 
mark.  On  one  occasion,  in  a  spirit  of  fun,  one  called  to 
see  the  other's  girl.  She  failed  to  observe  the  little 
index,  and  the  counterfeit  passed  as  current  coin.  Gard 
was  an  influential  and  representative  man.  He  was  the 
second  representative  of  the  county  in  the  state  legisla- 


ture, and  the  first  judge  of  the  county  court.  He  was 
also  a  New  Light  minister,  and  very  enthusiastic  in  his 
profession,  often  preaching  from  his  chair  when,  through 
infirmity  of  age,  he  was  unable  to  stand.  With  Gard 
came  his  nephew,  Aaron  Waggoner,  who  had  quite  a 
family  of  children.  He  was  a  stone  mason,  and  in  1816 
or  1817  built  the  chimney,  still  standing,  for  Peter 
Keen's  house  on  the  old  Fox  place,  in  Wabash  precinct. 
In  1814  Jacob  Claypole  settled  on  the  northeast  quarter 
of  section  4.  Philip  Hull,  in  1815,  settled  on  the  north- 
east quarter  of  section  28.  One  Ocheltree,  in  the  same 
year,  located  on  the  southeast  quarter  of  section  21. 
Ichabod  C.  Griffin,  in  1818,  settled  on  the  southeast 
quarter  of  section  24,  in  the  little  prairie  that  bore  his 
name.  In  the  same  year  James  Black  settled  on  the 
southwest  quarter  of  section  25.  Ephraim  Armstrong, 
in  the  year  1819,  came  from  Tennessee  and  settled  on 
the  northwest  quarter  of  section  30.  He  came  to  the 
county  in  1816  or  '17,  and  first  settled  in  the  vicinity  of 
old  Timberville.  From  his  native  state  he  entered  the 
army  in  the  war  of  1812.  He  held  the  office  of  consta- 
ble for  a  number  of  years.  His  death  took  place  &(,  the 
old  homestead  about  the  year  1875.  Thomas  Arm- 
strong, a  well-to-do  farmer  of  the  precinct,  is  his  son. 
Samuel  Mundy  and  his  wife  and  their  two  sons,  Griffith 
and  William,  came  from  the  state  of  New  York  in  1819. 
They  came  as  far  as  Cincinnati,  with  a  horse  and  wagon, 
which  they  there  exchanged  for  a  boat  with  which  they 
made  the  rest  of  the  journey.  They  first  settled  on  the 
northwest  quarter  of  section  24,  and  after  a  few  years 
moved  to  the  south  half  of  section  19,  which  became 
their  homestead.  Mr.  Mundy  was  at  one  time  a  mem- 
ber of  the  legislature,  while  Vandalia  was  yet  the  seat 
of  government.  He  was  elected  to  the  office  of  circuit 
clerk,  which  he  filled  for  several  years.  He  died  in 
Mt.  Carmel  in  1872.  Lewis  Armstrong,  brother  of 
Ephraim,  settled  on  the  southwest  quarter  of  section  19, 
but  did  not  remain  krg  in  the  precinct.  William  Ulm, 
a  farmer  and  minis  ter,  residing  in  section  36,  came  to 
Wabash  from  Ross  county,  Ohio,  in  1820.  James  Wi'ey 
came  to  the  precinct  from  New  York  in  1820  or  '21. 
He  was  a  plain  farmer,  and  reared  a  family  of 'five  or 
six  children.  Jacob  Gupton,  with  a  family  of  three 
children,  came  from  North  Carolina  in  1825,  and  became 
a  permanent  resident  of  the  precinct.  With  him  came 
s  son-in-law,  Calvin  Morgan,  whose  possessions  con- 
sisted of  a  little  pony  and  fifty  cents  in  money.  By  the 
diligent  employment  of  his  time  in  winter  at  shoemak- 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS.         341 


ing,  and  in  summer  at  farming,  he  accumulated  a  good 
deal  of  property.  Two  sons  survive  him,  George  in 
Lancaster  and  Hiram  in  Lick  prairie.  Benjamin  F. 
Hill  and  family  of  a  wife  and  two  sons,  William  and 
Thomas,  came  from  Virginia  about  1824  or  '25,  and 
settled  on  the  northwest  quarter  of  section  30.  He  left 
home  to  drive  to  Mt-  Carmel,  about  twenty  five  years 
ago,  and  was  found  dead  by  the  wayside.  His  sons 
Thomas  and  William  married  and  settled  in  the  pre- 
cinct. The  family  of  Adam  Baird  deserve  mention 
among  the  early  settlers.  He  came  from  Virginia, 
bringing  with  him  a  family  of  five  children,  John, 
Samuel,  Andrew,  William  (deaf  and  dumb)  and  Silas 
The  first  three  were  ministers  of  the  New  Light,  and 
afterward  of  the  Christian  persuasion.  Silas  was  a 
teacher  and  William  a  chair  and  barrel-maker.  All 
are  now  dead.  Frederick  Miller  was  an  early  set- 
tler from  Indiana.  He  located  in  section  31.  He 
was  a  plain  farmer  and  died  at  his  home  many  years 
ago.  John  Steward,  from  Virginia,  settled  on  the 
east  half  of  section  31.  He  was  crippled  with  rheuma- 
tism and  worked  at  shoemaking.  One  Gumming  was 
also  an  early  settler  near  the  locality  of  Gard's  Point. 
He  went  with  his  face  tied  up,  having  sustained  a  frac- 
ture of  the  jaw  in  the  operation  of  extracting  a  tooth. 

John  Moore,  a  New  Light  minister  came  from  Vir- 
ginia about  1825,  with  a  family  and  settled  on  section 
36.  On  one  occasion,  when  he  was  crossing  the  Bonpas, 
on  his  return  from  a  tour  of  preaching,  he  saw  Joseph 
Preston  and  Harrison  lugram  skating  bare-foot,  with 
chips  of  wood  strapped  to  their  feet," having  walked 
without  shoes  a  distance  of  five  miles  to  reach  the  ice. 
Samuel  Moore,  brother  of  John,  moved  from  Virginia  to 
Indiana,  and  thence  to  the  southwest  quarter  of  section 
25,  the  old  James  Black  place.  After  two  or  three 
years  he  moved  to  the  southwest  quarter  of  section  24, 
where  he  made  the  first  improvements,  and  settled  per- 
manently. He  was  a  New  Light  exhorter,  and  he  died 
many  years  ago.  William  Brattou  came  to  the  precinct 
about  1827.  He  settled  on  the  east  half  of  section  36, 
or  the  west  half  of  section  31,  township  1  north,  and 
reared  a  family  of  three  or  four  children.  He  was  a 
farmer  and  mechanic,  a  sociable  and  good-hearted  man, 
and  he  accumulated  a  considerable  aaount  of  property. 
William  8.  Hill,  a  farmer  and  stock -raiser  of  section 
32,  ctme  west  to  Wabash  county  from  North  Carolina 
iu  1829.  P.  G.  Greathouse,  a  farmer,  gunsmith  and 
blacksmith  of  section  1,  was  born  in  the  county  ia  1827. 
A.  W.  Gilkison,  section  25,  farmer  and  stock-raiser,  was 


born  in  the  county  in  1832.  Adam  Stoltz  came  to 
Pennsylvania,  from  Alsace,  Germany,  with  a  family,  in 
1828.  In  1834  he  moved  to  Illinois  and  settled  on 
the  southwest  quarter  of  section  21,  but  ia  now 
in  Lick  precinct.  The  family  married  and  settled  down 
in  the  neighborhood  of  their  father's  home,  and  are  the 
oldest  German  family  in  the  precinct.  One  of  the 
daughters,  Vieve,  married  Fred  Marx,  from  whom  the 
family  of  that  name  are  descended.  P.  P.  Keepes,  of 
section  20,  a  farmer  and  county  treasurer,  came  from 
Germany  in  1828.  The  first  colored  settler  was  Charles 
Goings.  He  located  on  the  south  half  of  section  19  in 
1835.  An  Indian  from  Tennessee,  also  named  Goings, 
settled  with  Charles  at  the  same  time.  Gard's  Point 
post-office  was  first  kept  by  Dr.  Ezra  Baker.  About 
1842  it  was  kept  by  Reason  Gard,  who  retained  it  about 
ten  years.  It  changed  possession  two  or  three  times, 
and  finally  came  to  the  hands  of  Joseph  Shearer,  the 
present  incumbent.  The  first  school  in  the  precinct  was 
taught  by  William  Townsend  in  a  log  school-house  on 
the  northwest  quarter  of  section  30,  in  the  year  1830. 
Townsend  was  a  Methodist  minister,  and  opened  and 
closed  his  school  with  prayer,  and  was  regarded  as  a  good 
teacher.  The  school-house  was  of  the  old  time  type, 
with  puncheon  floor,  seats  and  desks.  On  the  southeast 
quarter  of  section  25,  about  1833,  was  built  a  log  build- 
ing, designed  for  a  church  and  school-house,  and  used 
for  these  purposes  for  a  number  of  years.  At  this 
point  is  an  old  grave-yard,  still  kept  in  preservation. 
In  the  locality  of  Cabbage  Corners,  so  called  from 
Justice  Gard's  cabbage  patch  that  was  near  it,  or,  as 
some  say,  from  the  circumstance  that  one  young  man 
"cabbaged  "another's  girl,  stood  a  log  school  house  at 
an  early  day.  The  Gard's  Point  burial  grounds,  south- 
east quarter,  section  28,  is  the  oldest  in  the  precinct. 
The  first  land  entry  was  made  by  James  Claypole, 
in  the  southwest  quarter  of  section  4,  August  5,  1814. 
December  30,  of  that  year,  S.  M.  Kussell  and  C.  Dana 
entered  four  hundred  and  eighty  acres  in  section  33. 
June  10, 1815,  Philip  Hull  entered  the  southeast  quar- 
ter of  section  21.  April  20,  1816,  James  O.  Chetrod, 
the  northeast  quarter  of  section  28.  May  9, 1818,  Icha- 
bod  C.  Griffin,  the  southeast  quarter  of  section  24. 
August  29,  same  year,  T.  Ayeres  and  P.  Mundy  the 
southeast  quarter  of  section  36,  and  Oct.  22,  also  same 
year,  James  Black  the  southwest  quarter  of  section  25. 

Lick  Prairie  is  the  smallest  precinct  in  the  county, 
but  it  contains  some  excellent  land  and  well-improved 
farms. 


BIOGRAPHY. 


JOHN  STRAHAN  (deceased,) 

WAS  born  in  Lawrence  county,  Kentucky,  in  1825. 
William  Strahan,  his  father,  was  a  native  of  North 
Carolina,  and  from  there  moved  to  Kentucky,  where  he 


gretted  by  all  who  knew  him.  He  was  a  man' of  kind 
and  generous  impulses,  though  firm.  He  never  made  a 
contract  or  an  obligation  that  he  was  not  ready  and 
Billing  to  meet.  That  trait  was  eminently  characteristic 


died.  John  Strahan  came  to  Illinois  in  1861,  and  set-  ;  of  him.  He  married  Olivia  Ann  Newman,  of  Wayne 
tied  in  Bonpas  township,  Wabash  county.  He  followed  county,  West  Virginia.  She  died  in  1873.  He  sub- 
the  peaceful  avocation  of  a  farmer.  He  lived  near  the  j  sequently  married  Mrs.  Ann  Boyer.  She  still  survives 


present  village  of  Bellmont  until  1870,  when  he 
bought  130  acres  of  land  in  section  14  in  Lick  Prairie, 
and  there  made  his  home  until  his  death,  which  took 


her  husband.  By  the  first  marriage  there  were  eight 
children,  two  are  living,  whose  names  are  William  H. 
and  Rosaline  Strahan.  William  H.  was  born  February 


place  February  4,  18S3.  He  was  a  member  of  the  i  Is),  1854.  He  is  yet  at  home  carrying  on  the  farm. 
Christian  church,  and  lived  a  Christian  life.  He  was  a  I  He  like  his  father  before  him  votes  the  Republican 
kind  husband  and  an  affectionate  father,  and  died  re-  '  ticket. 


BOND. 

LAWRENCE  CO. 


HIS  township  is  bounded  on  the  north  by 
Crawford  county,  on  the  east  by  Russ'ell, 
south  by  Lawrence,  %nd  west  by  Petty 
townships,  and  comprises  portions  of  Con-  ; 
gressioual  townships  4-11,  4-12,  and  5-11,  5-12.  The  j 
surface  in  the  northwest  is  somewhat  elevated  and 
broken,  and  was  at  the  time  of  the  first  settlements 
covered  with  scattering  trees,  and  occasional  patches  of 
timber.  On  both  sides  of  Brushy  Fork,  near  the  centre 
of  the  township,  lies  Lackey's  Prairie.  On  the  west, 
along  the  Embarras  river,  there  is  a  considerable  amount 
of  bottom  land  heavily  covered  with  timber.  Brushy 
Fork  and  the  Embarras  are  the  main  sources  of  drain- 
age. 

The  earliest  settlement  in  the  township  was  made  in  j 
the  neighborhood  of  Pinkstaff  station,  about  the  year  | 
1815,  by  Tennesseans.     Adam  Lackey,  Sr.,  a  Revolu- 
tionary soldier,  came  to  Lawrence  county  in  1813,  and 
•went  into  Fort  Allison.     He  had  three  children,  Adam, 
Jr.,  Elizabeth  and  John,  an  infant  of  two  years.     At  the 
return  of  peace  and  the  cessation  of  Indian  hostilities, 
he  moved  to  the  N.  E.  i  of  the  S.  E    J  of  section  5,  T. 
4,  R.  11,  and  there  settled  permanently  and  died.     His  j 
sons,  Adam,  Jr.,  and  John,  married  and  settled  in  the 
vicinity,  and  have  a  number  of  representatives  in  the 
county.      About   this   time,   three   brothers,  William, 
342 


John  and  David  McCord,  with  families  sought  homes 
in  the  same  vicinity.  They  first  settled  on  the  N.  E. 
quarter  of  the  N.  W.  quarter  of  section  5,  T.  4,  R.  11. 
John  and  David  located  at  what  is  now  Pinkstaff  sta- 
tion. A  negro  settlement  was  begun  in  the  township, 
sections  8  and  9,  T.  4,  R.  11,  in  the  year  1815  or  '16. 
Lion  and  John  Morris  settled  respectively  on  the  N.  E. 
quarter  and  the  S.  E.  quarter  of  section  8,  which  they 
entered  in  1816.  In  1817  Joshua  Anderson  settled  on 
the  If.  E.  quarter  of  section  9.  Elihu  Cole,  Obed  Go- 
ings, John  Porter  and  Matthew  Steward  lived  in  the 
same  settlement.  The  Morris'  and  the  three  brothers 
Anderson  were  in  Fort  Allison,  and  used  to  go  scouting 
with  the  other  occupants.  The  mother  of  the  Morris', 
whose  husband  was  killed  by  the  Indians,  expressed  the 
revengeful  and  mirth-provoking  desire,  that  a  cannon  be 
placed  on  Dubois  Hill  to  exterminate  the  race  who  were 
the  authors  of  her  wrongs.  The  negro  settlement  has 
been  pushed  southward,  and  now  lies  mainly  in  Law- 
rence township.  About  the  year  1819  a  community  of 
the  sect  known  as  Shakers,  numbering  about  forty  in  all, 
was  formed  on  the  Embarras  river,  at  what  is  now 
Charlotlesville,  by  immigrants  from  Shakertown,  Knox 
county,  Indiana,  which,  now  extinct,  was  quite  a  village 
in  1821.  The  Shakers  held  their  property  in  common, 
and  transacted  all  business  and  financial  matters  through 


•BBM^^^B 

"FARM  RESIDENCE  or  JAMES  w.  BEAK,  SEC.  26  r.  2.  /?.  10,  DIXON  PRECINCT,  EDWARDS  co.  ILL. 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WABASH  COUN1IES,  ILLINOIS. 


343 


a  board  of  trustees  composed  of  three  individuals.  Dan- 
iel Rankin  and  A.  Gallaher  were  members  of  the  first 
board.  William  Douglas,  George  Legier  and  William 
Davis  also  occupied  the  position  of  trustees.  On  their 
arrival,  in  1819,  they  built  two  houses,  one  for  the  men 
and  another  for  the  women,  as  the  sexes  lived  apart 
from  each  other.  The  "  Shaker  Mill "  soon  followed, 
and  was  put  in  operation  in  the  spring  of  1820.  It  was 
a  frame  water-mill  with  one  set  of  burrs,  and  was  built 
on  the  west  bank  .of  the  river.  The  Shakers  had  oper- 
ated it  about  two  years,  when  the  breaking  of  the  mill- 
dam  cast  discouragement  about  them,  and  having  leased  \ 
the  property  to  a  man  named  Beecher,  they  abandoned 
their  plan  of  founding  a  permanent  settlement  on  the 
Embarras,  and  emigrated  to  Shakertown  and  other 
points. 

The  lessee  operated  the  mill  about  two  years,  when, 
in  1824,  it  was  purchased  by  Asahel  Heath  and  his  son 
Renick,  who  moved  it  across  the  river  to  the  present 
site  of  Charlottesville,  rebuilt  it,  added  a  set  of  burrs,  | 
and  operated  it  fifteen  or  eighteen  years.  It  enjoyed  an  ! 
active  existence  till  about  ten  years  ago  when  it  was 
abandoned.  Some  three  or  four  years  since  it  was 
washed  away.  At  one  time  it  was  an  important  centre, 
and  attracted  custom  from  points  fifty  miles  distant. 
Asahel  Heath,  formerly  from  Ohio,  had  lived  two  years 
in  Indiana,  prior  to  his  arrival  in  the  township  in  1824.' 
He  had  a  family  of  eight  children,  viz. :  Renick,  Ran- 
dolph, Asahel,  Jr.,  Felix,  John,  Catharine,  Charlotte 
and  Osborn.  He  was  a  soldier  in  the  war  of  1812,  and 
held  the  commission  of  Major.  He  died  in  Crawford 
county.  In  1827  Renick  married  Melinda  Baker,  with 
•whom  he  is  still  living  in  Russellville.  She  came  to 
Indiana  as  a  part  of  her  father's  family  two  days  after 
the  battle  of  Tippecauoe,  and  to  Illinois  in  1817.  Mr. 
Heath  was  .a  soldier  in  the  Black  Hawk  war  from 
Crawford  county.  One  night  while  living  at  Shaker 
mill  his  slumbers  were  disturbed  by  ^he  barking  of  a 
wolf  which  continued  till  day-break,  when  he  took  his 
gun  and  started  on  a  tour  of  investigation.  The  wolf 
•wad  jumping  about  and  barking  violently,  and  seemed 
not  to  notice  a  pursuer.  Just  then  a  panther  leaped  to 
the  ground  from  a  limb,  and  both  animals  made  good 
their  escape  in  opposite  directions.  Beneath  the  tree 
from  which  the  panther  leaped,  was  found  the  half  de- 
voured body  of  a  coon,  which  was  the  probable  "  bone  of  | 
contention." 

About  the  year  1818,  William  Childress  from  Tennes-  | 
see,  married  Jane  Howard,  and  settled  in  the  N.  E.  | 
quarter  of  the  N.  W.  quarter  of  section  5,  T.  4,  R.  11, 
where  he  settled  permanently  and  died  at  the  age  of 
about  seventy-five  years.     In  this  year  Edward  Mills 
married  Prudence  Howard  and  settled  on  the  N.  W. 
quarter  of  section  6,  T.  4,  R.  11.     Near  this  time,  John 
Dollahan,  a  Wesleyan  Methodist  minister,  with  a  family  | 
of  some  size,  from  Ohio,  located  permanently  011  the  N. 
E.  quarter  of  section  5,  T.  4,  R  11,  where  he  planted  an 
orchard   and  founded    the   earliest   grave-yard   in  the  | 


township.  James  Bryant,  a  Tennesseean,  about  1819 
or  '20,  married  Mrs.  Anderson,  whose  first  husband's 
father  was  one  of  the  earliest  settlers  in  Allison  Prairie, 
made  his  home  in  section  5,  T.  4,  R.  11.  William  Ran- 
kin, a  carpenter,  who  first  located  near  Lawrenceville, 
moved,  with  his  wife  and  three  children,  David,  James 
and  Susan,  and  settled  half  a  mile  south  of  Charlottes- 
ville, about  1835.  In  1826,  Levi  and  John  Lee,  from 
Ohio,  the  former  with  two  children,  Sobrina  and  Abner, 
settled  respectively  on  the  N.  W.  quarter  and  the  S.  E. 
quarter  of  section  33,  T.  5,  R.  11.  After  a  residence  of 
five  years  the  former  moved  to  Jasper  county.  Samuel 
Pollard,  in  1825,  brought  from  Tennessee  a  family  of 
children,  Edward,  William,  Madison,  Jackson  and 
Susan,  and  settled  on  the  Dollahan  place.  Madison  was 
drowned  on  the  Embarras  at  the  Shaker  mill.  The 
other  children  married  and  settled  in  the  county.  In 
this  year  Aaron  Bt  ck,  brother-in-law  of  John  Dollahan, 
came  from  Ohio  with  a  family  of  five  or  six  children 
and  settled  on  the  N.  E.  quarter  of  section  25,  T.  5,  R. 
11,  where  after  a  number  of  years  he  died.  John 
Helvenstein  settled  in  the  Pinkstaff  neighborhood,  about 
1825.  He  came  from  Kentucky  with  a  family  of  two 
sons,  Washington  and  Andrew,  and  several  daughters. 
Wilson  Price,  a  soldier  of  1812,  born  in  North  Carolina, 
came  to  Bond  township  from  Tennessee  in  1827,  and 
with  his  wife  and  four  children,  W.  C ,  James  A.,  Har- 
riet A.,  and  Mary  J.,  settled  on  the  S.  E.  quarter  of  sec- 
tion 2,  T.  4,  R.  12,  where  he  resided  permanently.  He 
died  in  Lawrenceville  in  1874  at  the  age  of  about  ninety- 
two  years.  The  sons  married  and  became  permanent 
residents  of  the  township  and  county.  Silas  Reed,  with 
one  daughter,  Sarah,  from  Tennessee,  in  1827,  settled  on 
theN.  W.  quarter  of  section  1,  T.  4,  R.  12.  William 
Norris  operated  a  cotton  gin  for  some  time  from  the 
year  1826  on  the  S.  W.  quarter  of  the  S.  W.  quarter  of 
section  4,  tp.  4,  range  11,  to  w):ich  locality  he  had 
moved  it  from  Allison  prairie.  Samuel  Drake,  an  early 
settler  with  a  family,  made  his  home  on  the  S.  W.  quar- 
ter of  section  28,  T.  5,  R.  11.  In  1828  came  Edith 
Hunt,  Allen  G.  McNece  and  Thomas  Cook,  from  Ten- 
nessee. Mrs.  Hunt  had  five  children,  Nancy,  Sally, 
Perlina,  George  and  Pollard.  Her  husband  was  shot 
for  desertion  in  the  war  of  1812,  and  Wilson  Price  was 
one  of  the  soldiers  detailed  for  the  execution.  McNece 
and  Cook  were  brothers-in-law  and  had  families. 
William  Mullen,  also  from  Tennessee,  with  a  family  of 
six  or  seven  children,  settled  in  the  township  in  1830. 
The  Mullens,  Prices,  Cooks  and  McNeces  and  Hunts 
were  related,  and  formed  a  neighborhood  in  section  2, 
T.  4,  R.  12  and  section  35,  T.  5,  R.  12.  In  this  neigh- 
borhood settled  Edward  and  Jeremiah  Taylor,  young 
married  men  from  Kentucky.  Among  the  early  settlers 
of  the  township  were  families  named  Prickey,  Randolph 
and  Nay. 

The  first  house  for  school  purposes  was  built  of  logs 
near  the  present  Pinkstaff  station  about  1825,  and  re- 
mained in  use  some  six  years.  Rev.  John  Dollahau 


344 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WAS  ASH  COUN1IES,  ILLINOIS. 


•was  the  first  resident  minister,  and  Asahel  Heath  the 
first  justice  of  the  paacs.  The  earliest  land  entries  are 
as  follows  :  February  5,  1816,  Lion  Morris  entered  the 
N.  E.  quarter  of  section  8,  T.  1-11  ;  February  22,  1816, 
John  Morris  the  S.  E.  quarter  of  the  same  section  ; 
September  30,  1816,  A.  Gallaher,  the  S.  W.  quarter  of 
section  28,  T.  5-11;  October  31,  1818,  Peter  Price,  the 
E.  half  of  the  S.  E.  quarter  of  section  33,  T.  5-11 ;  April 
17,  1819,  Robert  A.  Miller,  the  E.  half  of  the  If.  W. 
quarter  of  section  28,  township  -5-11 ;  June  10,  1819, 
Cornelius  Vannarsdell,  the  southwest  quarter  of  section 
36,  T.  5-11.  The  following  is  a  list  of  supervisors  with 
their  terms  of  office:  Robert  Dollahan,  1857  ;  Benjamin 
Rogers,  resigned,  and  L.  S.  Highsmith  for  unexpired 
term,  18u8;  Benjamin  Rogers,  Jr.,  1858,1859;  Wil- 
liam M.  Carlyle,  1861 ;  Asahel  Heath,  resigned,  and 
Robert  Dollahan  for  unexpired  term,  1862,  1863;  j 
Aaron  Clark,  1864  ;  Asahel  Heath,  1865  ;  Aaron  Clark,  ! 
1866, 1867 ;  Robert  J.  Ford,  1868  to  1876  ;  H.  A.  Waters, 
resigned,  and  W.  H.  Fritchey,  for  unexpired  term,  1877, 
1878  ;  W.  H.  Miles,  1879;  Robert  J.  Ford,  1880  ;  Wil- 
liam H.  Miles,  1881 ;  Robert  J.  Ford,  chairman,  1882 ; 
John  Bancroft,  1883. 
The  oldest  town  is 

CHARLOTTESVILLE 

Situated  on  the  Embarras  river.  It  was  laid  out  by 
Asahel  Heath,  March  22,  1837,  on  the  S.  W.  quarter 
of  section  28,  T.  5,  R.  12  W.,  and  surveyed  and  platted 
by  Samuel  Dunlap,  county  surveyor.  Twenty-five 
years  ago  it  contained  two  dry  goods  and  two  grocery 
stores,  a  blacksmith  and  a  wagon  shop,  and  a  grist  mill; 
which  clothed  it  with  the  evidences  of  life  and  prosperity, 
while  at  present  it  is  a  mere  waste. 

BIRD'S  STATION 

Is  a  thrifty  and  thoroughly  live  town  on  the  Wabash, 
St.  Louis  and  Pacific  Railroad,  which  extends  north  and 
south  through  the  township.  It  was  laid  out  on  the  N. 
W.  quarter  of  the  N.  W.  quarter  of  section  22,  T.  5,  R. 
81,  by  John  Bird,  and  on  the  southwest  quarter  of  the  j  store  and  commenced  selling  groceries. 


southwest  quarter  of  section  29,  same  town  and  range 
by  Felix  Wampler,  and  surveyed  and  platted  by  J.  B. 
Banefiel,  county  surveyor,  and  the  plat  was  filed  for 
record  September  10,  1878.  In  this  year  Isaac  W. 
Baldridge  built  the  first  house,  a  frame  dwelling,  at 
which  he  kept  the  post-office.  W.  H.  Cochrane  built  a 
frame  storehouse  and  sold  the  first  goods  in  1879. 
In  1881  Lindsay  and  Bristow  put  up  a  frame  store  and 
occupied  it  with  a  stock  of  drugs.  The  railroad  com- 
pany built  a  depot  in  1882. 

PRESENT  BUSINESS. 

Physician—  N.  F. Lindsay. 

General  Merchants— J.  H.  Klinger,  F.  M.  Pinkstaff, 
Josephus  Henry,  Nuttall  &  Ford,  Tromley  &  Catlett. 

Drugs  and  Groceries. — Lindsay  &  B  ristow. 

Blacksmiths. — Charles  Howard,  Isaac  Shields. 

Shoe  shop. — Perry  Perrine. 

Grain  Dealer. — John  Wampler. 

Postmaster—  F.  M.  Pinkstaff. 

Photographer. — F.  Glass 

About  two  and  three-quarter  miles  south  of  Bird's  on 
the  same  railroad  is 


PINKSTAFF  STATION. 

It  was  laid  out  by  Owen  Pinkstaff  on  the  southwest 
quarter  of  section  8,  T.  4,  R.  11,  and  surveyed  and  plat- 
ted by  B.  Benefiel,  county  surveyor  February  23,  1877. 
T.  J.  Pinkstaff  built  a  combined  dwelling  and  store,  and 
sold  the  first  goods  in  1878.  He  still  continues  in  bus- 
iness, and  is  post-master.  The  post-office  was  established 
in  1877,  and  Alonzo  Eaton  was  its  first  keeper. 


Was  laid  out  by  George  W.  White  on  the  S.  W.  quarter 
of  section  8,  T.  4,  R.  11,  in  the  spring  of  1882.  In  that 
year  Fernando  Johnson  built  a  combined  dwelling  and 


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CONSTITUTION  OF  ILLINOIS. 

ADOPTED  IN  CONVENTION  AT  SPRINGFIELD,  MAT  13,  A.  D.  1870;  RATIFIED  BY  THE  PEOPLE  JULY  2,  1870;  IN 
FORCE,  AUGUST  8,  1870 ;  AND  AMENDMENTS  THERETO,  WITH  THE  DATES  OF  RATIFICATION. 


PREAMBLE. 

\Ve,  the  people  of  the  State  of  Illinois— grateful  to  Almighty 
God  for  the  civil,  political  and  religious  liberty  which  He  hath  so 
long  permitted  us  to  enjoy,  and  looking  to  Him  for  a  blessing 
upon  our  endeavors  to  secure  and  transmit  the  same  unimpaired 
to  succeeding  generations — in  order  to  form  a  more  perfect  gov- 
ernment, establish  justice,  insure  domestic  tranquillity,  provide 
for  the  common  defense,  promote  the  general  welfare,  and  secure 
the  blessings  of  liberty  to  ourselves  and  our  posterity  ;  do  ordain 
and  establish  this  constitution  for  the  State  of  Illinois. 

ARTICLE  I. 

BOUNDARIES. 

The  boundaries  and  jurisdiction  of  the  State  shall  be  as  fol- 
lows, to  wit:  Beginning  at  the  mouth  of  the  Wabash  river; 
thence  up  the  same,  and  with  the  line  of  Indiana,  to  the  north- 
west corner  of  said  State;  thence  east,  with  the  line  of  the  same 
State,  to  the  middle  of  Lake  Michigan;  thence  north,  along  the 
middle  of  said  lake,  to  north  latitude  42  degrees  and  30  minutes  ; 
thence  west  to  the  middle  of  the  Mississippi  river,  and  thence 
down  along  the  middle  of  that  river  to  its  confluence  with  the 
Ohio  river,  and  thence  up  the  latter  river,  along  its  northwestern 
shore,  to  the  place  of  beginning :  Provided,  that  this  State  shall 
exercise  such  jurisdiction  upon  the  Ohio  river  as  she  is  now 
entitled  to,  or  such  as  may  nereafter  be  agreed  upon  by  this 
State  and  the  State  of  Kentucky. 

ARTICLE  II. 

BILL  OF  EIGHTS. 


\  1.  All  men  are  by  nature  free  and  independent,  and  have 
certain  inherent  and  inalienable  rights — among  these  are  life, 
libertv,  and  the  pursuit  of  happiness.  To  secure  these  rights 
and  the  protection  of  property,  governments  arc  instituted  among 
men,  deriving  their  just  powers  from  the  consent  of  the  gov- 
erned. 

<i  2.  No  person  shall  be  deprived  of  life,  liberty  or  property, 
without  due  process  of  law. 

\  3.  The  free  exercise  and  enjoyment  of  religious  profession 
and  worship,  without  discrimination,  shall  forever  be  guaranteed ; 
and  no  person  shall  be  denied  any  civil  or  political  right,  privi- 
lege or  capacity,  on  account  of  his  religious  opinions ;  but  the 
liberty  of  conscience  hereby  secured  shall  not  be  construed  to 
dispense  with  oaths  or  affirmations,  excuse  acts  of  licentiousness, 
or  justify  practices  inconsistent  with  the  peace  or  safety  of  the 
State.  No  person  shall  be  required  to  attend  or  support  any  min- 
istry or  place  of  worship  against  his  consent,  nor  shall  any  pref- 
erence be  given  by  law  to  any  religious  denomination  or  mode  of 
worship. 

?  4.  Every  person  may  freely  speak,  write  and  publish  on  all 
subjects,  being  responsible  for  the  abuse  of  that  liberty;  and  in 
nil  trials  for  libel,  both  civil  and  criminal,  the  truth,  when  pub- 
lished with  good  motives  and  for  justifiable  ends,  shall  be  a  suffi- 
cient defense. 


1.  Inherent  and  Inalienable  Rights. 
2.  Due  Process  of  Law. 
3.  Libertv  of  Con^eit-nc'C  Guaranteed. 
•1.  Freedom  of  tlio  Press-Libel. 
5.  Right  of  Trial  bv  Jury. 
0.  Unreasonable  Searches  and  Seiz- 

§   7.  Baiiea'lowed—  Writ  of  Habeas  Cor- 
pus. 
|    8.  Indictment  required—  Grand  Jury 
Abolished. 
\   9.  Rights   of    Persons   Accused    of 

10.  Self-Crimination-Former  Trial. 
11.  Penalties    proportionate—  Corrup- 
tion— Forfeiture. 
12.  Imprisonment  for  Debt, 
13.  Compensation  for  Property  taken. 
14.  Ex  post  facto    laws-Irrevocable 

15.  Military  Power  Subordinate. 
10.  Quartering  of  Soldiers. 
17.  flight  of  Assembly  nnd  Petition. 
is.   I-:k.,  ti  .us  t.i  !><•  Five  :mcl  Equal. 
10.  What  Laws  ought  to  bo. 
20.  Fundamental  Principles. 

|  5.  The  right  of  trial  by  jury  as  heretofore  enjoyed  shall  re- 
main inviolate;  but  the  trial  of  civil  cases  before  justices  of  the 
peace  by  a  jury  of  less  than  twelve  men,  may  be  authorized  by  law. 

§  6.  The  right  of  the  people  to  be  secure  in  their  persons, 
h»uses,  papers  and  effects,  against  unreasonable  searches  and 
seizures,  shall  not  be  violated  ;  and  no  warrant  shall  issue  with- 
out probable  cause,  supported  by  affidavit,  particularly  describ- 
ing the  place  to  be  searched,  and  the  person  or  things  to  be 
seized. 

\  7.  All  persons  shall  be  bailable  by  sufficient  sureties,  except 
for  capital  offenses,  where  the  proof  is  evident  or  the  presump- 
tion great;  and  the  privilege  of  the  writ  of  habeas  corpus  shall 
not  be  suspended,  unless  when  in  cases  of  rebellion  or  invasion 
the  public  safety  may  require  it. 

|  8.  No  person  shall  be  held  to  answer  for  a  criminal  offense, 
unless  on  indictment  of  a  grand  jury,  except  in  cases  in  which 
the  punishment  is  by  fine,  or  imprisonment  otherwise  than  in  the 
penitentiary,  in  cases  of  impeachment,  andrin  cases  arising  in  the 
army  and  navy,  or  in  the  militia  when  in  actual  service  in  time 
of  war  or  public  danger  :  Provided,  that  the  grand  jury  may  be 
abolished  by  law  in  all  cases. 

§  9.  In  all  criminal  prosecutions,  the  accused  shall  have  the 
right  to  appear  and  defend  in  person  and  by  counsel ;  to  demand 
the  nature  and  cause  of  the  accusation,  and  to  have  a  copy  there- 
of; to  meet  the  witnesses  face  to  face,  and  to  have  process  to 
compel  the  attendance  of  witnesses  in  his  behalf,  and  a  speedy 
public  trial  by  an  impartial  jury  of  the  county  or  district  in  which 
the  offense  is  alleged  to  have  been  committed. 

\  10.  No  person  shall  be  compelled  in  any  criminal  case  to  give 
evidence  against  himself,  or  be  twice  put  in  jeopardy  for  the  same 
offense. 

\  11.  All  penalties  shall  be  proportioned  to  the  nature  of  the 
offense ;  and  no  conviction  shall  work  corruption  of  blood  of  for- 
feiture of  estate ;  nor  shall  any  person  be  transported  out  or  the 
State  for  any  offense  committed  within  the  same. 

\  12.  No  person  shall  be  imprisoned  for  debt,  unless  upon  re- 
fusal to  deliver  up  his  estate  for  the  benefit  of  his  creditors,  in 
such  manner  as  shall  be  prescribed  by  law;  or  in  cases  where 
there  is  strong  presumption  of  fraud. 

\  13.  Private  property  shall  not  betaken  or  damaged  for  public 
use  without  just  compensation.  Such  compensation,  when  not 
made  by  the  State,  shall  be  ascertained  by  a  jury,  as  shall  be  pre- 
scribed by  law.  The  fee  of  land  taken  for  railroad  tracks,  with- 
out consent  of  the  owners  thereof,  shall  remain  in  such  owners, 
subject  to  the  use  for  which  it  is  taken.  » 

fi  14.  No  ex  post  facio  law,  or  law  impairing  the  obligation  of 
contracts,  or  making  any  irrevocable  grant  of  special  privileges  or 
immunities,  shall  be  passed. 

\  15.  The  military  shall  be  in  strict  subordination  to  the  civil 
power. 

fl  16.  No  soldier  shall,  in  time  of  peace,  be  quartered  in  any 
house  without  the  consent  of  the  owner;  nor  in  time  of  war  ex- 
cept in  the  manner  prescribed  by  law. 

§  17.  The  people  have  the  right  to  assemble  in  a  peaceable 
manner  to  consult  for  the  common  good,  to  make  known  their 
opinions  to  their  representatives,  and  to  apply  for  redress  of  griev- 
ances. 

?  18.  All  elections  shall  be  free  and  equal. 

|  19.  Every  person  ought  to  find  a  certain  remedy  in  the  laws 
for  all  injuries  and  wrongs  which  he  may  receive  in  his  person, 
property  or  reputation  ;  he  ought  to  obtain,  by  law,  right  and 
justice  freely,  and  without  being  obliged  to  purchase  it,  completely 
and  without  denial,  promptly  and  without  delay. 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WAS  ASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


361 


|  23.  A  frequent  occurrence  to  the  fundamental  principles  of 
civil  government  is  absolutely  necessary  to  preserve  the  blessings 
of  liberty. 

ARTICLE  III. 

DISTRIBUTION  OF  POWERS. 

The  powers  of  the  Government  of  this  State  arc  divided  into 
three  distinct  departments— the  Legislative,  Executive  and  Ju- 
dicial ,  and  no  person,  or  collection  of  persons,  being  one  of  these 
departments,  shall  exercise  any  power  properly  belonging  to 
either  of  the  others,  except  as  hereinafter  expressly  directed  or 
permitted. 

ARTICLE  IV. 


LEGISLATIVE 

1.  Gc-neral  Assembly  elective. 
2.  Time  of  Election—  Vacancies. 
3.  Who  arc  Uimblo. 
1.  Disqualification  by  Crime. 
5.  O.ith  t.iken  by  members. 
0.  Senatorial  Apportionments. 
7.  4  8.  Minoritv  Representation. 
9.  Time  of  me  eting-General  Rule. 
10.  Si  crctnry-  Adjournment—  Journ- 
als, Protests. 
11.  Stvle  of  Laws. 
1.'.  Orizin  and  passage  of  Bills. 
I.T.  R.  a~dinS-Prmtmg-Title-Amend- 

1  1.  I'm  -il  's;es  of  members. 
1  >.  lii  -al.iliii  -sof  members. 
in.  Hills  making  Appropriations. 
17.  Payment    of  money  —Statement 
of  Expenses. 

DEPARTMENT. 

5  IS.  Ordinary  Expenses—  Casual  Defi- 
cits-Appropriations limited. 
19.  Extra  Compensation  or  Allowance. 
211.  Public  Credit  not  loaned. 
JL  I'm-  itml  mil'  :rjr.>  of  member*. 
->-J.  Sp.'-oial  LegittMion  prohibited. 
[•:!  A-ainst  Iteleax.-  from  Liability. 
•/4.  ProceedlngB  on  Impeachment. 
ix   Fuol,  St:itiom-rv,  and  Printing. 
•2fi.  State  not  to  be  sued. 
27.  Lottery  and  Gift  Enterprises. 
28.  Terms  of  Office  not  Extended. 
21.  Protection  of  ojMTutiv  miners. 
30.  Concerning  Roads—  public  and  pri- 

31.  Drai'ni'ng  and  Ditching. 
:)2.  Homestead  and  Exemption  Laws. 
33.  Completion  of  the  State  House. 

$  1.  The  legislative  power  shall  he  vested  in  a  General  As- 
sembly, which  shall  consist  of  a  Senate  and  House  of  Repre- 
sentatives, both  to  be  elected  by  the  people. 

ELECTION. 

{  2.  An  election  for  members  of  the  General  Assembly  shall 
be  held  on  the  Tuesday  next  after  the  first  Monday  in  November, 
in  the  year  of  our  Lord  one  thousand  eight  hundred  and  seventy, 
and  every  two  years  thereafter,  in  each  county,  at  such  places 
therein  as  may  be  provided  by  law.  When  vacancies  occur  in 
cither  house,  the  governor,  or  person  exercising  the  powers  of 
governor,  shall  issue  writs  of  election  to  fill  such  vacancies. 

ELIGIBILITY  AND  OATH. 

J  3.  No  person  shall  be  a  senator  who  shall  not  have  attained 
the  age  of  twenty-five  years,  or  a  representative  who  shall  not 
have  attained  the  age  of  twenty-one  years.  No  person  shall  be 
a  senator  or  a  representative  who  shall  not  be  a  citizen  of  the 
United  States,  and  who  shall  not  have  been  for  five  years  a  resi- 
dent of  this  State,  and  for  two  years  next  preceding  his  election 
a  resident  within  the  territory  forming  the  district  from  which  he 
h  elected.  No  judje  or  clerk  of  any  court,  secretary  of  state, 
attorney  general,  state's  attoruev,  recorder,  sheriff,  or  collector  of 
publis  revenue,  member  of  cither  house  of  congress,  or  person 
holdinj  any  lucrative  office  under  tho  United  States  or  this  State, 
or  any  foreign  government,  shall  have  a  seat  in  the  general  as- 
sembly :  Provided,  that  appointments  in  the  militia,  and  the  offi- 
ces of  notary  pnbiii  and  justice  of  the  peace,  shall  not  be  con- 
sidered lucrative.  Nor  shall  any  person,  holding  any  office  of 
honor  or  profit  under  any  foreign  government,  or  under  the  gov- 
ernment of  the  United  States,  (except  postmasters  whose  annual 
compensation  does  not  exceed  the  sum  of  $300,)  hold  any  office 
of  hon~r  or  profit  undor  the  authority  of  th's  State. 

2  4.  No  person  who  has  been,  or  hereafter  shall  be,  convicted 
of  bribery,  perjury  or  other  infamous  crime,  nor  any  person  who 
has  been  or  may  be  a  collector  or  holder  of  public  moneys,  who 
shall  not  have  accounted  for  and  paid  over,  according  to  law,  all 
such  moneys  due  from  him,  shall  be  eligible  to  the  general  as- 
sembly, or  to  any  office  of  profit  or  tru«t  in  this  State. 

?  6.  Members  of  the  general  assembly,  before  they  enter  upon 
their  official  duties,  shall  take  and  subscribe  the  following  oath 
or  affirmation : 

"  I  do  solemnly  swear  (or  affirm)  that  I  will 
United  States,  and  the  ••onstitni ' 

the  'I'ltics  of  senatoi 
•bltlty;  un.l  that  1  have  not,  k 
'thing,  or  made  any  promii 

or°»'in"i"acee. 

y.  any  money  or  other  valuable  thin;r,  from  any  corporation,  i 
son,  lor  nny  vote  or  influence  I  may  give  or  withhold  on  a: 
appropriat  ion,  or  lor  any  other  official  act,'1 

2 


will  support  the  constitution  of  the 
State  of  Il'iuois.  and  will  faithfully 
)  according  to  iho  best  of  my 
tionally,  paid  or  contribntc<l 
bribe,  to  direotly 


This  oath  shall  be  administered  by  a  judge  of  the  supreme  or 
circuit  court,  in  the  hall  of  the  house  to  which  the  member  is 
elected,  and  the  secretary  of  state  shall  record  and  file  the  oath 
subscribed  by  each  member.  Any  member  who  shall  refuse  to 
to  take  the  oath  herein  prescribed,  shall  forfeit  his  office,  and 
every  member  who  shall  be  convicted  of  having  sworn  falsely  to, 
or  of  violating,  his  said  oath,  shall  forfeit  his  office,  and  be  dis- 
qualified thereafter  from  holding  any  office  of  profit  or  trust  in 
this  State. 

A  PPORTIONMENT — SENATORIAL. 

J  6.  The  general  assembly  shall  apportion  the  State  every  ten 
years,  beginning  with  the  year  1871,  by  dividing  the  population 
of  the  State,  as  ascertained  by  the  federal  census,  by  tne  number 
51,  and  the  quotient  shall  be  the  ratio  of  representation  in  the 
senate.  The  State  shall  be  divided  into  51  senatorial  districts, 
each  of  which  shall  elect  one  senator,  whose  term  of  office  shall 
be  four  years.  The  senators  elected  in  the  year  of  our  Lord  1872, 
in  districts  bearing  odd  numbers,  shall  vacate  their  offices  at  the 
end  of  two  years,  and  those  elected  in  districts  bearing  even  num- 
bers, at  the  end  of  four  years;  and  vacancies  occurring  by  the 
expiration  of  term,  shall 'be  filled  by  the  election  of  senators  for 
the  full  term.  Senatorial  districts  shall  be  formed  of  contiguous 
and  compact  territory,  bounded  by  county  lines,  and  contain  as 
nearly  as  practicable  an  equal  number  of  inhabitants ;  but  no 
district  shall  contain  less  than  four-fifths  of  the  senatorial  ratio. 
Counties  containing  not  less  than  the  ratio  and  three-fourths, 
may  be  divided  into  separate  districts,  and  shall  be  entitled  to 
two  senators,  and  to  one  additional  senator  for  each  number  of 
inhabitants  equal  to  the  ratio,  contained  by  such  counties  in  ex- 
cess of  twice  the  number  of  said  ratio. 


MINORITY  REPRESENTATION. 

?!  7  and  8.  The  house  of  representatives  shall  consist  of  three 
times  the  number  of  the  members  of  the  senate,  and  the  term  of 
office  shall  be  two  years.  Three  representatives  shall  be  elected 
in  each  senatorial  district  at  the  general  election  in  the  year  of 
our  Lord,  1872,  and  every  two  years  thereafter.  In  all  elections 
of  representatives  aforesaid,  each  qualified  voter  may  cast  as 
many  votes  for  one  candidate  as  there  are  representatives  to  be 
elected,  or  may  distribute  the  same,  or  equal  parts  thereof,  among 
the  candidates,  as  he  shall  see  fit;  and  the  candidates  highest  in 
votes  shall  be  declared  elected. 

TIME  OF  MEETING  AND  GENERAL  RULES. 

§  9.  The  sessions  of  the  general  assembly  shall  commence  at 
12  o'clock,  noon,  on  the  Wednesday  next  after  the  first  Monday 
in  January,  in  the  year  next  ensuing  the  election  of  members 
thereof,  and  at  no  other  time,  unless  as  provided  by  this  consti- 
tution. A  majority  of  the  members  elected  to  each  house  shall 
constitute  a  quorum.  Each  house  shall  determine  the  rules  of 
its  proceedings,  and  be  the  judge  of  the  election  returns  and 

alifieations  of  its  members;  shall  choose  its  own  officers;  and 


(I'll! 

the 


senate  shall  choose  a  temporary  president  to  preside  when 
the  lieutenant-governor  shall  not  attend  as  president  or  shall  act 
as  governor.  The  secretary  of  state  shall  call  the  house  of  "repre- 
sentatives to  order  at  the  opening  of  each  new  assembly,  and 
E  reside  over  it  until  a  temporary  presiding  officer  thereof  shall 
ave  been  chosen  and  shall  have  taken  his  seat.  No  member 
shall  be  expelled  by  either  house,  except  by  a  vote  of  two-thirds 
of  all  the  members  elected  to  that  house,  and  no  member  s-hall 
be  twice  expelled  for  the  same  offence.  Each  house  may  punish 
by  imprisonment  any  person,  not  a  member,  who  shall  be  guilty 
of  disrespect  to  the  house  by  disorderly  or  contemptuous  beha- 
viour in  its  presence.  But  nosuch  imprisonment  shall  extend  be- 
yond two  hours  at  one  time,  unless  the  person  shall  persist  in 
such  disorderly  or  contemptuous  behaviour. 

2  10.  The  doors  of  each  house  and  of  committees  of  the  whole, 
shall  be  kept  open,  except  in  such  cases  as,  in  the  opinion  of  the 
house,  require  secrecy.  Neither  house  shall,  without  the  consent 
of  the  other,  adjourn  for  more  than  two  days,  or  to  any  other 
place  than  that  in  which  the  two  houses  shall  be  sitting.  Each 
house  shall  keep  a  journal  of  its  proceedings,  which  shall  be  pub- 
lished. In  the  senate  at  the  request  of  two  members,  and  in  the 
house  at  the  request  of  five  members,  the  yeas  and  nays  shall  be 
taken  on  any  question,  and  entered  upon  the  journal.  Any  two 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WAR  ASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


members  of  cither  house  shall  have  liberty  to  dissent  from  and 
protest,  in  respectful  language,  against  any  actor  resolution  which 
they  think  injurious  to  the  public  or  to  any  individual,  and  have 
the  reasons  of  their  dissent  entered  upon  the  journals. 

STYLE  OF  LAWS  AND  PASSAGE  OF  BILLS. 

?  11.  The  style  of  the  laws  of  this  State  shall  be :  He  it  en- 
acted by  the  People  of  the  State  nf  Illinois,  represented  in  the  Gen- 
eral Assembly. 

$  12.  Bills  may  originate  in  either  house,  but  may  be  altered, 
amended  or  rejected  by  the  other;  and  on  the  final  passage  of  all 
bills,  the  vote  shall  be  by  yeas  and  nays,  upon  each  bill  sepa- 
rately, and  shall  be  entered  upon  the  journal;  and  no  bill  shall 
become  a  law  without  the  concurrence  of  a  majority  of  the  mem- 
bers elected  to  each  house. 

1  13.  Every  bill  shall  be  read  at  large  on  three  different  days, 
in  ea:h  house ;  and  the  bill  and  all  amendments  thereto  shall  be 

Erinted  before  the  vote  h  taken  on  its  final  passage ;  and  every 
ill,  having  passed  both  houses,  shall  be  signed  by  the  speakers 
thereof.  No  act  hereafter  passed  shall  embrace  more  than  one 
subject,  and  that  shall  be  expressed  in  the  title.  But  if  any  sub- 
ject shall  be  embraced  in  an  act  which  shall  not  be  expressed  in 
the  title,  such  act  shall  be  void  only  as  to  so  much  thereof  as 
shall  not  be  so  expressed ;  and  no  law  shall  be  revived  or  amended 
by  reference  to  its  title  only,  but  the  law  revived,  or  the  section 
amended,  shall  be  inserted  at  length  in  the  new  act.  And  no  act 
of  the  general  assembly  shall  take  effect  until  the  first  day  of 
July  next  after  its  passage,  unless,  in  case  of  emergency,  (which 
emergency  shall  be  expressed  in  the  preamble  or  bocly  of  the  act), 
the  general  assembly  shall,  by  a  vote  of  two-thirds  of  all  the 
members  elected  to  each  house,  otherwise  direct. 

PRIVILEGES  AND  DISABILITIES. 

\  11.  Senators  and  representatives  shall,  in  all  cases,  except 
trcassn,  felony  or  breach  of  the  peace,  be  privileged  from  arrest 
during  the  session  of  the  general  assembly,  and  in  going  to  and 
returning  from  the  same ;  and  for  any  speech  or  debate  in  either 
house,  they  shall  not  be  questioned  in  any  other  place. 

\  15.  No  person  elected  to  the  general  assembly  shall  receive 
any  civil  appointment  within  this  State  from  the  governor,  the 
governor  and  senate,  or  from  the  general  assembly,  during  the 
term  for  which  he  shall  have  been  elected ;  and  all  such  appoint- 
ments, and  all  votes  given  for  any  such  members  for  any  such 
offices  or  appointment,  shall  be  void  ;  nor  shall  any  member  of 
the  general  assembly  be  interested,  either  directly  or  indirectly, 
in  any  contract  with  t'.ie  state,  or  any  county  thereof,  authorized 
by  any  law  passed  during  the  term  for  which  he  shall  have  been 
elected,  or  within  one  year  after  the  expiration  thereof. 

PUBLIC  MONEYS  AND  APPROPRIATIONS. 

2  IS.  The  general   assembly  shall  make  no  appropriation  of 
money  out  of  the  treasury  in  any  private  law.     Bills  making  ap- 
propriations for  the  pay  of  members  and  officers   of  the  general 
assembly,  and  for  the  salaries  of  the  officers  of  the  government, 
shall  contain  no  provisions  on  any  other  subject. 

1j  17.  No  money  shall  be  drawn  from  the  treasury  except  in 
pursuance  of  an  appropriation  made  by  law,  and  on  the  presenta- 
tion of  a  warrant  issued  by  the  auditor  thereon  ;  and  no  money 
shall  be  diverted  from  any  appropriation  made  for  any  purpose, 
or  taken  from  any  fund  whatever,  either  by  joint  or  separate 
resolution.  The  auditor  shall,  within  60  days  after  the  adjourn- 
ment of  each  session  of  the  general  assembly,  prepare  and  pub- 
lish a  full  statement  of  all  money  expended  at  such  session,  spe- 
cifying the  amount  of  each  item,  and  to  whom  and  for  what 
paid. 

2 18.  Each  general  assembly  shall  provide  for  all  appropriations 
necessary  for  the  ordinary  and  contingent  expenses  of  the  govern- 
ment until  the  expiration  of  the  first  fiscal  quarteraftcrthe  adjourn- 
ment of  the  next  regular  session,  the  aggregate  amount  of  which 
shall  not  be  increased  without  a  vote  of  two-thirds  of  the  mem- 
bers elected  to  each  house,  nor  exceed  the  amount  of  revenue  au- 
thorized by  law  to  be  raised  in  such  time  ;  and  all  appropriations, 
general  or  special,  requiring  money  to  be  paid  out  of  the  State 
Treasury,  from  funds  belon-ring  to  the  State,  shall  end  with  such 
fiscal  quarter :  Provided,  the  State  may,  to  meet  casual  deficits  or 
failures  in  revenue,  contract  debts,  never  to  exceed  in  the  aggre- 
gate $250,000 ;  and  moneys  thus  borrowed  shall  be  applied  to 
the  purpose  for  which  they  were  obtained,  or  to  pay  the  debt  thus 
created,  and  to  no  other  purpose  :  and  no  other  debt,  except  for 


the  purpose  of  repelling  invasion,  suppressing  insurrection,  or 
defending  the  State  in  war,  (for  payment  or  which  the  laith  of 
the  State  shall  be  pledged),  shall  be  contracted,  unless  the  law 
authorizing  the  same  shall,  at  a  general  election,  have  been  sub- 
mitted to  the  people,  and  have  ^received  a  majority  of  the  votes 
cast  for  members  of  the  general  assembly  at  such  election.  The 
general  assembly  shall  provide  for  the  publication  of  said  law  for 
three  months,  at  least,  before  the  vote  of  the  people  shall  be 
taken  upon  the  same;  and  provision  shall  be  matle,  nt  the  time, 
for  the  payment  of  the  interest  annually,  as  it  shall  accrue,  by  a 
tax  levied  for  the  purpose,  or  from  other  sources  cf  revenue; 
which  law,  providing  tor  the  payment  cf  such  interest  by  such 
tax,  shall  be  irrepealable  until  such  debt  be  paid:  And  provided 
further,  that  the  law  levying  the  tax  shall  be  submitted  to  the 
'people  with  the  law  authorizing  the  debt  to  be  ccntractcd. 

g  19.  The  general  assembly  shall  never  grant  cr  authorize  extra 
compensation,  fee  or  allowance  to  any  public  officer,  agent,  ser- 
vant or  contractor,  after  service  has  been  rendered  cr  a  contract 
made,  nor  authorize  the  payment  of  any  claim,  or  pert  thereof, 
hereafter  created  against  the  State  under  any  agreement  cr  con- 
tract made  without  express  authority  of  law:  and  all  tuth  un- 
authorized agreements  or  contracts  shall  be  null  end  voiel :  Pro- 
vided, the  general  assembly  may  make  appropriations  for  expendi- 
tures incurred  in  suppressing  insurrection  or  repelling  invasion. 

|  20.  The  State  shall  never  pay,  assume  or  become  responsible 
for  the  debts  or  liabilities  of,  or  in  any  manner  give,  loan  cr  ex- 
tend its  credit  to,  or  in  aid  of  any  public  or  other  corporation, 
association  or  individual. 

PAY  OF  MEMBERS. 

2  21.  The  members  of  the  general  assembly  shall  receive  for 
their  services  the  sum  of  $8  per  day,  during  the  first  session  held 
under  this  constitution,  and  10  cents  for  each  mile  necessarily 
traveled  in  going  to  and  returning  from  the  seat  of  government, 
to  be  computed  by  the  auditor  of  public  accounts  ;  and  thereafter 
such  compensation  as  shall  be  prescribed  by  law,  and  no  other 
allowance  or  emolument,  directly  or  indirectly,  for  any  purpose 
whatever ;  except  C50  per  session  to  each  member,  which  shall 
be  in  full  for  postage,  stationery,  newspapers,  and  all  other  inci- 
dental expenses  and  perquisites;  but  no  change  fhall  be  made 


in  the  compensation  of  members  of  the  general  assembly  durin 

ich  they  may  have  been  elected.     The  pay  and 
mileage  allowed  to  each  member  of  the  general  assembly   shr.ll 


the  term 


be  certified  by  the  speaker  of  their  respective  houses,  and  entered 
on  the  journals  and  published  at  the  close  of  each  session. 

SPECIAL  LEGISLATION  PROHIBITED. 

3  22.  The  general  assembly  shall  not  pass  local  or  specir.1  laws 
in  any  of  the  following  enumerated  cases,  that  is  to  say :  for— 

Granting  divorces; 

Changing  the  names  of  persons  or  places ; 

Laying  out,  opening,  altering,  and  wcrlring  rocds  or  highways ; 

Vacating  roads,  town  plats,  streets,  alleys  and  public  grounds ; 

Locating  or  changing  courty  seats ; 

Regulating  county  and  township  affairs  ; 

Regulating  the  practice  in  courts  of  justice  ; 

Regulating  the  jurisdiction  and  duties  of  justices  cf  the  peace, 
police  magistrates,  and  constables  ; 

Providing  for  change  of  venue  in  civil  and  criminal  cases. 

Incorporating  cities,  towns,  or  villages,  or  changing  cr  amend- 
ing the  charter  of  any  town,  city  or  village ; 

Providing  for  the  election  of  members  of  the  board  of  super- 
visors in  township's  incorporated  towns  or  cities; 

Summoning  and  empaneling  grand  or  petit  juries; 

Providing  fcrthc  management  of  common  schools; 

Regulating  the  rate  of  interest  en  money  ; 

The  opening  and  conducting  of  any  election,  cr  designating 
the  place  of  voting ; 

The  sale  or  mortgage  of  real  estate  belonging  to  miners  or 
others  under  disability; 

The  protection  of  game  or  fish; 

Chartering  or  licensing  ferries  or  toll  bridges ; 

Remitting  fines,  penalties  or  forfeitures ; 

Creating,  increasing,  or  decreasing  fees,  percentage  or  allow- 
ances of  public  officers,  during  the  term  for  which  said  officers, 
are  elected  or  appointed  ; 

Changing  the  law  of  descent; 

Granting  to  any  corporation,  association  cr  individual  the  right 
to   lay  down  railroad  tracks,  or  amending  existing  charters   for 
such  purpose ; 
3 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND   WABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


3G3 


the  copying,  printing,  binding  and  distributing  the  laws  and 
journals,  and  all  other  printing  ordered  by  the  general  assembly, 
"  ">e  let  by  contract  to  the  lowest  responsible  bidder;  but  the 


Granting  to  any  corporation,  association  or  individual  any  spe- 
cial or  exclusive  privilege,  immunity  or  franchise  whatever  ; 

In  all  other  cases  where  a  general  law  can  be  made  applicable, 
no  special  law  shall  be  enacted  ; 

g  23.  The  general  assembly  shall  have  no  power  to  release  or 
extinguish,  in  whole  or  in  part,  the  indebtedness,  liability,  or  ob- 
ligation of  any  corporation  or  individual  to  this  State  or  to  any 
municipal  corporation  therein. 

IMPEACHMENT. 

\  24.  The  house  of  representatives  shall  have  the. sole  power  of 
Impeachment ;  but  a  majority  of  all  the  members  elected  must 
concur  therein.  All  impeachments  shall  be  tried  by  the  senate  ; 
and  when  sitting  for  that  purpose,  the  senators  shall  be  upon 
oath,  or  affirmation,  to  do  justice  according  to  law  and  evidence. 
When  the  governor  of  the  State  is  tried,  the  chief  justice  shall 
preside.  No  person  shall  be  convicted  without  the  concurrence  of 
two-thirds  of  the  senators  elected.  But  judgment,  in  such  cases, 
shall  not  extend  further  than  removal  from  office,  and  disqualifi- 
cation to  hold  any  office  of  honor  profit  or  trust  under  the  gov- 
ernment of  this  State.  The  party,  whether  convicted  or  acquit- 
ted, shall  nevertheless,  be  liable  to  prosecution,  trial,  judgment 
and  punishment  according  to  law. 

MISCELLANEOUS. 

§  25.  The  general  assembly  shall  provide,  by  law,  that  the  fuel, 
stationery  and  printing-paper  furnished  for  the  use  of  the  State ; 

'   "ng,  bindii  '     "      

icr  printiii 

shall  be  let  by  contract  to  the~lowest  responsible  bidder;  but  tli 
general  assembly  shall  fix  a  maximum  price;  and  no  member 
thereof  or  other  officer  of  the  State,  shall  be  interested,  directly 
or  indirectly,  i  a  such  contract.  But  all  such  contracts  shall  be 
subject  to  the  approval  of  the  governor,  and  if  he  disapproves 
the  same  there  shall  be  a  re-letting  of  the  contract,  in  such  man- 
ner as  shall  bo  prescribed  by  law.  c 

fi  2J.  Tiio  State  of  Illinois  shall  never  be  made  defendant  la 
any  court  or  law  of  equity. 

\  27.  The  general  assembly  shall  have  no  power  to  authorize 
lotteries  or  gift  enterprises,  for  any  purpose,  and  shall  pass  laws 
to  prohibit  the  sale  of  lottery  or  gift  enterprise  tickets  in  this 
State. 

§  23.  No  law  shall  be  passed  which  shall  operate  to  extend  the 
term  of  any  public  officer  after  his  election  or  appointment. 

\  29.  It  shall  be  the  duty  of  the  general  assembly  to  pass  such 
law*  as  may  be  necessary  for  the  protection  of  operative  miners, 
by  providing  for  ventilation,  when  the  same  may  be  required,  and 
the  construction  of  escapement-shafts,  or  such  other  appliances 
as  may  secure  safety  in  all  coal  mines,  and  to  provide  for  the  en- 
forcement of  said  laws  by  such  penalties  and  punishments  as 
may  be  deemed  proper. 

2  30.  The  general  assembly  may  provide  for  establishing  and 
opening  roads  and  cart-ways,  connected  with  a  public  road,  for 
private  and  public  use. 

1 31.  The  general  assembly  may  pass  laws  permitting  the  own- 
ers and  occupants  of  lands  to  construct  drains  and  ditches,  for 
agricultural  and  sanitary  purposes,  across  the  lands  of  others. 

§  32.  The  general  assembly  shall  pass  liberal  and  homestead 
and  exemption  laws. 

5  33.  The  general  assembly  shall  not  appropriate  out  of  the 
State  treasury,  or  expend  on  account  of  the  new  capitol  grounds, 
and  construction,  completion  and  furnishing  of  the  State-house,  a 
sum  exceeding  in  the  aggregate,  :?:!.;"IOII,<M>(>,  inclusive  of  all  ap- 
propriations heretofore  made,  without  first  submitting  the  propo- 
sition for  an  additional  expenditure  to  the  legal  voters  of  the 
State,  at  a  general  election  ;  nor  unless  a  majority  of  all  the  votes 
at  such  election  shall  be  for  the  proposed  additional  expenditure. 

AETICLE  V. 

EXECUTIVE   DEPARTMENT. 


1.  Officer*  of  (his  Department. 

2.  Of  the  State  Trea-mn-r. 

:i.  Titiv  of  ICI-M-ii,,-  >tat.>  Officers. 


6.  G.irernor—  Power  and  Diltv. 

7.  His  Messa'ji  and  Stntem-nt. 

8.  fonvnin','  fio  O-neral  AssemMv. 
n.  Pror.<K'ii'v;t'i<>  c:  Tii-ml  As«embly. 

10.  NominiUi  >n<  \'V  th--  Governor. 

11.  Vacancies  mav  be  filled. 

12.  Removals  l>v  the  Governor. 

13.  Reprieves,  Commutations,  Pardons 


14.  Governor  as  Pommander-in-Chlef. 
!.">.  Impeachment  for  Misdemeanor. 
!<;.  Veto  of  the  Governor. 

17.  Lieiltenant-Goyenioras  Governor. 

18.  Aa  President  r.f  the  Senate. 
Ml.   V.-icnncv  in  Governor's  Office. 
-.11.    Vaoan.-y  in  oth.-r  State  Offices. 

21.  Reports  of  State  Officers. 
22    Great  Senl  of  State. 
23.  Fees  and  Salaries 

;  -Jl.    l)rtiniti.,ii  of   'Office." 
I  ffl.  Oath  of  Civil  Officers. 


EXECUTIVE    DEPARTMENT. 

2  1.  The  executive  department  shall  consist  of  a  Governor, 
Lieutenant-Governor,  Secretary  of  State,  Auditor  of  Public  Ac- 
counts, Treasurer,  Superintendent  of  Public  Instruction,  and  At- 
torney-General, who  shall  each  with  the  exception  of  the  Treas- 
urer, hold  his  office  for  the  term  of  four  years  from  the  second 
Monday  of  January  next  after  his  election,  and  until  his  succes- 
sor is  elected  and  qualified.  They  shall,  except  the  Lieutenant 
Governor,  reside  at  the  seat  of  Government  during  their  term  of 
office,  and  keep  the  public  records,  books  and  papers  there,  and 
shall  perform  such  duties  as  may  be  prescribed  by  law. 

§  2.  The  Treasurer  shall  hold  his  office  for  the  term  of  two 
years,  and  until  his  successor  is  elected  and  qualified  ;  and  shall 
be  ineligible  to  said  office  for  two  years  next  alter  the  end  of  the 
term  for  which  he  was  elected.  He  may  be  required  by  the  Gov- 
ernor to  give  reasonable  additional  security,  and  in  default  of  so 
doing  his  office  shall  be  deemed  vacant. 


\  3.  An  election  for  Governor,  Lieutenant-Governor,  Secretary 
of  State,  Auditor  of  Public  Accounts  and  Attorney-General,  shall 
be  held  on  the  Tuesday  next  after  the  first  Monday  in  November, 
in  the  year  of  our  Lord  1872,  and  every  four  years  thereafter  ; 
for  Superintendent  of  Public  Instruction,  on  the  Tuesday  next 
after  the  first  Monday  of  November,  in  the  year  1870,  and  every 
four  years  thereafter;  and  for  Treasurer  on  the  day  last  abcye 
mentioned,  and  every  two  years  thereafter,  at  such  plates  and  in 
such  manner  as  may  be  prescribed  by  law. 

|  4.  The  returns  of  every  election  for  the  above  named  officers 
shall  be  sealed  up  and  transmitted,  by  the  returning  (fficers,  to 
the  Secretary  of  State,  directed  to  "The  Speaker  of  the  House 
of  Representatives,"  who  shall,  immediately  after  the  organiza- 
tion of  the  house,  and  before  proceeding  to  other  business,  open 
and  publish  the  same  in  the  presence  of  a  majority  of  each  house 
of  the  general  assembly,  who  shall,  for  that  purpose,  assemble  in 
the  hall  of  the  house  of  representatives.  The  person  having  the 
highest  number  of  votes  for  either  of  the  faid  <  ffices  shall  be  de- 
clared duly  elected  ;  but  if  two  or  more  have  an  equal  and  the 
highest  number  of  votes,  the  general  assembly  shall,  by  joint 
ballot,  choose  one  of  such  persons  for  said  office.  Contested 
election^  for  all  of  said  offices  shall  be  determined  by  both  houses 
of  the  general  assembly,  by  joint  ballot,  in  such  manner  as  may 
be  prescribed  by  law. 

ELIGIBILITY. 

2  5.  No  person  shall  be  eligible  to  the  office  of  governor,  or 
lieutenant-governor,  who  shall  not  have  attained  the  age  of  80 
years,  and  been,  for  five  years  next  preceding  his  election,  a  citi- 
zen of  the  United  States  and  of  this  State.  Neither  the  gover- 
nor, lieutenant-governor,  auditor  of  public  accounts,  secretary  of 
State,  superintendent  of  public  instruction  nor  attorney  general 
shall  be  eligible  to  any  other  office  during  the  period  for  which 
he  shall  have  been  elected. 


\  6.  The  supreme  executive  power  shall  be  vested  in  the  gov- 
ernor, who  shall  take  care  that  the  laws  be  faithfully  executed. 

|  7.  The  governor  shall,  at  the  commencement  of  each  session, 
and  at  the  close  of  his  term  of  office,  give  to  the  general  assembly 
information,  by  message,  of  the  condition  of  the  State,  and  fhafl 
recommend  such  measures  as  he  shall  deem  expedient.  He  shall 
account  to  the  general  assembly,  and  accompany  his  message 
with  a  statement  of  all  moneys  received  and  paid  out  by  him 
from  any  funds  subject  to  his  order,  with  vouchers,  and  at  the 
commencement  of  each  regular  session,  present  estimates  of  the 
amount  of  money  required  to  be  raised  l>y  taxation  for  all  pur- 
poses. 

$  8.  The  governor  may,  on  extraordinary  occasions,,  convene 
the  general  assembly,  by  proclamation,  stating  thciein  the  pur- 
pose for  which  they  are  convened;  and  the  general  assembly 
shall  enter  upon  no  business  except  that  for  which  they  were 
called  together. 

$  9.  In  case  of  a  disagreement  between  the  two  houses  with 
respect  to  the  time  of  adjournment,  the  governor  may,  on  the 
same  being  certified  to  him,  by  the  house  first  moving  the  ad- 
journment, adjourn  the  general  assembly  to  such  time  as  bethinks 
proper,  not  beyond  the  first  day  of  the  next  regular  session. 

2  10.  The  governor  shall  nominate,  and  by  and  with  the  advice 
and  consent  of  the  senate,  (a  majority  of  all  the  senators  elected 
concurring,  by  yeas  and  nays,)  appoint  all  ofikers  whose  offices 
4 


364 


niSTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  W ABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


are  established  by  this  constitution,  or  which  may  be  created  by 
law,  and  whose  appointment  or  election  is  not  otherwise  provided 
for ;  and  no  such  officer  shall  be  appointed  or  elected  by  the  gen- 
eral assembly. 

J  11.  In  case  of  a  vacancy,  during  the  recess  of  the  senate,  in 
any  office  which  is  not  elective,  the  governor  shall  make  a  tem- 
porary appointment  until  the  next  meeting  of  the  senate,  when 
he  shall  nominate  some  person  to  fill  such  office  ;  and  any  person 
so  nominated,  who  is  confirmed  by  the  senate  (a  majority  of  all 
the  senators  elected  concurring  by  yeas  and  nays),  shall  hold  his 
office  during  the  remainder  of  the  time,  and  until  his  successor 
shall  be  appointed  and  qualified.  No  person,  after  being  rejected 
by  the  senate,  shall  be  again  nominated  for  the  same  office  at  the 
same  session,  unless  at  tho  request  of  the  senate,  or  be  appointed 
to  the  same  office  during  the  recess  of  the  general  assembly. 

g  12.  The  governor  shall  have  power  to  remove  any  officer 
whom  he  may  appoint,  in  case  of  incompetency.  neglect  of  duty, 
or  malfeasance  in  offbe ;  and  he  may  declare  his  office  vacant, 
and  fill  the  same  as  is  herein  provided  in  other  cases  of  vacancy. 

g  13  The  governor  shall  have  power  to  grant  reprieves,  com- 
mutations and  pardons,  after  conviction,  for  all  offences,  subject 
to  such  regulations  as  may  be  provided  by  law  relative  to  the 
manner  of  applying  therefor. 

J  14. "The  governor  shall  be  commander-in-chief  of  the  mili- 
tary and  naval  forces  of  the  State  (except  when  they  shall  be 
called  into  the  service  of  the  United  States) ;  and  may  call  out 
the  same  to  execute  the  laws,  suppress  insurrection,  and  repel 
invasion. 

§  15.  The  governor,  and  all  civil  officers  of  this  State,  shall  be 
liable  to  impeachment  for  any  misdemeanor  in  office. 


\  16.  Every  bill  passed  by  the  general  assembly  shall,  before  it 
become  >  a  law,  be  presented  to  the  governor.  If  he  approve,  he 
shall  sign  it,  and  thereupon  it  shall  become  a  law  ;  but  if  he  do 
not  approve,  he  shall  return  it,  with  his  objections,  to  thd  house 
ia  which  it  shall  have  originated,  which  house  shall  enter  the 
objections  at  large  upon  ita'jourual,  and  proceed  to  reconsider  the 
bill.  If,  then,  two-thirds  of  the  members  elected  agree  to  pass 
the  same,  it  shall  be  sent,  together  with  the  objections,  to  the 
other  hou  ;e,  by  which  it  shall  likewise  be  reconsidered ;  and  if 
approved  by  two-thirds  of  the  members  elected  to  that  house,  it 
shall  become  a  law,  notwithstanding  the  objections  of  the  gover- 
nor. But  in  all  such  cases,  the  vote  of  each  house  shall  be  de- 
termined by  yeas  and  nays,  to  be  entered  on  the  journal.  Any 
bill  which  shall  not  be  returned  by  the  governor  within  ten  days 
(Sundays  excepted)  after  it  shall  have  been  presented  to  him, 
shall  become  a  law  in  like  manner  as  if  he  had  signed  it,  unless 
the  general  assembly  shall,  by  their  adjournment,  prevent  its  re- 
turn; in  which  case  it  shall  be  filed,  with  his  objections,  in  the 
office  of  the  secretary  of  State,  within  ten  days  after  such  adjourn- 
ment, or  become  a  law. 


ble  of  performing  the  duties  of  governor,  the  same  shall  devolve 
upon  the  speaker  of  the  house  of  representatives. 


01  HER  STATE  OFFICERS. 


?  20.  If  the  oOce  of  ic'Jitor  of  public  accounts,  treasurer,  sec- 
retary of  State,  attorney  general,  or  superintendent  of  public  in- 
struction shall  be  vacated  by  death,  resignation  or  otherwise,  it 
shall  be  the  duty  of  the  governor  to  fill  the  same  by  appointment, 
and  the  appointee  shall  hold  his  office  until  his  successor  shall 
be  elected  acd  qualified  in  such  manner  as  may  be  provided  by 


law.  An  account  shall  be  kept  by  the  officers  of  the  executive 
department,  and  of  all  the  public  institutions  of  the  State,  of  all 
moneys  received  or  disbursed  by  them,  several ly,from  all  sources, 
and  for  every  service  performed,  and  a  semi-annual  report  thereof 
be  made  to  the  governor,  under  oath ;  and  any  officer  who  makes 
a  false  reportshall  be  guilty  of  perjury,  and  punished  accordingly. 
2  21.  The  officers  or  the  executive  department,  and  of  all  the 
public  institutions  of  the  State,  shall,  at  least  ten  days  i  receding 
each  regular  session  of  the  general  assembly,  severally  report  to 
the  governor,  who  shall  transmit  such  reports  to  the  general  as- 
sembly, together  with  the  reports  of  the  judges  of  the  supreme 
court  of  the  defects  in  the  constitution  and  laws  ;  and  the  gover- 
nor may  at  any  time  require  information,  in  writing,  under  oath, 
from  the  officers  of  the  executive  department,  and  all  officers  and 
managers  of  state  institutions,  upon  any  subject  relating  to  the 
condition,  management  and  expenses  of  their  respective  offices. 

THE  SEAL  OF  STATE. 

?  22.  There  shall  be  a  seal  of  the  State,  which  shall  be  called 
the  "Great  seal  of  the  State  of  Illinois,"  which  shall  be  kept  by 
the  secretary  of  State,  and  used  by  him,  officially  as  directed  by 
law. 

FEES  AND  SALARIES. 

2  23.  The  officers  named  in  this  article  shall  receive  for  their 
services  a  salary,  to  be  established  by  law,  which  shall  not  be  in- 
creased or  diminished  during  their  official  terms,  and  they  shall 
not  after  the  expiration  of  the  terms  of  those  in  office  at  the 
adoption  of  this  constitution,  receive  to  their  own  use  any  fees, 
costs,  perquisites  of  office,  or  other  compensation.  And  all  fees 
that  may  hereafter  be  payable  by  law  for  any  service  performed 
by  any  officer  provided  for  in  this  article  of  the  constitution, 
shall  be  paid  in  advance  into  the  State  treasury. 

DEFINITION  AND  OATH  OF  OFFICE. 

2  24.  An  office  is  a  public  position  created  by  the  constitution 
or  law,  continuing  during  the  pleasure  of  the  appointing  power,, 
or  for  a  fixed  time,  with  a  successor  elected  or  appointed.  An 
employment  is  an  agency,  for  a  temporary  purpose,  which  ceases 
when  that  purpose  is  accomplished. 

?  25.  All  civil  officers,  except  members  of  the  general  assembly 
and  such  inferior  officers  as  may  be  by  law  exempted,  shall,  be- 
fore they  enter  on  the  duties  of  their  respective  offices,  take  and 
subscribe  the  following  oath  or  affirmation : 

I  do  solemnly  swear  (or  affirm,  as  the  ease  may  be)  that  I  will  support  the 
constitution  of  the  United  States,  and  the  Constitution  of  the  State  nf  Illinois, 

and  that  I  will  faithfully  discharge  the  duties  of  the  office  of  according 

to  the  best  of  my  ability. 

And  no  other  oath,  declaration  or  test  shall  be  required  as  a 
qualification. 

ARTICLE  VI. 

JUDICIAL  DEPARTMENT. 


LIEUTENANT-GOVERNOR. 
?  17.  In  case  of  death,  conviction  or  impeachment,  failure  to 
qualiiV,  resignation,  absence   from  the  State,  or  other   disability 
of  the  governor,  the  powers,  duties,  the  emoluments  of  the  office 
for  the  residue  of  the  term,  or  until  the   disability  shall   be  re- 
moved, shall  devolve  upon  the  lieutenant-governor. 
$  18.  The  lieutenant-governor  shall  be  president  of  the  senate, 
and  shall  vote  only  when   the  senate  is  equally  divided.    The 
senate  shall  choose  a  president,  pro  tempore,  to  preside  in  case  of 
the  absence  or  impeachment  of  the  lieutenant-governor,  or  when 
he  shall  hold  the  office  of  governor, 
{j  19.  If  there  be  no  lieutenant-governor,  or  if  the  lieutenant- 
governor  shall,  for  any   of  the  causes   specified  in  \  17   of  this 
article,  become  incapable  of  performing  the  duties  of  the  office, 
the  president  of  the  senatcshall  act  as  governor  until  the  vacancy 
is  filled  or  the  disability  removed;  and  if  the  president  of  the 
senate,  for  anv  of  the  above  named  causes,  shall  become  incapa- 

3    1.  Judicial  Powers  of  Courts, 
g    2.  Seven     Supreme     Judges—  Four 
Decide, 
f    3.  Qualifications  of  aSupreme  Judge 
\   4.  Terms  of  the  Supreme  Court. 
\    5.  Three    Grand      Div.sions—  Seven 
Districts. 
\   6.  F.lection  nf  Supreme  Judges. 
1    -.  Salaries  of  th«  Supreme  Judges. 
\    8.  Appeals  an  1  Writ*  of  Error. 
\    0.  Appointment  of  Reporter. 
\  10.  Clerk-  nf  the  Supreme  Court. 
\  11.  Appellate  Coin-Is  Authorized. 
?  12   Jurisdiction  of  Circuit  Courts. 
•(  I:;    Foiinatinn  nf    ludh'ial  Circuit'. 
I  14.  Timc.f  holding  Circuit  Courts. 
M.->.  circuit*  containing  Pour  Judges. 
\  1-;.  S.l:i-  es  nfthu  (  in'ilit  Judges. 
'(,  17.  qualifications  of  Judges  or  Com- 

\  1.  The  judicial  powers,  excel 
provided,  shall  be  vested   in  on 
fAiintv   rnnrte   iiiflfrires    of  the  n 

18.  County  Judges—  County  Clerks, 
la.  Appeals  from  County  Courts. 
20-  Probate  Courts  Authorized.     ' 
21.  Justices  of  the  Pi-ace  and  Consta- 
bles. 
22.  State's  Attorney  in  each  County. 
23.  Cook  Count  v  Courts  of  Record. 
24.  Chief  Justice—  Power   of  Judges. 
•-.I.  Salaries  nf  the  Judges. 
20.  Crimim  1  Court  of  Co.  k  County. 
27.  Clerks  of  Cook  County  Court. 
28.  Justices  in  Chicago. 
2:>.  Uniformity  in  the  Courts. 
:;  i.  Urinoval  nf  any  Judre. 
:n.  Judges  to  make  Written  Reports. 
32.  Terms  of  Office-Filling  Vacan- 
pies. 
3  .13.  Pneess—  Prosecutions—  P  o  p  u  1  a- 
tion. 

)t  as  in   this  article  is  otherwise 
3  supreme  court,  circuit  courts, 
>.ice.  police   magistrates,  and   in 

such  courts  as  may  be  created  by  law  in  and  for  cities  and  incor- 
porated towns. 

SUPREME  COURT. 

2  2.  The  supreme  court  shall  consist  of  seven  judges,  and  shall 
have  original  jurisdiction  in  cases  relating  to  the  revenue,  in 
mandamus,  and  habeas  cnrpiis,  and  appellate  jurisdiction  in  til 
other  cases.  One  of  said  judges  shall  be  chief  justice;  four  shall 
constitute  a  quorum,  and  the  concurrence  of  four  shall  be  neces- 
sary to  every  decision. 
5 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


365 


?  3.  No  person  shall  be  eligible  to  the  office  of  judge  of  the 
supreme  court  unless  be  shall  be  at  least  thirty  years  of  age,  and  a 
citizen  of  the  United  States,  n->r  unless  he  shall  have  resided  in 
the  State  five  years  next  preceding  his  election,  and  be  a  resi- 
dent of  the  district  in  which  he  shall  be  elected. 

3  4.  Terms  of  the  supreme  court  shall  continue  to  be  held  in 
the  present  grand  divisions  at  the  several  places  now  provided 
for  holding  the  same;  and  until  otherwise  provided  by  law,  one 
or  more  terms  of  said  court  shall  be  held,  for  the  northern 
division,  in  the  city  of  Chicago,  each  year,  at  such  times  as  said 
court  may  appoint,  whenever  said  city  or  the  county  of  Cook 
shall  provide  appropriate  room  therefor,  and  the  use  of  a  suitable 
library,  without  expense  to  the  State.  The  judicial  divisions 
may  bs  altered,  increased  or  diminished  in  number,  and  the  times 
and  places  of  holding  said  court  may  be  changed  by  law. 

|  5.  The  present  grand  divisions  shall  be  preserved,  and  be 
denominated  Southern,  Central  and  Northern,  until  otherwise 
provided  by  law.  The  State  shall  be  divided  into  seven  districts 
for  the  election  of  judges,  and  until  otherwise  provided  by  law, 
they  shall  be  as  follows : 

First  District.— The  counties  of  St.  Clair,  Clinton,  Washing- 
ton, Jcffbrson,  Wayne,  Edwards,  Wabash,  White,  Hamilton, 
Franklin,  Perry,  Randolph,  Monroe,  Jackson,  Williamson,  Saline, 
Gallatin,  Ilardin,  Pope,  Union,  Johnson,  Alexander,  Pulaski  and 
Maasac. 

Second  'District.— The  counties  of  Madison,  Bond,  Marion,  Clay, 
Richlan;!,  Lawrence,  Crawford,  Jasper,  Effingham,  Fayette,  Mont- 
gomery, Macou-iin,  Shelby,  Cumberland,  Clark,  Greene,  Jersey, 
Calhoim  and  Christian. 

Third  District — The  counties  of  Sangamon,  Macon,  Logan,  DC 
Witt,  Piatt,  Douglas,  Champaign,  Vermilion,  McLean,  Living- 
ston, Ford,  Iroquois,  Coles,  Edgar,  Moultrie  and  Tazewcll. 

Fourth  District.— The  counties  of  Fulton,  McDonough,  Han- 
cock, Schuyler,  Brown,  Adams,  Pike,  Mason,  Menard,  Morgan, 
Cass  and  Scott. 

fifth  District.— The  counties  of  Knox,  Warren,  Henderson, 
Mercer,  Henry,  Stark,  Pcoria,  Marshall,  Putnam,  Bureau,  Lasalle, 
Grundv  and  Woodford. 

Sixth  District.— The  counties  of  Whitesidc,  Carroll,  Jo  Daviess, 
Stcphenson,  Winncbago,  Boone,  McHenry,  Kane,  Kendall,  Do 
Kalb,  Lee,  O.^lc  and  Rock  Island. 

Seventh  District.— The  counties  of  Lake,  Cook,  Will,  Kankakee 
and  Du  Page. 

The  boundaries  of  the  districts  may  be  changed  at  the  session 
of  the  general  assembly  next  preceding  the  election  for  judges 
herein,  and  at  no  other  time ;  but  whenever  such  alterations 
shall  be  made,  the  same  shall  be  upon  the  rule  of  equality  of 
population,  as  nearly  as  county  boundaries  will  allow,  and  the 
districts  will  be  composed  of  contiguous  counties,  in  as  nearly 
compact  form  as  circumstances  will  permit.  The  alteration  of 
the  districts  shall  not  affect  the  tenure  of  an  office  of  any  Judge. 

\  6.  At  the  time  of  voting  on  the  adoption  of  this  constitution, 
one  judge  of  the  supreme  court  shall  be  elected  by  tbe  electors 
thereof,  in  each  of  said  districts  numbered  two,  three,  six  and 
seven,  who  shall  hold  his  office  for  the  term  of  nine  years  from 
the  first  Monday  of  June,  in  the  year  of  our  Lord  1870.  The 
term  of  office  of  judges  of  the  supreme  court,  elected  after  the 
adoption  of  this  constitution,  shall  be  nine  years  ;  and  on  the 
first  Monday  of  June  of  the  year  in  which  the  term  of  any  of 
the  judges  in  office  at  the  adoption  of  this  constitution,  or  of  the 
judre  then  elected,  shall  expire,  and  every  nine  years  thereafter, 
thero  shall  be  an  election  for  the  successor  or  successors  of  such 
judges,  in  the  respective  districts  wherein  the  term  of  such  judges 
shall  expire.  The  chief  justice  shall  continue  to  act  as  such 
until  thi  cy.piration  of  the  term  for  which  he  was  elected,  after 
whii'h  thj  judges  shall  choose  one  of  their  number  as  chief  jus- 

$  7.  Fran  an-1  after  the  adoption  of  this  constitution,  the 
j-i  Ijei  of  the  supreme  court  shall  each  receive  a  salary  of  $4,000 
por  annum,  pava'jle  quarterly,  until  otherwise  provided  by  law. 
And  after  said  salaries  shall  be  fixed  by  law,  the  salaries  of 
the  i;'lg2<  in  office  shnll  not  be  increased  or  diminished  during 
tha  tenris  for  which  said  judges  have  been  elected. 

§  8.  Anpcals  and  writs  of  error  may  be  taken  to  the  supreme 
court,  held  in  the  grand  division  in  which  the  case  is  decided,  or, 
by  consent  of  the  parties,  to  any  other  grand  division. 

3  0.  The  sunremc  court  shall  appoint  one  reporter  of  its  deci- 
sions who  shall  hold  his  office  for  six  years,  subject  to  removal  by 
the  court. 

|  10.  At  the  time  of  the  election  for  representative  in  the  gen- 
eral assembly,  happening  next  preceding  the  expiration  of  the 


terms  of  office  of  the  present  clerks  of  said  court,  one  clerk  of 
said  court  for  each  division  shall  be  elected,  whose  term  of  ofiice 
shall  be  six  years  from  said  election,  but  who  shall  not  enter  upon 
the  duties  of  his  ofiice  until  the  expiration  of  the  term  cf  his 
predecessor,  and  every  six  years  thereafter,  one  clerk  of  said 
court  for  each  division  shall  be  elected. 

APPELLATE  COURTS. 

I  11.  Afterthe  year  of  our  Lord  1874,  inferior  appellate  courts 
of  uniform  organization  and  jurisdiction,  may  be  created  in  dis- 
tricts formed  for  that  purpose,  to  which  such  appeals  and  writs 
of  error  as  the  general  assembly  may  provide,  may  be  prosecuted 
from  circuit  and  other  courts,  and  from  which  appeals  and  writs 
of  error  shall  lie  to  tho  supremo  court,  in  all  criminal  cases,  end 
cases  in  which  a  franchise,  or  freehold,  or  the  validity  of  a  stat- 
ute is  involved,  and  in  such  other  cases  as  may  be  provided  by 
law.  Such  appellate  courts  shall  be  held  by"  such  number  of 
judges  of  the  circuit  courts,  and  at  such  times  and  places,  r.nd  in 
such  manner,  as  may  be  provided  ly  law;  but  no  judge  shall  sit 
in  review  upon  cases  decided  by  him  ;  nor  shall  said  judges  re- 
ceive any  additional  compensation  for  such  services. 

CIRCUIT  COURTS. 

?  12.  The  circuit  courts  shall  have  original  jurisdiction  of  all 
causes  in  law  and  equity,  and  such  appellate  jurisdiction  as  is  or 
may  be  provided  by  law,  and  shall  hold  two  or  more  terms  each 
year  in  every  county.  The  terms  of  office  of  judges  of  circuit 
courts  shall  be  six  years. 

\  13.  The  State,  exclusive  of  the  county  of  Cook  and  ether 
counties  having  a  population  of  1CO.COO,  shall  be  divided  into 
judicial  circuits,  prior  to  the  expiration  of  terms  of  ofiice  of  the 
present  judges  of  the  circuit  courts.  Such  circuitsshall  be  formed 
of  contiguous  counties,  in  as  nearly  compact  form  and  as  nearly 
equal  as  circumstances  will  permit,  having  due  regard  to  busi- 
ness, territory  and  population,  and  shall  not  exceed  in  number 
one  circuit  for  every  100,000  of  population  in  the  State.  One 
judge  shall  be  elected  for  eath  of  said  circuits  by  the  electors 
thereof.  New  circuits  may  be  formed  and  the  boundaries  of  cir- 
cuits changed  by  the  general  assembly,  at  its  session  next  pre- 
ceding the  election  for  circuit  judges,  but  at  no  other  time :  Pro- 
vided, that  the  circuits  may  be  equalized  or  changed  at  the  first 
session  of  the  general  assembly,  after  the  adoption  of  this  con- 
stitution. The  creation,  alteration  or  change  of  any  circuit  shall 
not  affect  the  tenure  of  office  of  any  judge.  Whenever  the  busi- 
ness of  the  circuit  court  of  any  one,  or  of  two  or  more  contigu- 
ous counties,  containing  a  population  exceeding  50,COO,  shall  oc- 
cupy nine  months  of  the  year,  the  general  assembly  may  make 
of  such  county,  or  counties,  a  separate  circuit.  Whenever  rddi- 
tional  circuits  are  created,  the  foregoing  limitations  shall  be  ob- 
S3rved. 

ji  14.  The  general  assembly  shall  provide  for  the  times  cf  hold- 
ing courts  in  each  county  ;  which  shall  not  be  changed,  except 
by  the  general,  assembly  next  preceding  the  general  election  for 
judges  of  said  courts;  but  additional  terms  may  be  provided  for 
in  any  county.  The  election  for  judges  of  the  circuit  courts  Fhall 
be  held  on  the  first  Monday  of  June,  in  the  year  of  our  Lord 
1873,  and  every  six  years  thereafter. 

?  15.  The  general  assembly  may  divide  the  State  into  judicial 
circuits  of  greater  population  and  territory,  in  lieu  of  (he  circuits 
provided  for  in  section  13  of  this  article,  and  provide  for  the  elec- 
tion therein,  severally,  by  the  electors  thereof,  by  general  ticket, 
of  not  exceeding  four  judges,  who  shall  hold  the  circuit  courts  for 
which  they  shall  be  elected,  in  such  manner  as  may  be  provided 
by  law. 

§  16.  From  and  after  the  adoption  of  this  constitution,  judges 
of  the  circuit  courts  shall  receive  a  salary  of  $3,000  per  annum, 
payable  quarterly,  until  otherwise  provided  by  law.  And  after 
their  salaries  shall  be  fixed  by  law,  they  shall  not  be  increased  or 
diminished  during  the  terms  for  which  said  juelpes  shall  be,  re- 
spectively, elected  ;  and  from  and  after  the  adoption  of  this  con- 
stitution, no  judge  of  the  supreme  or  circuit  court  shall  receive 
any  other  compensation,  perquisitcor  benefit,  in  any  form  whatso- 
ever, nor  perform  any  other  than  judicial  duties  to  which  may 
belong  any  emolument'. 

|  17.  No  person  shall  be  eligible  to  the  office  of  judge  of  the 
circuit  or  any  inferior  court,  or  to  membership  in  the  "board  of 
county  commissioners,"  unless  he  shall  be  at  least  25  years  of  age, 
and  a  citizen  of  the  United  States,  nor  unless  he  shall  have  re- 
sided in  this  State  five  years  next  preceding  his  election,  and  be 
a  resident  of  the  circuit,  county,  city,  cities,  or  incorporated  town 
in  which  he  shall  be  elected. 


366 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  W ABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


COUNTY  COURTS. 

?  18.  There  shall  be  elected  in  and  for  each  county,  one  judge 
and  one  clerk  of  the  county  court,  whose  terms  of  office  shall  be 
four  years.  But  the  general  assembly  may  create  districts  of  two 
or  more  contiguous  counties,  in  each  of  which  shall  be  elected 
one  judge,  who  shall  take  the  place  of,  and  exercise  the  powers 
and  jurisdiction  of  county  judges  in  such  districts.  County 
courts  shall  be  courts  of  record,  and  shall  have  original  jurisdic- 
tion in  all  matters  of  probate  ;  settlement  of  estates  of  deceased 
persons  ;  appointment  of  guardians  and  conservators,  and  settle- 
ments of  their  accounts;  in  all  matters  relating  to  apprentices  ; 
and  in  proceedings  for  the  collection  of  taxes  and  assessments, 
and  such  other  jurisdiction  as  may  be  provided  for  by  general 

I  19.  Appeals  and  writs  of  error  shall  be  allowed  from  final 
determination  of  county  courts,  as  may  be  provided  by  law. 

PROBATE  COURTS. 

?  20.  The  general  assembly  may  'provide  for  the  establishment 
of  a  probate  court  in  each  county  having  a  population  of  over 
50,000,  and  for  the  election  of  a  judge  thereof,  whose  term  of 
office  shall  be  the  same  as  that  of  the  county  judge,  and  who 
shall  be  elected  at  the  same  time  and  in  the  same  manner.  Said 
courts,  when  established,  shall  have  original  jurisdiction  of  all 
probate  matters,  the  settlement  of  estates  of  deceased  persons, 
the  appointment  of  guardians  and  conservators,  and  settlement 
of  their  accounts  ;  in  all  matters  relating  to  apprentices,  and  in 
cases  of  tho  sales  of  real  estate  of  deceased  persons  for  the  pay- 
ment of  debts. 

JUSTICES  OF  THE  PEACE  AND  CONSTABLES. 

|  21.  Justices  of  the  peace,  police  magistrates,  and  constables 
shall  be  elected  in  and  for  such  districts  as  are,  or  may  be,  pro- 
vided by  law,  and  the  jurisdiction  of  such  justices  of  the  peace 
and  police  magistrates  shall  be  uniform. 

STATE'S  ATTORNEY*. 

\  22.  At  the  election  for  members  of  the  general  assembly  in 
the  year  of  our  Lord  1872,  and  every  four  years  thereafter,  there 
shall  be  elected  a  State's  attorney  in  and  for  each  county,  in  lieu 
of  the  State's  attorney  now  provided  by  law,  whose  term  of  office 
shall  be  four  years. 

COURTS  OF  COOK  COUNTY. 

(!23.  The  county  of  Cook  shall  be 'one  judicial  circuit.  The 
circuit  court  of  Cook  county  shall  consist  of  five  judges,  until 
their  number  shall  be  increased,  as  herein  provided.  The  present 
judge  of  the  recorder's  court  of  the  city  of  Chicago,  and  the  pres- 
ent judge  of  the  circuit  court  of  Cook  county,  shall  be  two  of 
said  judges,  and  shall  remain  in  office  for  the  terms  for  which 
they  were  respectively  elected,  and  until  their  successors  shall 
be  elected  and  qualified.  The  superior  court  of  Chicago  shall  be 
continued,  and  called  the  superior  court  of  Cook  county.  The 
general  assembly  may  increase  the  number  of  said  judges  by  ad- 
ding one  to  either  of  said  courts  for  every  additional  50,000  in- 
habitants in  said  county,  over  and  above  a  population  of  400,000. 
The  terms  of  office  of  the  judges  of  said  courts  hereafter  elected, 
shall  be  six  years. 

|  24.  The  judge  having  the  shortest  unexpired  term  shall  be 
chief  justice  of  the  court  of  which  he  is  judge.  In  case  there 
are  two  or  more  whose  terms  expire  at  the  same  time,  it  may  be 
determined  by  lot  which  shall  be  chief  justice.  Any  judge  of 
either  of  said  courts  shall  have  all  the  powers  of  a  circuit  judge, 

"i  of  them 

the 

Siate's  attorney,  iu  said  county,  shall  receive  the  same  salaries, 
payable  out  of  the  State  treasury,  as  is  or  may  be  paid  from  said 
treasury  to  the  circuit  judges  and  State's  attorneys  of  the  State, 
and  such  further  compensation,  to  be  paid  by  the  county  of  Cook, 
as  is  or  may  be  provided  by  law ;  such  compensation  shall  not 
be  changed  during  their  continuance  in  office. 

|  26.  The  recorder's  court  of  the  city  of  Chicago  shall  be  con- 
tinued, and  shall  be  called  the  "  criminal  court  of  Cook  county." 
It  sha'l  have  the  jurisdiction  of  a  circuit  court,  in  all  cases'of 
criminal  and  quasi  criminal  nature,  arising  in  the  county  of  Cook, 
or  that  may  be  brought  before  said  court  pursuant  to  law ;  and 
all  recognizances  and  appeals  taken  in  said  county,  in  criminal  and 
quasi  criminal  cases  shall  be  returnable  and  taken  to  said  court. 
It  shall  have  no  jurisdiction  in  civil  cases,  except  in  those  on 
behalf  of  the  people,  and  incident  to  such  criminal  or  quasi  crim- 
inal matters,  and  to  dispose  of  unfinished  business.  The  terms 


and  may  hold  the  court  of  which  he  is  a  member.     Each  c 
may  hold  a  different  branch  thereof  at  the  same  time. 
?  2  >.  The  judges  of  the  superior  and  circuit  courts,  ar 


of  said  criminal  court  of  Cook  county  shall  be  held  by  one  or 
more  of  the  judges  of  the  circuit  or  superior  court  of  Cook 
county,  as  nearly  as  may  be  in  alternation,  as  may  be,  determined 
by  said  judges,  or  provided  by  law.  Said  judges  shall  be  ex- 
offieio  judges  of  said  court. 

\  27.  The  present  clerk  of  the  recorder's  court  of  the  city  of 
Chicago,  shall  be  the  clerk  of  the  criminal  court  of  Cook  county, 
during  the  term  for  which  he  was  elected.  The  present  clerks  of 
the  superior  court  of  Chicago,  and  the  present  clerk  of  the  circuit 
court  of  Cook  county,  shall  continue  in  office  during  the  terms 
for  which  they  were  respectively  elected  ;  and  thereafter  there 
shall  be  but  one  clerk  of  the  superior  court,  to  be  elected  by  the 
qualified  electors  of  said  county,  who  shall  hold  his  office  for  the 
term  of  four  years,  and  until  his  successor  is  elected  and  qualified. 

|  28.  All  justices  of  the  peace  in  the  city  of  Chicago  shall  be 
appointed  by  the  governor,  by  and  with  the  advice  and  consent 
of  the  senate,  (but  only  upon  the  recommendation  of  a  majority 
of  the  judges  of  the  circuit,  superior  and  county  courts,)  and  for 
such  districts  as  are  now  or  shall  hereafter  be  provided  by  law. 
They  shall  hold  their  offices  for  four  years,  and  until  their  suc- 
cesssors  have  been  commissioned  and  qualified,  but  they  may  be 
removed  by  summary  proceedings  in  the  circuit  or  superior  court, 
for  extortion  or  other  malfeasance.  Existing  justices  of  the  peace 
and  police  magistrates  may  hold  their  offices  until  the  expiration 
of  their  respective  terms. 

GENERAL  PROVISIONS. 

\  29.  All  judicial  officers  shall  be  commissioned  by  the  gover- 
nor. All  laws  relating  to  courts  shall  be  general,  and  of  uniform 
operation  ;  and  the  organization,  jurisdiction,  power,  proceedings 
and  practice  of  all  courts,  of  the  same  class  or  grade,  so  far  as 
regulated  by  law,  and  the  force  and  effect  of  the  process,  judg- 
ments and  decrees  of  such  courts,  severally  shall  be  uniform. 

\  30.  The  general  assembly  may,  for  cause  entered  on  the 
journals,  upon  due  notice  and  opportunity  of  defense,  remove 
from  office  any  judge,  upon  concurrence  of  three-fourths  of  all 
the  members  elected,  of  each  house.  All  other  officers  in  this 
article  mentioned,  shall  be  removed  from  office  on  prosecution 
and  final  conviction,  for  misdemeanor  in  office. 

\  31.  All  judges  of  courts  of  record,  inferior  to  the  supreme 
court,  shall,  on  or  before  the  first  day  of  June,  of  each  year,  re- 
port in  writing  to  the  judges  of  the  supreme  court,  such  defects 
and  omissions  in  the  laws  as  their  experience  may  suggest ;  and 
the  judges  of  the  supreme  court  shall,  on  or  before  the  first  day 
of  January  of  each  year,  report  in  writing  to  the  governor  such 
defects  and  omissions  in  the  constitution  and  laws  as  they  may 
find  to  exist,  together  with  appropriate  forms  of  bills  to  cure  such 
defects  and  omissions  in  the  laws.  And  the  judges  of  the  several 
circuit  courts  shall  report  to  the  next  general  assembly  the  num- 
ber of  days  they  have  held  court  in  the  several  counties  compos- 
iu|r  their  respective  circuits,  the  preceding  two  vears. 

I  32.  All  officers  provided  for  in  this  article  shall  hold  their 
offices  until  their  successors  shall  be  qualified,  and  they  shall,  re- 
spectively, reside  in  the  division,  circuit,  'county  or  district  for 
which  they  may  be  elected  or  appointed.  The  terms  of  office  of 
all  such  officers,  where  not  otherwise  prescribed  in  this  article, 
shall  be  four  years.  All  officers,  where  not  otherwise  provided 
for  in  this  article,  shall  perform  such  duties  and  receive  such 
compensation  as  is  or  may  be  provided  by  law.  Vacancies  in 
such  elective  offices  shall  be  filled  by  election  ;  but  where  the 
unexpired  term  does  not  exceed  one  year,  the  vacancy  shall  be 
filled  by  appointment,  as  follows:  Of  judges,  by  the  governor; 
of  clerks  of  courts,  by  the  court  to  which  the  office  appertains,  or 
by  the  judge  or  judges  thereof;  and  of  all  such  other  officers,  by 
the  board  of  supervisors  or  board  of  county  commissioners  in 
the  county  where  the  vacancy  occurs. 

I  33.  All  process  shall  run  :  In  the  name  of  the  People  of  the 
State  of  Illinois:  and  all  prosecutions  shall' be  carried  on:  In 
the  name  and  by  the  authority  of  the  People  of  the  State  tif  Illinois,- 
and  conclude-  A<i<iin*t  tlr  i>i<,i,>i- <m<l  diniiiti/ of  the  same.  "Pop- 
ulation," wherever  used  in  this  article,  shall  be  determined  by  the 
next  preceding  census  of  this  State  or  of  the  United  States. 

ARTICLE  VII. 

SUFFRAGE. 

!  R.  Soldi. 


•2.  All  Voting  to  bel>v°Bi 

:t.  )'!-ivjlce..s  of  Kl.-rtnr 
4.  Absence  on  Public  Bi: 


t  deemed  n  Resident. 
.ins  f.r  Offlne. 
nvicted  of  Crime. 


\  1.  Every  person  having  resided  in  this  State  one  year,  in  the 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


367 


county  93  days,  and  in  the  election  district  SO  days  next  preced- 
ing any  election  therein,  who  was  an  elector  in  this  State  on  the 
fir.it  day  of  April,  in  the  year  of  our  Lord  1848,  or  obtained  a 
certificate  of  naturalization  before  any  court  of  record  in  this 
State  prior  to  the  first  day  of  January,  in  the  year  of  our  Lord 
1870,  or  who  shall  be  a,  male  citizen  of  the  United  States,  above 
the  age  of  21  years,  shall  be  entitled  to  vote  at  such  election. 

§  2.  All  votes  shall  be  by  ballot. 

<j  3.  Electors  shall,  in  all  cases  except  treason,  felony,  or  breach 
of  the  peace,  be  privileged  from  arrest  during  their  attendance 
at  elections,  and  in  going  to  and  returning  from  the  same.  And 
no  elector  shall  be  obliged  to  do  military  duty  on  the  days  of 
election,  except  i:i  time  of  war  or  public  danger. 

|  4.  No  elector  shall  be  deemed  to  have  lost  his  residence  in 
this  State  by  reason  of  his  absence  on  business  of  the  United 
States,  or  of  this  State,  or  in  the  military  or  naval  services  of  the 
United  States. 

\  5.  No  soldier,  seaman  or  marine  in  the  army  or  navy  of  the 
United  States  shall  be  deemed  a  resident  of  this  State  in  conse- 
quence of  being  stationed  therein. 

J6.  No  person  shall  be  elected  or  appointed  to  any  office  in 
i  State,  civil  or  military,  who  ia  not   a  citizen  of  the  United 
States,  and  who  shall  not  have  resided  in  this  State   one  year 
next  preceding  the  election  or  appointment. 

$  7.  The  general  assembly  shall  pass  laws  excluding  from  the 
right  of  suffrage  persons  convicted  of  infamous  crimes. 

ARTICLE  VIII. 


I  3.  Public  Schools  not  to  be  Sectaria 

I  1.  The  general  assembly  shall  provide  a  thorough  and  effi- 
cient system  of  free  schools,  whereby  all  the  children  of  this 
State  may  receive  a  good  common  school  education. 

|  2.  All  lands,  moneys  or  other  properties,  donated,  granted  or 
received  for  school,  college,  seminary  or  university  purposes,  and 
the  proceeds  thereof,  shall  be  faithfully  applied  to  the  objects  for 
which  such  gifts  or  grants  were  made. 

\  3.  Neither  the  general  assembly  nor  any  county,  city,  town, 
tow:iship,  school  district,  or  other  public  corporation,  shall  ever 
make  any  appropriation  or  pay  from  any  public  fund  whatever, 
anything  in  aid  of  any  church  of  sectarian  purpose,  or  to  help 
support  or  sustain  any  school,  academy,  seminary,  college,  uni- 
versity, or  other  literary  or  scientific  institution,  controlled  by 
any  church  or  sectarian  denomination  whatever  ;  nor  shall  any 
nt  or  donation  of  land,  money,  or  other  personal  property  ever 
made  by  the  State  or  any  such  public  corporation,  to  any 
church,  or  for  any  sectarian  purpose. 

|  4.  No  teacher,  State,  county,  township,  or  district  school  offi- 
cer shall  be  interested  in  the  sale,  proceeds  or  profits  of  any  book, 
apparatus  or  furniture,  used  or  to  be  used,  in  any  school  'in  this 
State,  with  which  such  officer  or  teacher  may  be  connected, 
under  such  penalties  as  may  be  provided  by  the  general  assembly. 

|  5.  There  may  be  a  county  superintendent  of  schools  in  each 
county,  whose  qualifications,  powers,  duties,  compensation  and 
time  and  manner  of  election,  and  term  of  office,  shall  be  pre- 
scribed by  law. 

ARTICLE  IX. 

REVENUE. 


gr 
be 


2.  Other  and  further  Ta: 

:l.   I'r'.p.-rtv  Kx-'inpt  I'mm  T:i\;t 

\.  Sale  of  Ural  I'n.prrtv  l'"r  '  " 

:,    Ut::ht   of  Krdomption   " 

•  from  ™ 


!>.   Local  Mimioipnl  1 
in.    T:ix:it|.m     of     Mil 


\  1.  The  general  assembly  shall  provide  such  revenue  as  may  be 
needful  by  levying  a  tax,  by  valuation,  so  that  every  person  and 
corporation  shall  pay  a  tax  in  proportion  to  the  value  of  his,  her 
or  its  property — such  value  to  be  ascertained  by  some  person  or 
persons,  to  be  elected  or  appointed  in  such  manner  as  the  general 
assembly  shall  direct,  and  not  otherwise ;  but  the  general  assem- 
bly shall  have  power  to  tax  peddlers,  auctioneers,  brokers,  hawk- 
ers, merchants,  commission  merchants,  showmen,  jugglers,  inn- 
keepers grocery  kcepersliquor  dealers,  toll  bridges,  ferries,  insur- 
ance, telerraph  and  express  interests  or  business,  venders  of  pat- 
ents, and  persons  or  corporations  owning  or  using  franchises  and 
privileges,  in  such  manner  as  it  shall  from  timetotime  direct  by 
general  law,  uniform  as  to  the  class  upon  which  it  operates. 


\  2.  The  specifications  of  the  objects  and  subjects  of  taxation 
shall  not  deprive  the  general  assembly  of  the  power  to  require 
other  subjects  or  objects  to  be  taxed  in  such  a  manner  as  muy  be 
consistent  with  the  principles  of  taxation  fixed  in  this  constitu- 
tion. 

?  3.  The  properties  of  this  State,  counties  and  other  municipal 
corporations,  both  real  and  personal,  and  such  other  property  as 
may  be  used  exclusively  for  agricultural  and  horticultural  socie- 
ties, for  school,  religious,  cemetery  and  charitable  purposes,  may 
be  exempted  from  taxation  ;  but  such  exemption  shall  be  only 
by  general  law.  In  the  assessment  of  real  estate  encumbered  by 
public  easement,  any  depreciation  occasioned  by  such  easement 
may  be  deducted  in  the  valuation  of  such  property. 

\  4.  The  general  assembly  shall  provide,  in  all  cases  where  it 
may  be  necessary  to  sell  real  estate  for  the  non-payment  of  taxes 
or  special  assessments  for  State,  county,  municipal  or  other  pur- 
poses, that  a  return  of  such  unpaid  taxes  or  assessments  shall  be 
to  some  general  officer  of  the  county  having  authority  to  receive 
State  and  county  taxes;  and  there  shall  be  no  sale  of  sr.id  prop- 
erty for  any  of  said  taxes  or  assessments  but  by  said  officer,  upon 
the  order  or  judgment  of  some  court  of  record. 

\  5.  The  right  of  redemption  from  all  sales  of  real  estate  for 
the  non-payment  of  taxes  or  special  assessments  of  any  character 
whatever,  shall  exist  in  favor  of  owners  and  persons  interested 
in  such  real  estate,  for  a  period  of  not  less  than  two  years  from 
such  sales  thereof.  And  the  general  assembly  shall  provide  by 
law  for  reasonable  notice  to  be  given  to  the  owners  or  parties  in- 
terested, by  publication  or  otherwise,  of  the  fact  of  the  sale  of 
the  property  for  such  taxes  or  assessments,  and  when  the  time  of 
redemption  shall  expire :  Provided,  that  occupants  shall  in  all 
cases  be  served  with  personal  notice  before  the  time  of  redemption 
expires. 

|  6.  The  general  assembly  shall  have  no  power  to  reler.se  or 
discharge  any  county,  city,  township,  town  or  district  whr.tcvcr, 
or  the  inhabitants  thereof  or  the  properly  therein,  from  their  or 
its  proportionate  share  of  taxes  to  be  levied  for  State  purposes, 
nor  shall  commutation  for  such  taxes  be  authorized  in  any  form 
whatever. 

§  7.  All  taxes  levied  for  State  purposes  shall  be  paid  into  the 
State  treasury. 

§  8.  County  authorities  shall  never  assess  taxes  the  aggregate 
of  which  shall  exceed  75  cents  per  $100  valuation,  except  for  the 
payment  of  indebtedness  existing  at  the  adoption  of  this  constitu- 
tion, unless  authorized  by  a  vote  of  the  people  of  the  county. 

?  9.  The  general  assembly  may  vest  the  corporate  authorities 
of  cities,  towns,  villages,  with  power  to  make  local  improvements 
by  special  assessment  or  by  special  taxation  of  contiguous  prop- 
erty or  otherwise.  For  all  other  corporate  purposes,  all  munici- 
pal corporations  may  be  vested  with  authority  to  assess  and  col- 
lect taxes;  but  such  taxes  shall  be  uniform  in  respect  to  persons 
and  property,  with  the  jurisdiction  of  the  body  imposing  the 
same. 

\  10.  The  general  assembly  shall  not  impose  taxes  upon  muni- 
cipal corporations,  or  the  inhabitants  or  property  thereof,  for  cor- 
porate purposes,  but  shall  require  that  all  the  taxable  property 
within  the  limits  of  municipal  corporations  shall  be  taxed  for 
the  payment  of  debts  contracted  under  authority  of  law,  such 
taxes  to  be  uniform  in  respect  to  persons  and  property,  within  the 
jurisdiction  of  the  body  imposing  the  same.  Private  property 
shall  not  be  liable  to  betaken  or  sold  for  the  payment  of  the  cor- 
porate debts  of  a  municipal  corporation. 

\  11.  No  person  who  is  in  default,  as  a  collector  or  custodian 
of  money  or  property  belonging  to  a  municipal  corporation,  shall 
be  eligible  to  any  office  in  or  under  such  .corporation.  The  fees, 
salary  or  compensation  of  no  municipal  officer  who  is  elected  or 
appointed  for  a  definite  term  of  office,  shall  be  increased  or  di- 
minished during  suth  term. 

\  12.  No  county,  city,  township,  school  district,  or  other  muni- 
cipal corporation,  shall  be  allowed  to  become  indebted  in  any 
manner  or  for  any  purpose,  to  an  amount,  including  existing  in- 
debtedness, in  the  aggregate  exceeding  five  per  centum  on  the 
value  of  the  taxable  property  therein,  to  be  ascertained  by  the 
last  assessment  for  State  and  county  taxes,  previous  to  the  incur- 
ring of  such  indebtedness.  Any  county,  city,  school  district,  or 
other  municipal  corporation,  incurring  any  indebtedness,  as  afore- 
said, shall  before,  or  at  the  time  of  doing  so,  provide  for  the  col- 
lection of  a  direct  annual  tax  sufficient  to  pay  the  interest  on 
such  debt  as  it  falls  due,  and  also  to  pay  and  discharge  the  prin- 
cipal thereof  within  twenty  years  from  the  time  of  contracting  the 
same.  This  section  shall  not  he  construed  to  prevent  any  county, 
city,  township,  school  district,  or  other  municipal  corporation 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  W ABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


from   issuing  their  bonds  in  compliance  with  any  vote  of  the 
people  which  may  have  been  had  prior  to  the  adoption  of  this 
constitution  in  pursuance  of  any  law  providing  therefor. 
ARTICLE  X. 


1.  Formation  of  New  Counties. 

2.  Division  of  any  County. 

3.  Territory  stricken  from  a  Coun 
•I.  Rcmma'l  "f  a  County  Scat.         • 

6.  Method  of  County  Government. 
G.  Board    of  County  Commissione 

7.  County  affairs  la  Cook  County. 


by  County  Board.' 

11.  To$n&hip OfflcerR— Special  J.a\\- 

12.  AM  Future  Fees  Uniform. 

13.  Sworn  Reports  of  all  Fees. 


\  1.  No  new  county  shall  be  formed  or  established  by  the  gen- 
eral assembly,  which  will  reduce  the  county  or  counties,  or  either 
of  them,  from  which"  it  shall  be  taken,  to  less  contents  than  400 
square  miles;  nor  shall  any  county  be  formed  of  less  contents  ; 
nor  shall  any  lino  thereof  pass  within  less  than  ten  miles  of  any 
county  scat  of  the  county,  or  counties  proposed  to  be  divided. 

2  2.  No  county  shall  be  divided,  or  have  any  part  stricken 
therefrom,  without  submitting  the  question  to  a  vote  of  the  peo- 
ple of  the  county,  nor  unless  a  majority  of  all  the  legal  voters 
of  the  county,  voting  on  the  question,  shall  vote  for  the  same. 

§  3.  There  shall  be  no  territory  stricken  from  any  county, 
unless  a  majority  of  the  voters  living  in  such  territory  shall  peti- 
tion for  such  division  ;  and  no  territory  shall  be  added  to  any 
county  without  the  consent  of  the  majority  of  the  voters  of  the 
county  to  which  it  is  proposed  to  be  added.  But  the  portion  so 
stricken  off  and  added  to  another  county,  or  formed  in  whole  or 
in  part  into  a  new  county,  shall  be  holden  for,  and  obliged  to 
pay  ita  proportion  of  indebtedness  of  the  county  from  which  it 
has  been  taken. 

COUNTY  SEATS. 

?  4.  No  county  seat  shall  be  removed  until  the  point  to  which 
it  is  proposed  t3  be  removed  shall  be  fixed  in  pursuance  of  law, 
and  three-fifths  of  the  voters  of  the  county,  to  be  ascertained  in 
such  manner  as  shall  be  provided  by  general  law,  shall  have 
voted  in  favor  of  its  removal  to  such  point  ;  and  no  person  shall 
vote  on  such  question  who  has  not  resided  in  the  county  six 
months,  and  in  the  election  precinct  ninety  days  next  preceding 
such  election.  The  question  of  removal  of  a  county  seat  shall 
not  be  oftener  submitted  than  once  in  ten  years,  to  a  vote  of  the 
people.  But  when"  an  attempt  is  made  to  remove  the  county  seat 
to  a  point  nearer  to  the  centre  of  a  county,  then  a  majority  vote 
only  shall  be  necessary. 

COUNTY  GOVERNMENT. 

?  5.  The  general  assembly  shall  provide,  by  general  law,  for 
township  organization,  under  which  any  county  may  organize 
•whenever  a  majority  of  the  legal  voters  of  such  county,  voting  at 
any  general  election,  shall  so  determine,  and  whenever  any  county 
shall  adopt  township  organization,  so  much  of  this  constitution 
as  provides  for  the  management  of  the  fiscal  concerns  of  the  said 
county  by  the  board  of  county  commissioners,  may  be  dispensed 
with,  and  the  affairs  of  said  county  may  be  transacted  in  such 
manner  r.s  the  general  assembly  may  provide.  And  in  any  county 
that  shall  have  adopted  a  township  organization,  the  question  of 
continuing  the  same  may  be  submitted  to  a  vote  of  the  electors 
of  such  county,  at  a  general  election,  in  the  manner  that  now  is 
or  may  be  provided  by  law;  and  if  a  majority  of  all  the  votes 
cast  upon  that  question  shall  be  against  township  organization, 
then  such  organization  shall  cease  in  said  county  ;  and  all  laws 
in  force  in  relation  to  counties  not  having  township  organizations, 
shall  immediately  take  effect  and  be  in  force  in  such  county.  No 
two  townships  shall  have  the  same  name,  and  the  day  of  holding 
the  annual  township  meeting  shall  be  uniform  throughout  the 
State.  , 

|  C.  At  the  first  election  of  county  judges  under  this  constitu- 
tion, three  shall  be  elected  in  each  of  the  counties  in  this  State. 
not  under  township  organization,  three  officers,  who  shall  be 
styled  "  The  Board  of  County  Commissioners,"  who  shall  hold 
sessions  for  the  transaction  of  county  business  as  shall  be  provided 
by  law.  One  of  said  commissioners  shall  hold  his  office  for  one 
year,  one  for  two  years,  and  one  for  three  years,  to  be  determined 
by  lot  ;  and  every  year  thereafter  one  such  officer  shall  be  elected 
in  each  of  said  counties  for  the  term  of  three  years. 

f!  7  The  county  affairs  of  Cook  county  shall  be  managed  by  a 
board  of  commissioners  of  fifteen  persons,  ten  of  whom  shall  be 
elected  from  the  city  of  Chicago,  and  five  from  towns  outside  of 
said  city,  in  such  manner  as  may  be  provided  by  law. 


COUNTY  OFFICERS  AND  THEIR  COMPENSATIONS. 

\  8.  In  each  county  there  shall  be  elected  the  following  county 
officers:  County  judge,  sheriff,  county  clerk,  clerk  of  the  cir- 
cuit court,  (who  may  be  ex-officio  recorder  of  deeds,  except  in 
counties  having  60,000  and  more  inhabitants,  in  which  counties 
a  recorder  of  deeds  shall  be  elected  at  the  general  election  in  the 
year  of  our  Lord  1872,)  treasurer,  surveyor,  and  coroner,  each  of 
whom  shall  enter  upon  the  duties  of  his  office,  respectively,  on 
the  first  Monday  of  December  after  their  election  ;  and  they 
shall  hold  their  respective  offices  for  the  term  of  four  years,  ex- 
cept the  treasurer,  sheriff  and  coroner,  who  shall  hold  their  office 
for  two  years,  and  until  their  successors  shall  be  elected  and  qual- 
ified. 

?  9.  The  clerks  of  all  the  courts  of  record,  the  treasurer,  sheriff, 
coroner  and  recorder  of  deeds  of  Cook  county,  shall  receive  as 
their  only  compensation  for  their  services,  salaries  to  be  fixed  by 
law,  which  shall  in  no  case  be  as  much  as  the  lawful  compensation 
of  a  judge  of  the  circuit  court  of  said  county,  and  shall  be  paid 
respectively,  only  out  of  the  fees  of  the  office  actually  collected. 
All  fees,  perquisites  and  emoluments  (above  the  amount  of  said 
salaries)  shall  be  paid  into  the  county  treasury.  The  number  of 
the  deputies  and  assistants  of  such  officers  shall  be  determined 
by  rule  of  the  circuit  court,  to  be  entered  of  record  and  their 
compensation  shall  be  determined  by  the  county  board. 

|  10.  The  county  board,  except  as  provided  in  I  9  of  this  arti- 
cle, shall  fix  the  compensation  of  all  county  officers,  with  the 
amount  of  their  necessary  clerk  hire,  stationery,  fuel  and  other 
expenses,  and  in  all  cases  where  fees  are  provided  for,  said  com- 
pensation shall  be  paid  only  out  of,  and  shall  in  no  instance  ex- 
ceed, the  fees  actually  collected ;  they  shall  not  allow  either  of 
them  more  per  annum  than  $1,500,  in  counties  not  exceeding 
23,000  inhabitants ;  §2,000  in  counties  containing  20,000  and  not 
exceeding  30,000  inhabitants  ;  $2,500  in  counties  containing  30,- 
000  and  not  exceeding  50,000  inhabitants;  £3,000  in  counties 
containing  50,000  and  not  exceeding  70,000  inhabitants ;  $3,500 
in  counties  containing  70,000  and  not  exceeding  100,000  inhabi- 
tants; and  $4,000  in  rountics  containing  over  100,000  and  not 
exceeding  250,000  inhabitants ;  and  not  more  than  $1,000  addi- 
tional compensation  for  each  additional  100,000  inhabitants: 
Provided,^  that  the  compensation  of  no  officer  shall  be  increased 
or  diminished  during  his  term  of  office.  All  fees  or  allowances 
by  them  received,  in  excess  of  their  said  compensation,  shall  be 
paid  into  the  county  treasury. 

?  11.  The  fees  of  township  officers,  and  of  each  class  of  county 
officers,  shall  be  uniform  in  the  class  of  counties  to  which  they 
respectively  belong.  The  compensation  herein  provided  for  shall 
apply  only  to  officers  hereafter  elected,  but  all  fees  established  by 
special  laws  shall  cease  at  the  adoption  of  this  constitution,  and 
such  officers  shall  receive  only  such  fees  as  are  provided  by  gen- 
eral law. 

2  12.  All  laws  fixing  the  fees  of  State,  county  and  township 
officers,  shall  terminate  with  the  terms,  respectively,  of  those 
who  may  be  in  office  at  the  meeting  of  the  first  general  assembly 
after  the  adoption  of  this  constitution  ;  and  the  general  assembly 
shall  by  general  law,  uniform  in  its  operation,  provide  for  and 
regulate  the  fees  of  said  officers  and  their  successors,  so  as  to  re- 
duce the  same  to  a  reasonable  compensation  for  services  actually 
rendered.  But  the  general  assembly  may,  by  general  law,  classify 
the  counties  by  population  into  not  more  than  three  classes,  and 
regulate  the  fees  according  to  class.  Th's  article  shall  not  be 


depriving 
i  of  existin 


;ing  officers. 

2  13.  Every  person  who  is  elected  or  appointed  to  any  office  in 
this  State,  who  shall  be  paid  in  whole  or  in  part  by  fees,  shall  bo 
required  by  law  to  make  a  semi-annual  report,  under  oath  to 
some  officer  to  be  designated  by  law,  of  all  his  fees  and  emolu- 
ments. 

ARTICLE  XI. 


I  3.  Election  of  Directors  or  M 
|  4.  Constrm-ti.m  "f  Sn-.'cr  R 
I  5.  State  Banks  Forbidden— General 

Law. 

?  >••.  I.i.il'ility  of  ivnil;  Stockholder.     - 
•;  7.  Suspension  of  Spoci?  Payment. 
\  8.  Of  a  General  Banking  Law.  I  latea. 

2  1.  No  corporation  shall  be  created  by  special  laws,  or  its  char- 
ter extended,  changed   or  amended,  except  those   for  charitable, 
9 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


educational,  penal  or  reformatory  purposes,  which  are  to  be  and 
remain  under  tlie  patronage  and  control  of  the  State,  but  the 
general  assembly  shall  provide,  by  general  law,  for  the  organiza- 
tions of  all  corporations  hereafter  created. 

g  2.  All  existing  charters  or  grants  of  special  or  exclusive 
privileges,  under  which  organization  shall  not  have  taken  place, 
or  which  shall  not  have  been  in  operation  within  ten  days  from 
the  time  this  constitution  takes  effect,  shall  thereafter  have  no 
validity  or  effect  whatever. 

\  3.  The  general  assembly  shall  provide,  by  law,  that  in  all 
elections  for  directors  or  managers  of  corporated  companies, 
every  stockholder  shall  have  the  right  to  vote,  in  person  orby  proxy, 
for  the  number  of  shares  of  stock  owned  by  him,  for  as  many 
persons  as  there  are  directors  or  managers  to  be  elected,  or  to 
cumulate  said  shares,  and  give  one  candidate  as  many  votes  as 
the  number  of  directors  multiplied  by  the  number  of  his  shares 
of  stock,  shall  equal,  or  to  distribute  them  on  the  same  principle 
among  as  many  candidates  as  he  shall  think  fit ;  and  no  such 
directors  or  managers  shall  be  elected  in  any  other  manner. 

\  4.  No  laws  shall  be  passed  by  the  general  assembly,  granting 
the  right  to  construct  and  operate  a  street  railroad  within  any 
city,  town,  or  incorporated  village,  without  requiring  the  consent 
of  the  local  authorities  having  the  control  of  the  street  or  high- 
way proposed  to  be  occupied  by  such  street  railroad. 

BANET. 

I  5.  No  State  bank  shall  hereafter  be  created,  nor  shall  the 
State  own  or  be  liable  for  any  stock  in  any  corporation  or  joint 
stock  company  or  association  for  banking  purposes,  now  created, 
or  to  be  hereafter  created,  No  act  of  the  general  assembly  au- 
thorizing or  creating  corporations  or  associations,  with  banking 
powers,  whether  of  issue,  deposit  or  discount,  nor  amendments 
thereto,  shall  go  into  effect  or  in  any  manner  be  in  force  unless 
the  same  shall  be  submitted  to  a  vote  of  the  people  at  the  general 
election  next  succeeding  the  passage  of  the  same,  and  be  ap- 
proved by  a  majority  of  all  the  votes  cast  at  such  election  for  or 
against  such  law. 

$  6.  Every  stockholder  in  a  banking  corporation  or  institution 
shall  be  individually  responsible  and  liable  to  its  creditors  over 
and  above  the  amount  of  stock  by  him  or  her  held,  to  an  amount 
equal  to  his  or  her  respective  shares  so  held,  for  all  its  liabilities 
accruing  while  he  or  she  remains  such  a  stockholder. 

$  7.  The  suspension  of  specie  payments  by  bankin ;  institu- 
tions, or  their  circulation,  created  by  the  laws  of  this  State,  shall 
never  be  permitted  or  sanctioned.  Every  banking  association 
now^or  which  may  hereafter  be,  organized  under  the  laws  of 
this  State,  shall  make  and  publish  a  full  and  accurate  quar- 
terly statement  of  its  affairs,  (which  shall  be  certified  to,  under 
oath,  by  one  or  more  of  its  officers,)  as  may  be  provided  by  law. 

8  8.  If  a  general  banking  law  shall  be  enacted,  it  shall  provide 
for  the  registry  and  countersigning,  by  an  officer  of  state,  of  all 
bills  or  paper  credit,  designed  to  circulate  as  money,  and  require 
security,  to  the  full  amount  thereof,  to  be  deposited  with  the  State 
treasurer,  in  United  States  or  Illinois  State  stocks,  to  be  rated  at 
ten  per  cent,  below  their  par  value  ;  and  in  case  of  a  deprecia- 
tion of  said  stocks  to  the  amount  of  ten  per  cent,  below  par,  the 
bank  or  banks  owning  said  stocks  shall  be  required  to  make  up 
said  deficiency,  by  depositing  additional  stocks.  And  said  law 
shall  also  provide  for  the  recording  of  the  names  of  all  stock- 
holders in  such  corporations,  the  amount  of  stock  held  by  each, 
the  time  of  any  transfer  thereof,  and  to  whom  such  transfer  is 
made. 

RAILROADS. 

\  9.  Every  railroad  corporation  organized  or  doing  business  in 
this  State,  under  the  laws  or  authority  thereof,  shall  have  and  main- 
tain a  public  office  or  place  in  this  State,  for  the  transaction  of 
its  business,  where  transfers  of  stock  shall  be  made,  and  in  which 
shall  be  kept  for  public  inspection,  books,  in  which  shall  be  re- 
corded the  amount  of  capital  stock  subscribed,  and  by  whom ;  the 
names  of  the  owners  of  stock  and  amount  by  them  respectively, 
the  amount  of  stock  paid  in  and  by  whom,  the  transfers  of  said 
stock;  the  amount  of  its  assets  and  liabilities,  and  the  names 
and  place  of  residence  of  its  officers.  The  directors  of  every 
railroad  corporation  shall,  annually,  make  a  report,  under  oath, 
to  the  auditor  of  public  accounts,  <>r  some  officer  to  be  designated 
by  law,  of  all  their  acts  and  doings,  which  report  shall  include 
such  matters  relating  to  railroads  as  may  be  prescribed  by  law. 
And  the  general  assembly  shall  pass  laws  enforcing  by  suitable 
penalties  the  provisions  of  this  section. 

1 10.  The  rolling  stock,  and  all  other  movable  property  belong- 


ing  to  any  railroad  company  or  corporation  in  this  State,  shall  be 
considered  personal  property,  and  shall  be  liable  to  execution, 
and  sale  in  the  same  manner  as  the  personal  property  of  individ- 
uals, and  the  general  assembly  shall  pass  110  law  exempting  any 
such  property  from  execution  and  sale. 

|  11.  No  railroad  corporation  shall  consolidate  its  stock,  pro- 
perty or  franchises  with  any  other  railroad  corporation  owning  a 
parallel  or  competing  line ;  and  in  no  case  shall  any  consolida- 
tion take  place  except  upon  public  notice  given,  of  at  least  sixty 
days,  to  all  stockholders,  in  such  manner  as  may  be  provided  by 
law.  A  majority  of  the  directors  of  any  railroad  corporation, 
now  incorporated  or  hereafter  to  be  incorporated  by  the  laws  of  the 
State,  shall  be  citizens  and  residents  of  this  State. 

|  12.  Hallways  heretofore  constructed,  or  that  may  hereafter 
be  constructed  in  this  State,  are  hereby  declared  public  high- 
ways, and  shall  be  free  to  all  persons  for  the  transportation  of 
their  persons  and  property  thereon,  under  such  regulations  as 
may  be  prescribed  by  law.  And  the  general  assembly  shall,  from 
time  to  time,  pass  laws  establishing  reasonable  maximum  rates 
of  charges  for  the  transportation  of  passengers  and  freight  on  the 
different  railroads  in  this  State. 

\  13.  No  railroad  corporation  shall  issue  any  stock  or  bonds, 
except  for  money,  labor  or  property  actually  received,  and  ap- 
plied to  the  purposes  for  which  such  corporation  was  created ; 
and  all  stock  dividends,  and  other  fictitious  increase  of  the  capi- 
tal stack  or  indebtedness  of  any  such  corporation,  shall  be  void. 
The  capital  stock  of  no  railroad  corporation  shall  be  increased 
for  any  purpose,  except  upon  giving  sixty  days'  public  notice,  in 
such  manner  as  may  be  provided  by  law. 

\  14.  The  exercise  of  the  power,  and  the  right  of  eminent  do- 
main shall  never  be  so  construed  or  abridged  as  to  prevent  the  tak- 
ing, by  the  general  assembly,  of  the  property  and  franchises  of 
incorporated  companies  already  organized,  and  subjecting  them 
to  the  public  necessity  the  same  as  of  individuals.  The  right  of 
trial  by  jury  shall  be  held  inviolate  in  all  trials  of  claims  for 
compensation,  when,  in  the  exercise  of  said  right  of  eminent  do- 
main, any  incorporated  company  shall  be  interested  either  for  or 
against  the  exercise  of  said  right. 

§  15.  The  general  assembly  shall  pass  laws  to  correct  abuses 
and  prevent  unjust  discrimination  and  extortion  in  the  rates  of 
freight  and  passenger  tariffs  on  different  railroads  in  this  State, 
and  enforce  such  laws,  by  adequate  penalties,  to  the  extent,  if 
necessary  for  that  purpose,  of  forfeiture  of  their  property  and 
franchises. 

ARTICLE  XII. 

MILITIA. 

f  1.  Persons  composing  the  Military. 
I  2.  Organization-Equipment-Dis- 

cipline. 
g  3.  Commissions  of  Officers. 


4.  Privilege  from  Arrest. 

.'..  Records,  limners  mid  Relics. 

6.  Exemption  from  militia  duty. 


§  1.  The  militia  of  the  State  of  Illinois  shall  consist  of  all  able- 
bodied  male  persons,  resident  in  the  State,  between  the  ages  of 
eighteen  and  forty-five,  except  such  persons  as  now  are,  or  here- 
after may  be,  exempted  by  the  laws  of  the  United  States,  or  of 
this  State. 

§  2.  The  general  assembly,  in  providing  for  the  organization, 
equipment  and  discipline  of  the  militia,  shall  conform  as  nearly 
aii  practicable  to  the  regulations  for  the  government  of  the 
armies  of  the  United  States. 

g  3.  All  militia  officers  shall  be  commissioned  by  the  gover- 
nor, and  may  hold  their  commissions  for  such  time  as  the  general 
assembly  may  provide. 

|  4.  The  militia  shall,  in  all  cases,  except  treason,  felony  or 
breach  of  the  peace,  be  privileged  from  arrest  during  their  at- 
tendance at  musters  and  elections,  and  in  going  to  and  returning 
from  the  same. 

\  5.  The  military  records,  banners  and  relics  of  the  State,  shall 
be  preserved  as  an  enduring  memorial  of  the  patriotism  and 
valor  of  Illinois,  and  it  shall  be  the  duty  of  the  general  assembly 
to  provide  by  law  for  the  safe  keeping  of  the  same. 

\  6.  No  person  having  conscientious  scruples  against  bearing 
arms,  shall  be  compelled  to  do  militia  duty  in  time  of  peace : 
Provided,  such  parson  shall  pay  an  equivile'nt  for  such  exemp- 
tion. 

ARTICLE  XIII. 


!  1.  What  deemed  Public  Warehouses.  I 
!  2.  Sworn  weekly  statements  required  3  o.  Power  nnd  Duty  of  the  Legislature. 
1 3.  Examination  of  property  Stored  |  7.  Grain  Inspection— Protection  of 
!  4.  Carriers  to  deliver  full  Weight.  1  I>ealera. 

10 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  W ABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


?  1.  All  elevators  or  storehouses  where  grain  or  other  property 
is  sttircd  for  a  compensation,  whether  the  property  stored  be  kept 
separate  or  not,  are  declared  to  be  public  warehouses. 

g  2.  The  owner,  lessee  or  manager  of  each  and  every  public 
•warehouse  situated  in  any  town  or  city  of  not  less  than  100,000 
inhabitants,  shall  make  weekly  statements  under  oath,  before 
somo  officer  to  be  designated  by  law,  and  keep  the  same  posted 
in  some  conspicuous  place  in  tlie  office  of  such  warehouse,  and 
shall  also  file  a  copy  for  public  examination  in  such  place  as 
shall  be  designated  by  law,  which  statement  shall  correctly  set 
forth  the  amount  and  grade  of  each  and  every  kind  of  grain  in 
such  warehouse,  together  with  such  other  property  as  may  be 
stored  therein,  and  what  warehouse  receipts  have  been  issued, 
and  are,  at  the  time  of  making  such  statement,  outstanding  there- 
for ;  and  shall,  on  the  copy  posted  in  the  warehouse,  note  daily 
such  changes  as  may  be  made  in  the  quantity  and  grade  of  grain 
in  such  warehouse;  and  the  different  grades  of  grain  shipped  in 
separate  lots,  shall  not  be  mixed  with  inferior  or  superior  grades, 
without  the  consent  of  the  owner  or  consignee  thereof. 

8  3.  The  owners  of  property  stored  in  any  warehouse,  or  holder 
of  a  receipt  for  the  same,  shall  always  be  at  liberty  to  examine 
such  property  stored,  and  all  the  books  and  records  of  the  ware- 
house in  regard  to  such  property. 

2  4.  All  railroad  companies  and  other  common  carriers  on  rail- 
roads shall  weigh  or  measure  grain  at  points  where  it  is  shipped, 
and  receipt  for  the  full  amount,  and  shall  be  responsible  for  the 
delivery  of  such  amount  to  the  owner  or  consignee  thereof,  at 
the  place  of  destination. 

|  5.  All  railroad  companies  receiving  and  transporting  grain 
in  hulk  or  otherwise,  shall  deliver  the  same  to  any  consignee 
thereof,  or  any  elevator  •or  public  warehouse  to  which  it  may  be 
consigned,  provided  such  consignee,  or  the  elevator  or  public 
warehouse  can  be  reached  by  any  track  owned,  leased  or  used, 
or  which  can  be  used,  by  such  railroad  companies;  and  all  rail- 
road companies  shall  permit  connections  to  be  made  with  their 
track,  so  that  any  such  consignee,  and  any  public  warehouse, 
coal  bank  or  coal  yard,  may  be  reached  by  the  cars  on  said  rail- 
road. 

?  6.  It  shall  be  the  duty  of  the  general  assembly  to  pass  all 
necessary  laws  to  prevent  the  issue  of  false  and  fraudulent 
warehouse  receipts,  and  to  give  full  effect  to  this  article  of  the 
constitution,  which  shall  be  liberally  construed  so  as  to  protect 
producers  and  shippers.  And  the  enumeration  of  the  remedies 
herein  named  shall  not  be  construed  to  deny  to  the  general  as- 
sembly the  power  to  prescribe  by  law  such  other  ar.d  further 
remedies  as  may  be  found  expedient,  or  to  deprive  any  person 
of  existing  common  law  remedies. 

2  7.  The  general  assembly  shall  pass  laws  for  the  inspection 
of  grain,  for  the  protection  of  producers,  shippers  and  receivers 
of  grain  and  produce. 

AETICLE  XIV. 

AMENDMENTS  TO  THE  CONSTITUTION. 
I  1.  By  a  Constitutional  Convention.     |  g  2.  Proposed  by  the  Legislature. 

?  1.  Whenever  two-thirds  of  the  members  of  each  house  of 
the  general  assembly  shall,  by  a  vote  entered  upon  the  journals 
thereof,  concur  that  a  convention  is  necessary  to  revise,  alter  or 
amend  the  constitution,  the  question  shall  be  submitted  to  the. 
electors  at  the  next  genefal  election.  If  a  majority  voting  at 
the  election  vote  for  a  convention,  the  general  assembly  shall,  at 
the  next  session,  provide  for  a  convention,  to  consist  of  double 
the  number  of  the  members  of  the  senate,  to  be  elected  in  the 
same  manner,  at  the  same  places,  and  in  the  same  districts.  The 
general  assembly  shall,  in  the  act  calling  the  convention,  desig- 
nate the  day,  hour  and  place  of  its  meeting,  fix  the  pay  of  its 
members  and  officers,  and  provide  for  the  payment  of  the  same, 
together  with  expenses  necessarily  incurred  by  the  convention 
in  the  performance  of  its  duties.  Before  proceeding,  the  members 
shall  take  an  oath  to  support  the  constitution  of  the  United 
States,  and  of  the  State  of  Illinois,  and  to  faithfully  discharge 
their  duties  as  members  of  the  convention.  The  qualification  of 
members  shall  be  the  same  as  that  of  members  of  the  senate, 
and  vacancies  occurring  shall  be  filled  in  the  manner  provided 
for  filling  vacancies  in  the  general  assembly.  Said  convention 
shall  meet  within  three  months  after  such  election,  and  prepare 
such  revisions,  alterations  or  amendments  of  the  constitution  as 
shall  be  deemed  necessary,  which  shall  be  submitted  to  the  elec- 
tors for  their  ratification  or  rejection,  at  an  election  appointed  by 
the  convention  for  that  purpose,  not  less  than  or  more  than  six 
months  after  the  adjournment  thereof;  and  unless  so  submitted 


and  approved  by  a  majority  of  the  electors  voting  at  the  election, 
no  such  revisions,  alterations  or  amendment  shall  take  effect. 

I  2.  Amendments  to  this  constitution  may  be  proposed  in  cither 
house  of  the  general  assembly,  and  if  the  same  shall  be  voted 
for  by  two-thirds  of  all  the  members  elected  to  each  of  the  two 
houses,  such  proposed  amendments,  together  with  the  yeas  and 
nays  of  each  house  thereon,  shall  be  entered  in  full  on  their  re- 
spective journals,  and  said  amendments  shall  be  submitted  to  the 
electors  of  this  State  for  adoption  or  rejection,  at  the  next  elec- 
tion of  members  of  the  general  assembly,  in  such  manner  as  may 
be  prescribed  by  law.  The  proposed  amendments  shall  be  pub- 
lished  in  full  at  least  three  months  preceding  the  election,  and 
if  a  majority  of  electors  voting  at  said  election  shall  vote  for  the 
proposed  amendment',  they  shall  become  part  of  this  constitu- 
tion. But  the  general  assembly  shall  have  no  power  to  propose 
amendments  to  more  than  one  article  of  this  constitution  at  the 
same  session,  nor  to  the  same  article  oftener  than  once  in  four 
years. 

SEPARATE  SECTIONS. 

I 

No  contract,  obligation  or  liability  whatever,  of  the  Illinois 
Central  Kailroad  Company,  to  pay  any  money  into  the  State 
treasury,  nor  any  lien  of  the  State  upon,  or  right  to  tax  property 
of  said  company,  in  accordance  with  the  provisions  of  the  charter 
of  said  company, approved  Feb.  10,in  the  year  of  our  Lord  1851, 
shall  ever  be  released,  suspended,  modified,  altered,  remitted,  or 
in  any  manner  diminished  or  impaired  by  legislative  or  other 
authority ;  and  all  moneys  derived  from  said  company,  after  the 
payment  of  the  State  debt,  shall  be  appropriated  and  set  apart 
for  the  payment  of  the  ordinary  expenses  of  the  State  govern- 
ment, and  for  no  other  purposes  whatever. 
MUNICIPAL  SUBSCRIPTIONS  TO  RAILROADS  OB  PRIVATE  CORPORA- 


No  county,  city,  town,  township  or  other  municipality  shall  ever 
become  subscriber  to  the  capital  stock  of  any  railroad  or  private 
corporation,  or  make  donation  to,  or  loan  its  credit  in  aid  of  such 
corporation  :  Provided  however,  that  the  adoption  of  this  article 
shal  not  be  construed  as  affecting  the  right  of  any  such  munici- 
pality to  make  sucli  subscriptions  where  the  same  have  been  au- 
thorized, Tinder  existing  laws,  by  a  vote  of  the  people  of  such 
municipalities  prior  to  such  adoption. 
CANAL. 

The  Illinois  and  Michigan  Canal  shall  never  he  sold  or  leased 
until  the  specific  proposition  for  the  sale  of  lease  thereof  shall 
have  first  been  submitted  to  a  vote  of  the  people  of  the  State,  at 
a  general  election,  and  have  been  approved  by  a  majority  of  all 
t'.ie  votes  polled  at  such  election.  The  general  assembly  shall 
never  loan  the  credit  of  the  State,  or  make  appropriations  from 
the  treasury  thereof,  in  aid  of  railroads  or  canals  :  Provided,  that 
any  surplus  earnings  of  any  canal  may  be  appropriated  for  its 
enlargement  or  extension. 

SCHEDULE. 

?  1    Laws  in  force  remain  valid.  1  }  4.  Present  county  Courts    continued' 

I  2.  Fines,  P-names,  and   Forfeiture..    I  S.  All  existing  Courts  continued, 
jj  3.  Recognizances,  Bonds,Obligations'  \  G.  Persons  now  in    Office  continued. 
That  no  inconvenience  may  arise  from  the  alterations  and  amendment^  made 
in  the  constitution  of  this  Slate  and  to  carry  the  same  into  complete  effect,  it  is 
hereby  ordained  and  declared : 

\  1.  That  all  laws  in  force  at  the  adoption  of  this  constitution, 
not  inconsistent  therewith,  and  all  rights,  actions,  prosecutions, 
claims,  and  contracts  of  this  State,  individuals  or  bodies  corpor- 
ate, shall  continue  to  be  as  valid  as  if  this  constitution  had  not 
been  adopted. 

|  2.  That  all  fines,  taxes,  penalties  and  forfeitures,  cine  and 
owing  to  the  State  of  Illinois  tinder  the  present  constitution  and 
laws,  shall  inure  to  the  use  of  the  people  of  the  State  of  Illinois 
under  this  constitution. 

|  3.  Recognizances,  bonds,  obligations,  and  all  other  instruments 
entered  into  or  executed  before  the  adoption  of  this  constitution, 
to  the  people  of  the  State  of  Illinois,  to  any  State  or  county  officer 
or  public  body,  shall  remain  binding  and" valid;  and  rights  r.nd 
liabilities  upon  the  same  shall  continue,  and  all  crimes  and  mis- 
demeanors shall  be  tried  and  punished  as  though  no  change  had 
been  made  in  the  constitution  of  this  State. 

|  4.  County  conns  for  the  transaction  of  county  business  in 
counues  not  having  adopted  township  organization,  shall  continue 
in  existence  and  exercise  their  present  jurisdiction  until  the 
11 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND   W ABASH  COUM1ES,  ILLINOIS. 


371 


board  of  county  commissioners  provided  in  this  constitution  is 
organized  in  pursuance  of  an  act  of  the  general  assembly;  and 
the  county  courts  in  all  other  counties  shall  have  the  same  power 
and  jurisdiction  they  now  possess  until  otherwise  provided  by 
general  law. 

1 5.  All  existing  courts  which  are  not  in  this  constitution 
specially  enumerated,  shall  continue  in  existence  and  exercise 
their  present  jurisdiction  until  otherwise  provided  by  law. 

?  6.  All  persons  now  filling  any  office  or  appointment  shall 
continue  in  the  exercise  of  the  duties  thereof  according  to  their 
respective  commissions  or  appointments,  unless  by  this  constitu- 
tion it  is  otherwise  directed. 


3  18.  All  laws  of  the  State  of  Illinois,  and  all  official  writings, 
and  the  executive,  legislative  and  judicial  proceedings,  shall  He 
conducted,  preserved  and  published  in  no  other  than  the  English 
language. 

?  19.  The  general  assembly  shall  pass  all  laws  necessary  to 
carry  into  effect  the  provisions  of  this  constitution. 

|  20.  The  circuit  clerks  of  the  different  counties  having  a  pop- 
ulation over  sixty  thousand,  shall  continue  to  be  recorders  (cx- 
officio)  for  their  respective  counties,  under  this  constitution,  until 
the  expiration  of  their  respective  terms. 

|  21.  The  judges  of  all  courts  of  records  in  Cook  County  shall, 
in  lieu  of  any  salary  provided  for  in  this  constitution,  receive  the 
compensation  now  provided  by  law  until  the  adjournment  of  the 
first  ssssion  of  general  assembly  after  the  adoption  of  this  con- 

2  22.  The  present  judge  of  the  circuit  court  of  Cook  county 
shall  continue  to  hold  the  circuit  court  of  Lake  county  until 
otherwise  provided  by  law. 

?  23.  When  this  constitution  shall  be  adopted,  and  take  effect 
as  the  supreme  law  of  the  State  of  Illinois,  the  two-mill  tax  pro- 
vided to  be  annually  assessed  and  collected  upon  each  dollar's 
worth  of  taxable  property,  in  addition  to  all  other  taxes,  as  set 
forth  in  article  fifteen  of  the  now  existing  constitution,  shall  cense 
to  be  assessed  after  the  year  of  our  Lord  one  thousand  eight 
hu-rlred  and  seventy. 

§21.  Nothing  contained  in  this  constitmtion  shall  be  so  con- 
strusd  as  to  deprive  the  general  assembly  ot  the  power  to  authcr- 
ize  the  city  of  Quincy  to  creata  any  indebtedness  for  railroad  or 
municipal  purposes,  fir  which  the  people  of  said  city  shall  have 
voted,  and  to  which  they  shall  have  given,  by  such  vote,  their 
assent,  prior  to  the  thirteenth  day  of  December,  in  the  year  of 
our  Lord  one  thousand  eight  hundred  and  sixty-nine:  Provided, 
that  no  such  indebtedness,  so  created,  shall  in  any  part  thereof 
be  paid  by  the  State,  or  from  any  State  revenue,  tax  or  fund,  but 
the  same  shall  be  paid,  if  at  all,  by  the  said  city  of  Quincy  alone, 
and  by  taxes  to  be  levied  upon  the  taxable  property  thereof: 
And  provided,  further,  that  the  general  assembly  shall  have  no 
p;jwer  in  the  premises  that  it  could  not  exercise  under  the  pre- 
sent constitution  of  this  State. 

§  25.  In  case  this  constitution  and  the  articles  and  sections 
submitted  separately  be  adopted,  the  existing  constitution  shall 
cease  in  all  its  provisions ;  and  in  case  thisconstitution  be  adopted, 
any  one  or  more  of  its  articles  or  sections  submitted  separately 
be  defeated,  the  provisions  of  the  existing  constitution  (if  any") 
on  the  same  subject  shall  remain  in  force. 

?  26.  The  provisions  of  this  constitution  required  to  be  exe- 
cuted prior  to  the  adoption  or  rejection  thereof  shall  take  effect 
and  be  in  farce  immediately. 

Done  in  convention  at  the  capital,  in  the  city  of  Springfield, 
on  the  thirteenth  uay  of  May,  in  the  year  of  our  Lord  one  thou- 
sand eight  hundred  and  seventy,  and  of  the  independence  of  the 
United  States  of  America  the  ninety-fourth. 

In  witness  whereof,  we  have  hereunto   subscribed  cur   names 


CHARLES  HITCHCOCK,  President. 


William  J.  Allen, 
John  Abbott, 
J'imw  C.  Allen, 
Elliott  Anthony, 
Wm.  II.  Archer, 
Henry  I.  Atkins, 


Robert  A.  King, 
Jas.  McCoy, 
Charles  E.  McDowell, 
William  C.  Goodue, 
Joseph  Medill, 
Clifton  H.  Moore, 


James  G.  Bayne, 
II.  M.  Benjamin, 
II.  P.  II.  lirownwell, 
O.H.  Browning, 
Win.  G.  Bowman, 
Silas  L.  Bryon, 
II.  P.  Buxton, 
Daniel  Cameron, 
William  Cary, 
Lawrence  S.  Church, 
Hiram  H.  Cody, 
W.  F.  Coolbaugh, 
Alfred  M.  Craig, 
Robert  J.  Cross, 
Samuel  P.  Cummiugs, 
John  Dement, 
G.  S.  Eldridge, 
James  W.  English. 
David  Ellis, 

Jesse  C.  Fox, 
Miles  A.  Fuller, 
John  P.  Gamble, 
Addison  Goodcll, 
John  C.  Haines, 
Elijah  M.  Haines, 
John  W.  Hankins, 
RP.Hanna, 
Joseph  Hart, 
Abel  Harwood, 
Milton  Hay, 

Samuel  Snowden  Hayes, 
Jesse  S.  Hildrup, 


Jonathan  Merriam, 
Joseph  Parker, 
Samuel  C.  Parks, 
Peleg  S.  Perley, 
J.  S.  Poagc, 
Edward  Y.  Rice, 
James  P.  Robinson, 
Lewis  W.  Ross, 
William  P.  Pierce, 
N.  J.  Pillsbury, 
Jno.  Scholficld, 
James  M.  Sharp, 
Henry  Sherrell, 
W.  H.  Snyder, 
O.  C.  Skinner, 
Westel  W.  Sedgwick, 
Charles  F.  Springer, 
John  L.  Tincher, 

C.  Trucsdale, 
Henry  Tubbs, 
Thomas  J.  Turner, 
Wm.  H.  Underwood, 
Wm.  L.  Vandeventcr, 
Henry  W.  Wells, 
George  E.  Wait, 
George  W.  Wall, 

E.  B.  Sutherland, 

D.  C.  Wagner, 
George  R.  Wendling, 
Chas.  Wheaton 

L-  D.  Whiting, 
John  H.  Wilson, 
Orlando  H.  Wright. 


ATTEST  :— John  Q.  Harmon,  Secretary. 

Daniel  Shepard,  First  Assistant  Secretary. 
A.  H.  Swain,  Second  Assistant  Secretary. 

UNITED  STATES  OF  AMERICA,  I  n~       ,  ^efr.i.,n. 

STATE  OF  ILLINOIS.  |   8S-  Office  of  Secretary. 

I  GEORGE  H.   HARLOW,  Secretary  of  the  State  of  Illinois,  do  hereby  certify 

that  the   foregoing  is  a  true  eopv'of  the    e.uistitution   of  the  State    ef  Illinois 
--••     •        -"       —  i,  ratified  by  a  v 


ud<.ptr<l  in  eonvciitirm  the  13th  < 
pie  the  2nd  day  of  July,  1870,  an 


and  in  force  on  the  8th  day  of  August  1870,  and 
inionyu-here.it'  I  h'-retn  M'|  niv  hanu  and  affix 
ty  of  "Springfield,  the  31st  day  of  March,  A.  D. 


GEO.  H.  IIAIJLOW,  Secretary  of  State. 


AMENDMENTS   TO   THE    CONSTITUTION. 

Amending  section  31,  article  4.  Proposed  by  the  General  Assembly,  1877, 
ratified  liy  a  vote  of  the  people  Novemtier  5, 1878,  proclaimed  adopted  by  tli» 
Governor  November  29, 1878. 


The  General  Assembly  m.iv  pas"  '^vs  permitting  the  owners  of  lands  to  con- 
truct  drain-.,  ditches,  and  levees  for  agricultural,  sanitary  and  minini:  purposes 

TOSS    Mm  l.mds  of  other-,  and  provide  for  tli,-  nrpmiwilion  of  drainage  dis- 


triets,  a-id  vest  tii  ......  rpora  e 

maintain  levee*,  drains  and  ditrln-s  and  to  keep  in 
and  levoc-s  heretofore  constructed  under  the  laws  of 
sessments  upon  the  property  benefited  thereby. 


rainage 
power  to  construct 

epair  nil    drains,  ditches 
this  State,  by  special  as- 


Amending section  8,  article  10.    Proposed  by  the  General  Assembly,  1879, 

atified  liv  a  vote  of  tlie  people  November  2,  1»8U,  proclaimed  adopted  by  the 
overnor'  November  22,  1880  : 


In  each  county  there  shall  he  elected  the  following  county  officers,  i 
general  election  to  be  held  on  the  Tuesday  aUer  the  tir-t  Monday  in 
LD.  1882:    A< 


iday  of  December  after  his  election,  and  they  Khali  hold  their 'rcspec- 

live  ,  Miee,  t.pr  the  term  <  .f  !'n  1 1  r  years,  an  d  lint  il  their  Mieecssors  are  elected 
and  qualified:  PrmHded,  that  no  per-or,  having  onee  heen  eleeted  to  the  office 
of  sheriff,  or  treasurer,  shall  be  eligible  to  re-eleetiou  to  said  office  for  tour 
yeara  after  the  expiration  of  the  term  for  which  he  shall  have  been  elected. 


372 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  W ABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


DECLARATION    OF    INDEPENDENCE. 


When,  in  the  course  of  human  events,  it  becomes  necessary 
for  one  people  to  dissolve  the  political  bands  which  have  con- 
nected them  with  another,  and  to  assume  among  the  powers  of 
the  earth,  the  separate  and  equal  station  to  which  the  laws  of 
nature  and  of  nature's  God  entitle  them,  a  decent  respect  to 
opinions  of  mankind  requires  that  they  should  declare  the  causes 
which  impel  them  to  the  separation. 

We  hold  these  truths  to  be  self-evident,  that  all  men  are  cre- 
ated equal ;  that  they  are  endowed  by  their  Creator  with  certain 
unalienable  rights;  that  among  these  are  life,  liberty  and  the 
pursuit  of  happiness  That  to  secure  these  rights,  governments 
are  instituted  among  men,  deriving  their  just  powers  from  the 
consent  of  the  governed ;  that,  whenever  any  form  of  govern- 
ment becomes  destructive  of  theje  ends,  it  is  the  right  of  the 
people  to  alter  or  to  abolish  it,  and  to  institute  a  new  govern- 
ment, laying  its  foundation  on  such  principles,  and  organizing 
its  powers  in  such  form  as  to  them  shall  seem  most  likely  to  ef- 
fect their  safety  and  happiness.  Prudence,  indeed,  will  dictate 
that  governments  long  established  should  not  be  changed  for 
light  and  transient  causes  ;  and,  accordingly,  all  experience  hath 
shown  that  mankind  are  more  disposed  to  suffer,  while  evils  are 
sufTerable,  than  to  right  themselves  by  abolishing  the  forms  to 
which  they  are  accustomed.  But  when  a  long  train  of  abuses 
and  usurpations,  pursuing  invariably  the  same  object,  evinces  a 
design  to  reduce  them  under  absolute  despotism,  it  is  their  right, 
it  is  their  duty  to  throw  off  such  government,  and  to  provide 
new  guards  for  their  future  security.  Such  has  been  the  patient 
sufferance  of  these  colonies,  and  such  is  now  the  necessity  which 
constrains  them  to  alter  their  former  systems  of  government. 
The  history  of  the  present  King  of  Great  Britain  is  a  history  of 
repeated  injuries  and  usurpations,  all  having  in  direct  object  the 
establishment  of  an  absolute  tyranny  over  these  States.  To 
prove  this  let  facts  be  submitted  to  a  candid  world  : 

He  has  refused  his  assent  to  laws  the  most  wholesome  and 
necessary  for  the  public  good. 

He  has  forbidden  his  Governors  to  pass  laws  of  immediate  and 
pressing  importance,  unless  suspended  in  their  operation  till  his 
assent  should  be  obtained  ;  and  when  so  suspended,  he  has  utterly 
neglected  to  attend  to  them. 

He  has  refused  to  pass  other  laws  for  the  accommodation  of  large 
districts  of  people,  unless  those  people  would  relinquish  the  right 
of  representation  in  the  legislature ;  a  right  inestimable  to  them, 
and  formidable  to  tyrants  only. 

He  has  called  together  leglislative  bodies  at  places  unusual, 
uncomfortable,  and  distant  from,  the  depository  of  their  public 
records,  for  the  sole  purpose  of  fatiguing  them  into  compliance 
wi'h  his  measures. 

He  has  dissolved  representative  houses  repeatedly  for  oppos- 
ing, with  manly  firmness,  his  invasions  on  the  rights  of  the  peo- 
ple. 

He  has  refused,  for  a  long  time  after  such  dissolution,  to  cause 
others  to  be  elected ;  whereby  the  legislative  powers,  incapable 
of  annihilation,  have  returned  to  the  people  at  large  for  their 
exercise;  the  State  remaining,  in  the  meantime,  exposed  to  all 
tha  danger  of  invasion  from  without,  and  convulsions  within. 

He  has  endeavored  to  prevent  the  population  of  these  States  ; 
for  that  purpose,  obstructing  the  laws  far  naturalization  of  for- 
eigners; refusing  to  pass  others  to  encourage  their  migration 
hither,  and  raising  the  conditions  of  new  appropriations  of  lands. 

He  has  obstructed  the  administration  of  justice,  by  refusing 
his  assent  to  laws  for  establishing  judiciary'powers. 

He  has  made  judges  Dependent  on  his  will  alone,  for  the  ten- 
ure of  their  offices,  and  the  amount  and  paymcntof  their  salaries, 

He  has  erected  a  multitude  of  new  offices,  and  sent  hither 
swarms  of  officers  to  harass  our  people,  and  eat  out  their  sub- 
stance. 

He  has  kept  among  us,  in  times  of  peace,  standing  armies, 
without  the  consent  of  our  legislature. 

He  has  affected  to  render  the  military  independent  of,  and 
superior  to,  the  civil  power. 

He  has  combined,  with  others,  to  subject  us  to  a  jurisdiction 
foreign  to  our  constitution,  and  unacknowledged  by  our  laws ;  giv- 
ing his  assent  to  their  acts  of  pretended  legislation. 


For  quartering  large  bodies  of  armed  troops  among  us. 

For  protecting  them,  by  a  mock  trial,  from  punishment,  for 
any  murders  they  should  commit  on  the  inhabitants  of  these 
States. 

For  cutting  off  our  trade  with  all  parts  of  the  world: 

For  imposing  taxes  on  us  without  our  consent  : 

For  depriving  us,  in  many  cases,  of  the  benefits  of  trial  by 
jury: 

For  transporting  us  beyond  seas  to  be  tried  for  pretended  of- 
fences : 

For  abolishing  the  free  system  of  English  law  in  a  neighbor- 
ing province,  establishing  therein  an  arbitrary  government,  and 
enlarging  its  boundaries,  so  as  to  render  it  at  once  an  example 
and  fit  instrument  for  introducing  the  same  absolute  rule  into 
these  colonies  : 

For  taking  away  our  charters,  abolishing  our  most  valuable 
laws,  and  altering  fundamentally,  the  powers  of  our  govern- 
ments: 

For  suspending  our  own  legislatures,  and  declaring  themselves 
invested  with  power  to  legislate  for  us  in  all  cases  whatsoever. 

He  has  abdicated  government  here,  by  declaring  us  out  of  his 
protection,  and  waging  war  against  us. 

He  has  plundered  our  seas,  ravaged  our  coasts,  burnt  our 
towns,  and  destroyed  the  lives  of  our  people. 

He  is,  at  this  time,  transporting  large  armies  of  foreign  mer- 
cenaries to  complete  the  work  of  death,  desolation  and  tyranny, 
already  begun,  with  circumstances  of  cruelty  and  perfidy  scarcely 
paralleled  in  the  most  barbarous  ages,  and  totally  unworthy  the 
head  of  a  civilized  nation. 

He  has  constrained  our  fellow-citizens,  taken  captive  on  the 
high  seas,  to  bear  arms  against  their  country,  to  become  the  exe- 
cutioners of  their  friends  and  brethren,  or  to  fall  themselves  by 
their  hands. 

He  has  excited  domestic  insurrections  amongst  us,  and  has  en- 
deavored to  bring  on  the  inhabitants  of  our  frontiers,  the  merci- 
less Indian  savages,  whose  known  rule  of  warfare  is  an  undis- 
tinguished destruction  of  all  ages,  sexes,  and  conditions.  ' 

In  every  stage  of  these  oppressions,  we  have  petitioned  for  re- 
dress, in  the  most  humble  terms  ;  our  repeated  petitions  have 
been  answered  only  by  repeated  injury.  A  prince,  whose  charac- 
ter is  thus  marked  by  every  act  which  may  define  a  tyrant,  is 
unfit  to  be  the  ruler  of  a  free  people. 

Nor  have  we  been  wanting  in  our  attention  to  our  British 
brethren.  We  have  warned  them  from  time  to  time,  ot  attempts 
made  by  their  legislature  to  extend  an  unwarrantable  jurisdiction 
over  us.  We  have  reminded  them  of  the  circumstances  of  our 
emigration  and  settlement  here.  We  have  appealed  to  their 
native  justice  and  magnanimity,  and  we  have  conjured  them,  by 
the  ties  of  our  common  kindred,  to  disavow  these  usurpations, 
which  would  inevitably  interrupt  our  connections  and  correspon- 
dence. They,  too,  have  been  deaf  to  the  voice  of  justice  and 
consanguinity.  We  must,  therefore,  acquiesce  in  the  necessity, 
which  denounces  our  separation,  and  hold  them,  as  we  hold  the 
rest  of  mankind,  enemies  in  war,  in  peace,  friends. 

We,  therefore  the  representatives  of  the  UNITED  STATES 
OF  AMERICA,  in  GENERAL  CONGRESS  assembled,  appeal- 
ing to  the  Supreme  Judge  of  the  Worhl_fc  r  the  rectitude  of  our 
intentions,  do,  in  the  name,  and  by  the  authority  of  the  good 
people  of  these  colonies,  solemi  Iv  publish  and  declare,  That  these 
United  Colonies  are,  and  of  right  ought  to  be,  FREE  AND 
INDEPENDENT  STATES  ;  that  they  are  absolved  from  all 
allegiance  to  the  British  crown,  and  that  all  political  connection 
between  them  and  the  State  of  Great  Britain,  is  and  ought  to  be, 
totally  dissolved  ;  and  that  as  FREE  AND  INDEPENDENT 
STATES,  they  have  full  power  to  levy  war,  conclude  peace,  con- 
tract alliances,  establish  commerce,  and  to  do  all  other  acts  and 
things  which  INDEPENDENT  STATES  may  of  right  do. 
And,  for  the  support  of  this  declaration,  and  a  firm  reliance  on 
the  protection  of  DIVINE  PROVIDENCE,  we  mutually  pledge 
to  each  other,  our  lives,  our  fortunes,  and  our  sacred  honor. 


JOHN  HANCOCK 


13 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  WAEASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


373 


CONSTITUTION    OF    THE    UNITED    STATES. 


WE,  the  people  of  the  United  States,  in  order  to  form  a  more 
perfect  Union,  establish  justice,  insure  domestic  tranquillity, 
provide  for  the  common  defence,  promote  the  general  welfare 
and  secure  the  blessings  of  liberty  to  ourselves  and  our  pos- 
terity, do  ordain  and  establish  this  CONSTITUTION  for  the 
United  States  of  America. 

ARTICLE  I. 

SECTION  1.  All  legislative  powers  herein  granted  shall  be 
vested  in«a  Congress  of  the  United  States,  which  shall  consist  of 
a  Senate  an3  House  of  Representatives. 

SECTION  2.  The  House  of  Representatives  shall  be  composed 
of  members  chosen  every  second  year  by  the  people  of  the  sev- 
eral States,  and  the  electors  in  each  State  shall  have  the  qualifi-" 
cations  requisite  for  electors  of  the  most  numerous  branch  of  the 
State  Legislature. 

No  person  shall  be  a  Representative  who  shall  not  have  at- 
tained to  the  age  of  twenty-five  years,  and  been  seven  years  a 
citizen  of  the  United  States,  and  who  shall  not,  when  elected,  be 
an  inhabitant  of  that  State  in  which  he  shall  be  chosen. 

Representatives  and  direct  taxes  shall  be  apportioned  among 
the  several  States  which  may  be  included  within  this  Union,  ac- 
cording to  their  respective  numbers,  which  shall  be  determined 
by  adding  to  the  whole  number  of  free  persons  including  those 
bound  to  service  for  a  term  of  years,  and  excluding  Indians  not 
taxed,  three-fifths  of  all  other  persons.  The  actual  enumeration 
shall  be  made  within  three  years  after  the  first  meeting  of  the 
Congress  of  the  United  States,  and  within  every  subsequent  term 
of  ten  years,  in  suah  manner  as  they  shall  by  law  direct.  The 
number  of  Representatives  shall  not  exceed  one  for  every  thirty 
thousand,  but  each  State  shall  have  at  least  one  Representative  ; 
and  until  such  enumeration  shall  be  made,  the  State  of  New 
.  Hampshire  shall  be  entitled  to  choose  three,  Massachusetts  eight, 
Rhode  Island  and  Providence  Plantations  one,  Connecticut  five, 
New  York  six,  New  Jersey  four,  Pennsylvania  eight,  Delaware 
one,  Maryland  six,  Virginia  ten,  North  Carolina  five,  and 
Georgia  three. 

When  vacancies  happen  in  the  representation  from  any  State, 
the  Executive  authority  thereof  shall  issue  writs  of  election  to 
fill  such  vacancies. 

The  House  of  Representatives  shall  choose  their  Speaker  and 
other  officers,  and  shall  have  the  sole  power  of  impeachment. 

SECTION  3.  The  Senate  of  the  United  States  shall  be  com- 
posed of  two  Senators  from  each  State,  chosen  by  the  Legisla- 
ture thereof,  for  six  years ;  and  each  Senator  shall  have  one  vote. 

Immediately  after  they  shall  be  assembled  in  consequence  of 
the  first  election,  they  shall  be  divided  as  equally  as  may  be  into 
three  clashes.  The  seats  of  the  Senators  of  the  first  class  shall 
be  vacated  at  the  expiration  of  the  second  year,  of  the  second 
class  at  the  expiration  of  the  fourth  year,  and  of  the  third  class 
at  the  expiration  of  the  sixth  year,  so  that  one-third  may  be 
chosen  every  second  year ;  and  if  vacancies  happen  by  resigna- 
tion, or  otherwise,  during  the  recess  of  the  Legislature  of  any 
State,  the  Executive  thereof  may  make  temporary  appointments 
until  the  next  meeting  of  the  Legislature,  which  shall  then  fill 
such  vacancies. 

No  person  shall  be  a  Senator  who  shall  not  have  attained  to 
the  age  of  thirty  years,  and  been  nine  years  a  citizen  of  the 
United  States,  and  who  shall  not,  when  elected,  be  an  inhabitant 
of  that  State  for  which  he  shall  be  chosen. 

The  Vice  President  of  the  United  States  shall  be  the  President 
of  the  Senate,  but  shall  have  no  vote  unless  they  be  equally  di- 
vided. 

The  Senate  shall  choose  their  other  officers,  and  also  a  Presi- 
dent pro  tempore,  in  the  absence  of  the  Vice  President,  or  when 
he  shall  exercise  the  office  of  President  of  the  United  States. 

The  Senate  shall  have  the  sole  power  to  try  all  impeachments. 
When  sitting  for  that  purpose  they  shall  be  on  oath  or  affirma- 
tion. When  the  President  of  the  United  States  is  tried,  the 
Chief  Justice  shall  preside.  And  no  person  shall  be  convicted 
without  the  concurrence  of  two- thirds  of  the  members  present. 

Judgment  in  cases  of  impeachment  shall  not  extend  further 
tiia  to  removal  from  office,  and  disqualification  to  hold  and  en- 


joy any  office  of  honor,  trust  or  profit  under  the  United  States ; 
but  the  party  convicted  shall  nevertheless  be  liable  and  subject 
to  indictment,  trial,  judgment  and  punishment  according  to  law. 

SECTION  4.  The  times,  places  and  manner  of  holding  elections 
for  Senators  and  Representatives,  shall  be  prescribed  in  each 
State  by  the  Legislature  thereof ;  but  the  Congress  may  at  any 
time  by  law,  make  or  alter  such  regulations,  except  as  to  the 
places  of  choosing  Senators. 

The  Congress  shall  assemble  at  least  once  in  every  year,  and 
such  meeting  shall  be  on  the  first  Monday  in  December,  unless 
they  shall  by  law  appoint  a  difl'erent  day. 

SECTION  5.  Each  house  shall  be  the  judge  of  the  election, 
returns  and  qualifications  of  its  own  member*,  and  a  majority  of 
each  shall  constitute  a  quorum  to  do  business  ;  but  a  smaller 
number  may  adjourn  from  day  to  day,  and  may  be  authorized  to 
compel  the  attendance  of  absent  members  in  such  manner,  and 
under  such  penalties  as  each  house  may  provide. 

Each  house  may  determine  the  rules  of  its  proceedings,  pun- 
ish its  members  for  disorderly  behaviour,  and,  with  the  concur- 
rence of  two-thirds,  expel  a  member. 

Each  house  shall  keep  a  journal  of  its  proceedings,  and  from 
time  to  time  publish  the  same  excepting  such  parts  as  may  in 
their  judgment  require  secrecy ;  and  the  yeas  and  nays  of  the 
members  of  either  house  on  any  question  shall,  at  the  desire  of 
one-fifth  of  those  present,  be  entered  on  the  journal. 

Neither  house,  during  the  session  of  Congress,  shall,  without 
the  consent  of  the  other,  adjourn  for  more  than  three  days,  nor 
to  any  other  place  than  that  in  which  the  two  houses  shall  be 
sitting. 

SECTION  6.  The  Senators  and  Representatives  shall  receive  a 
compensation  for  their  services,  to  be  ascertained  by  law,  and 
paid  out  of  the  Treasury  of  the  United  States.  They  shall  in 
all  cases,  except  treason,  felony  and  breach  of  the  "peace,  be 
privileged  from  arrest  during  their  attendance  at  the  session  of 
their  respective  houses,  and  in  going  to  and  returning  from  tho 
same ;  and  for  any  speech  or  debate  in  either  house  they  shall 
not  be  questioned  in  any  other  place. 

No  Senator  or  Representative  shall,  during  the  time  for  which 
he  was  elected,  be  appointed  to  any  civil  office  under  the  author- 
ity of  the  Uuited  States,  which  shall  have  been  created,  or  the 
emoluments  whereof  shall  have  been  increased  during  such 
time  ;  and  no  person  holding  any  office  under  the  United  States, 
shall  be  a  member  of  either  house  during  his  continuance  in 
office. 

SECTION  7.  All  bills  for  raising  revenue  shall  originate  in  the 
House  of  Representatives  ;  but  the  Senate  may  propose  or  con- 
cur with  amendments  as  on  other  bills. 

Every  bill  which  shall  have  passed  the  House  of  Representa- 
tives and  the  Senate,  shall,  before  it  becomes  a  law,  be  presented 
to  the  President  of  the  United  States ;  if  he  approve  he  shall 
sign  it,  but  if  not  he  shall  return  it  with  his  objections  to  that 
house  in  which  it  shall  have  originated,  who  shall  enter  the  ob- 
jections at  large  on  their  journal,  and  proceed  to  reconsider  it. 
If  after  such  reconsideration  two-thirds  of  that  House  shall 
agree  to  pass  the  bill,  it  shall  be  sent,  together  with  the  objec- 
tions, to  the  other  house,  by  which  it  shall  likewise  be  recon- 
sidered, if  approved  by  two-thirds  of  that  House,  it  shall  become 
a  law.  But  in  all  such  cases  the  votes  of  both  houses  shall  be 
determined  by  yeas  and  nays,  and  the  names  of  the  persons  vot- 
ing for  and  against  the  bill  shall  be  entered  on  the  journal  of 
each  house  respectively.  If  any  bill  shall  not  be  returned  by 
the  President  within  ten  days  (Sundays  excepted),  after  it  shall 
have  been  presented  to  him,  the  same  shall  be  a  law,  in  like  man- 
ner as  if  he  had  signed  it,  unless  the  Congress  by  their  adjourn- 
ment prevent  its  return,  in  which  case  it  shall  not  be  a  law. 

Every  order,  resolution  or  vote  to  which  the  concurrence  of 
Senate  and  House  of  Representatives  may  be  necessary  (except 
on  a  question  of  adjournment),  shall  be  presented  to  the  Presi- 
dent of  the  United  States  ;  and  before  the  same  shall  take  eficct, 
shall  be  approved  by  him,  or  being  disapproved  by  him,  shall  be 
repasscd  by  two-thirds  of  the  Senate  and  House  of  Representa- 
tives, according  to  the  rules  and  limitations  prescribed  in  the 
case  of  a  bill. 
14 


374 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  W ABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


SF.  TION  8.  The  Congress  shall  have  power — 
To  lay  and  collect  taxes,  duties,  imposts  and 
th^  debts  and  provide  for  the  common  defense  and  gene 
fire  of  the  United  Slates;  but  all  duties,  imposts   and   excises 
shall  be  uniform  throughout  the  United  States  ; 

To  borrow  money  on  the  credit  of  the  United  States ; 
To  regulate   commerce   with   foreign  nations,  and  among  the 
ssvcral  States,  and  with  the  Indian  tribes ; 

To  establish  a  uniform  rule  of  naturalization,  and  uniform 
laws  on  the  subject  of  bankruptcies  throughout  the  United 
States  ; 

To  coin  money,  regulate  the  value  thereof,  and  of  foreign 
coin,  and  fix  the  standard  of  weights  and  measures  ; 

To  provide  for  the  punishment  of  counterfeiting  the  securities 
and  current  coin  of  the  United  States ; 
To  establish  post-offices  and  post-roads  ; 

To  promote  the  progress  of  science  and  useful  arts,  by  secur- 
ing for  limited  times  to  authors  and  inventors  the  exclusive  right 
to  their  respective  writings  and  discoveries; 

To  constitute  tribunals  inferior  to  the  Supreme  Court ; 
To  define  and  punish  piracies  and  felonies  committed  on  the 
high  ssas,  and  offences  against  the  law  of  nations  ; 

To  declare  war,  grant  letters  of  marque  and  reprisal,  and  make 
rules  concerning  captures  on  land  and  water; 

To  raise   and  support  armies,  but  no  appropriation  of  money 
to  that  uss  shall  be  for  a  longer  term  than  two  years ; 
To  provide  and  maintain  a  navy ; 

To  mike  rules  for  the  government  and  regulation  of  the  land 
and  naval  forces; 

To  provide  for  calling  forth  the  militia  to  execute  the  laws  of 
the  Union,  suppress  insurrections  and  repel  invasions; 

To  provide  for  organizing,  arming  and  disciplining  the  militia, 
and  for  governing  such  part  of  them  as  may  be  employed  in  the 
S3rvice  of  the  United  States,  reserving  to  the  States,  respectively 
the  appointment  of  the  officers,  and  the  authority  of  training 
the  militia  according  to  the  discipline  prescribed  by  Congress. 

To  exercise  legislation  in  all  cases  whatsoever,  over  such  dis- 
.tricts  (not  exceeding  ten  miles  square),  as  may  by  the  cession  of 
particular  States  and  the  acceptance  of  Congress  become  the 
seat  of  the  government  of  the  United  States,  and  to  exercise  like 
authority  over  all  places  purchased  by  the  consent  of  the  Legisla- 
ture of  the  State  in  which  the  same  shall  be,  for  the  erection  of 
forts,  magazines,  arsenals,  dock-yards  and  other  needful  build- 
ings ; — and 

To  make  all  laws  which  shall  be  necessary  and  proper  for  car- 
rying into  execution  the  foregoing  powers,  and  all  other  powers 
vested  by  this  Constitution  in  the  government  of  the  United 
States,  or  to  any  department  or  officer  thereof. 

SECTION  9.  The  migration  or  importation  of  such  persons  as 
any  of  the  States  now  existing  shall  think  proper  to  admit,  shall 
not  be  prohibited  by  the  Congress  prior  to  the  year  one  thousand 
eight  hundred  and  eight,  but  a  tax  or  duty  may  be  imposed  on 
such  importation,  not  exceeding  ten  dollars  for  each  person. 

The  privileges  of  the  writ  of  habeas  corpus  shall  not  be  sus- 
pended, unless  when  in  cases  of  rebellion  or  invasion  the  public 
safety  may  require  it. 

No  bill  of  attainder  or  ex-post  facto  law  shall  be  passed. 
No  capitation  or  other  direct  tax  shall  be  laid  unless  in  pro- 
portion to  the  census,  or  enumeration  hereinbefore  directed  to 
be  taken. 

No  tax  or  du^y  shall  be  laid  on  articles  exported  from  any 
State. 

No  preference  shall  be  given  by  any  regulation  of  commerce 
or  revenue  to  the  ports  of  one  State  over  those  of  another ;  nor 
shall  vessels  bound  to,  or  from  one  State,  be  obliged  to  enter, 
clear,  or  pay  duties  in  another. 

No  money  shall  be  drawn  from  the  Treasury,  but  in  con- 
sequence of  appropriations  made  by  law ;  and  a  regular  statement 
and  account  of  the  receipts  and  expenditures  of  all  public  money 
shall  be  published  from  time  to  time. 

No  title  of  nobility  shall  be  granted  by  the  United  States ; 
and  no  person  holding  any  office  of  profit  or  trust  under  them, 
shall  without  the  consent  of  Congress,  accept  of  any  present, 
emolument,  office,  or  title,  of  any  kind  whatever,  from  any  king, 
prince,  or  foreign  State. 

SECTION  10.  No  State  shall  enter  into  any  treaty,  alliance,  or 
confederation;  grant  letters  of  marque  or  reprisal ;  coin  money  ; 
emit  bills  of  credit ;  make  anything  but  gold  and  silver  coin  a 
tender  in  payment  of  debts;  pass  any  bill  of  attainder,  ex  post 
facto  law,  or  law  impairing  the  obligation  of  contracts,  or  grant 
any  title  of  nobility. 


, 

a  foreign  power,  or  engage  in  war,  unless  actually  invaded  or   in 
such  imminent  danger  as  will  not  admit  of  delay. 


ARTICLE  II. 

SECTION  1.  The  Executive  power  shall  be  vested  in  a  Presi- 
dent of  the  United  States  of  America.  He  shall  hold  his  office 
during  the  term  of  four  years,  and,  together  with  the  Vice  Presi- 
dent chosen  for  the  same  term,  be  elected  as  follows*  * 

Each  State  shall  appoint,  in  such  a  manner  as  the  Legislature 
thereof  may  direct,  a  number  of  electors  equal  to  the  whole  num- 
ber of  Senators  and  Representatives  to  which  the  State  may  be 
entitled  in  the  Congress  ;  but  no  Senator  or  Representative,  or 
person  holding  an  office  of  trust  or  profit  under  the  United 
States,  shall  be  appointed  an  elector. 

[*The  electors  shall  meet  in  their  respective  States  and  vote 
by  ballot  for  two  persons,  of  whom  one  at  least  shall  not  be  an 
inhabitant  of  the  same  State  with  themselves.  And  they  shall 
make  a  list  of  all  persons  voted  for,  and  of  the  number  of  votes 
for  each  ;  which  list  they  shall  sign  and  certify,  and  transmit, 
sealed  to  the  seat  of  the  government  of  the  United  States, 
directed  to  the  President  of  the  Senate.  The  President  of  the 
Senate  shall,  in  the  presence  of  the  Senate  and  House  of  Repre- 
sentatives, open  all  the  certificates,  and  the  votes  shall  then  be 
counted.  The  person  having  the  greatest  number  of  votes  shall 
be  the  President,  if  such  number  be  a  majority  of  the  whole 
number  of  electors  appointed  ;  and  if  there  be  more  than  one 
who  have  such  majority,  and  have  an  equal  number  of  votes, 
then  the  House  of  Representatives  shall  immediately  choose  by 
ballot  one  of  them  for  President  ;  and  if  no  person  have  a  major- 
ity, then  from  the  five  highest  on  the  list  the  said  House  shall  in 
like  manner  choose  the  President.  But  in  choosing  the  Presi- 
dent, the  vote  shall  be  taken  by  States,  the  representation  from 
each  State  having  one  vote  ;  a  quorum  for  this  purpose,  shall 
consist  of  a  member  or  members  from  two-thirds  of  the  States, 
and  a  majority  of  all  the  States  shall  be  necessary  to  a  choice. 
In  every  case,  after  the  choice  of  the  President,  the  person 
having  the  greatest  number  of  votes  of  the  electors  shall  be  the 
Vice  President.  But  if  there  should  remain  two  or  more  who 
have  equal  votes,  the  Senate  shall  choose  from  them  by  ballot  the 
Vice  President] 

The  Congress  may  determime  the  time  of  choosing  the  elect- 
ors, and  the  day  on  which  they  shall  give  their  votes  ;  which  day 
shall  be  the  same  throughout  the  United  States. 

No  person  except  a  natural  born  citizen,  or  a  citizen  of  the 
United  States  at  the  time  of  the  adoption  of  this  Constitution, 
shall  be  eligible  to  the  office  of  President;  neither  shall  any  per- 
sin  be  eligible  to  that  office  who  shall  not  have  attained  the  age 
of  thirty-five  years,  and  been  fourteen  years  a  resident  within 
the  United  States. 

In  case  of  the  removal  of  the  President  from  office,  or  of  his 
death,  resignation,  or  inability  to  discharge  the  powers  and 
duties  of  the  said  office,  the  same  shall  devolve  on  the  Vice 
President  and  the  Congress  may  by  law  provide  for  the  case  of 
removal,  death,  resignation,  or  inability,  both  of  the  President 
and  Vice  President,  declaring  what  officer  shall  then  act  as 
President,  and  such  officer  shall  act  accordingly,  until  the  disa- 
bility be  removed,  or  a  President  shall  be  elected. 

The  President  shall,  at  stated  times,  receive  for  his  services  a 
compensation  which  shall  neither  be  increased  nor  diminished  dur- 
ng  the  period  for  which  he  shall  have  been  elected,  and  he  shall 
not  receive  within  that  period  any  other  emolument  from  the 
United  States,  or  any  of  them. 

Before  he  enter  on  the  execution  of  his  office  he  shall  take  the 
following  oath  or  affirmation  : 

"  I  do  solemnly  swear  (or  affirm)  that  I  will  faithfully  execute 
the  office  of  President  of  the  United  States,  and  will,  to'  the  best 
)f  my  ability,  preserve,  protect,  and  defend  the  Constitution  of 
the  United  States." 

This  clause  within  brackets  has  been  superseded  and  annulled  by  the 
XII  Amendment. 
15 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  W ABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


SECTION  2.  The  President  shall  be  commander-in-chicf  of  the 
army  and  navy  of  the  United  States,  and  of  the  militia  of  the 
several  States,  when  called  into  the  actual  service  of  the  United 
States;  he  may  require  the  opinion,  in  writing,  of  the  principal 
officer  in  each  of  the  Executive  departments,  upon  any  subject 
relating  to  the  duties  of  their  respective  offices,  and  he  shall  have 
power  to  grant  reprieves  and  pardons  for  offences  against  the 
United  States,  except  in  cases  of  impeachment.  He  shall 
have  power,  by  and  with  the  advice  and  consent  of  the  Senate, 
to  mike  treaties,  provided  two-thirds  of  the  Senators  present 
concur  ;  and  he  shall  nominate,  and  by  and  with  the  advice  of 
the  Senate,  shall  appoint  ambassadors,  other  public  ministers, 
consuls,  judge*  of  the  Supreme  Court,  and  all  other  officers  of 
the  United  States  whine  appointments  are  not  herein  otherwise 
'  provided  for,  and  which  shall  be  established  by  law ;  but  the 
Congress  may  by  law  vest  the  appointment  of  such  inferior 
officers  as  they  think  proper  in  the  President  alone,  in  the  courts 
of  law,  or  in  the  heads  of  departments. 

Tiie  President  shall  have  power  to  fill  up  all  vacancies  that 
may  happen  during  the  recess  of  the  Senate,  by  granting  com- 
missions which  shall  expire  at  the  end  of  their  next  sessions. 

SECTION  3.  He  shall  from  time  to  time  give  to  the  Congress 
information  of  the  state  of  the  Union,  and  recommend  to  their 
consideration  such  measures  as  he  shall  judge  necessary  and  ex- 
pedient ;  he  may,  on  extraordinary  occasions,  convene  both 
Houses,  or  either  of  them,  and  in  case  of  disagreement  between 
them,  with  respect  to  the  time  of  adjournment,  he  may  adjourn 
them  to  such  time  as  he  shall  think  proper ;  he  shall  receive 
ambassadors  and  other  public  ministers  ;  he  shall  take  care  that 
the  laws  be  faithfully  executed,  and  shall  commission  all  the 
officers  of  the  United"  States. 

SECTION  4.  The  President,  Vice  President  and  all  civil  officers 
of  the  United  States,  shall  be  removed  from  office  on  impeach- 
mentfor,  and  conviction  of,  treason,  bribery,  or  other  high  crimes 
and  misdemeanors. 

ARTICLE  III. 

SECTION  1.  The  judicial  power  of  the  United  States  shall  be 
vested  in  one  Supreme  Court  and  such  inferior  courts  as  the 
Congress  may  from  time  to  time  ordain  and  establish.  The 
judges,  both  of  the  Supreme  and  inferior  courts,  shall  hold  their 
offices  during  good  behaviour,  and  shall,  at  stated  times,  receive 
for  their  services  a  compensation,  which  shall  not  be  diminished 
during  their  continuance  in  office. 

SECTION  2.  The  judicial  power  shall  extend  to  all  cases,  in 
law  and  equity,  arising  under  this  Constitution,  the  laws  of  the 
United  States,  and  treaties  made,  or  which  shall  be  made,  under 
their  authority  ; — to  all  cases  affecting  ambassadors,  other  public 
ministers  and  "consuls ; — to  all  cases  of  admiralty  and  maritime 
jurisdiction ;— to  controversies  to  which  the  United  States  shall 
be  a  party  ; — -to  controversies  between  two  or  more  States  ; — - 
betwean  a  State  and  citizens  of  another  state; — between  citizens 
of  different  States; — between  citizens  of  the  same  State  claiming 
lands  under  grants  of  different  States,  and  between  a  State,  or 
the  citizens  thereof,  and  foreign  States,  citizens  or  subjects. 

In  all  cases  affecting  ambassadors,  other  public  ministers  and 
consuls,  and  those  in  which  a  State  shall  be  a  party,  the  Supreme 
Court  shall  have  original  jurisdiction. 

In  all  the  other  cases  before  mentioned  the  Supreme  Court  shall 
have  appellate  jurisdiction  both  as  to  law  and  fact,  with  such  ex- 
ceptions, and  under  such  regulations  as  the  Congress  shall  make. 

The  trial  of  all  crimes,  except  in  cases  of  impeachment,  shall 
be  by  jury ;  and  such  trial  shall  be  held  in  the  State  where  the 
said  crimes  shall  have  been  committed  ;  but  when  not  committed 
within  any  State  the  trial  shall  be  at  such  place  or  places,  as  the 
Congress  may  by  law  have  directed. 

SECTION  3.  Treason  against  the  United  States  shall  consist 
only  of  levying  war  against  them,  or  in  adhering  to  their  enemies, 
giving  them  aid  and  comfort.  No  person  shall  be  convicted  of 
treason  unless  on  the  testimony  of  two  witnesses  to  the  same 
overt  act,  or  on  confession  in  open  court. 

The  Congress  shall  have  power  to  declare  the  punishment  of 
treason,  but  no  attainder  of  treason  shall  work  corruption  of 
blood  or  forfeiture,  except  during  the  life  of  the  person  attainted. 

ARTICLE  IV. 

SECTION  1.  Full  faith  and  credit  shall  be  given  in  each  State 
to  the  public  acts,  records,  and  judicial  proceedings  of  every  other 
State  And  the  Congress  may  by  genera]  law  prescribe  the  man- 


ner in  which  such  acts,  records  and  proceedings  shall  be  proved 
and  the  effect  thereof. 

SECTION  2.  The  citizens  of  each  State  shall  be  entitled  to  the 
all  privileges  and  immunities  of  citizens  in  the  several  States. 

A  person  charged  in  any  State  with  treason,  felony  or  other 
crime,  who  shall  flee  from  justice  and  be  found  in  another  State, 
shall,  on  demand  of  the  Executive  authority  of  the  State  from 
which  he  fled,  be  delivered  up,  to  be  removed  to  the  State  having 
jurisdiction  of  the  crime. 

No  person  held  to  service  or  labor  in  one  State,  under  the 
laws  thereof,  escaping  into  another,  shall,  in  consequence  of  any 
law  or  regulation  therein,  be  discharged  from  such  service  or 
labor,  but  shall  be  delivered  up  on  the  claim  of  the  party  to 
whom  such  service  or  labor  may  be  due. 

SECTION  3.  New  States  may  be  admitted  by  the  Congress  into 
this  Union ;  but  no  new  State  shall  be  formed  or  erected  wilhin 
the  jurisdiction  of  any  other  State;  nor  any  State  be  formed  by 
the  junction  of  two  or  more  States,  or  parts  of  States,  without  the 
consent  of  the  Legislatures  of  the  States  concerned,  as  well  as  of 
the  Congress. 

The  Congress  shall  have  power  to  dispose  of  and  make  all 
needful  rules  and  regulations  respecting  the  territory  or  other 
property  belonging  to  the  United  States  ;  and  nothing  in  this 
Constitution  shall  be  so  construed  as  to  prejudice  any  claims  of 
the  United  States,  or  of  any  particular  State. 

SECTION  4.  The  United  States  shall  guarantee  to  every  State 
in  this  Union  a  Republican  form  of  government  and  shall  pro- 
tect each  of  them  against  invasion,  and  on  application  of  the 
Legislature,  or  of  the  Executive  (when  the  Legislature  cannot  be 
convened)  against  domestic  violence. 


ARTICLE  V. 

The  Congress,  whenever  two-thirds  of  both  Houses  shall  deem 
it  necessary,  shall  propose  amendments  to  this  Co  nstitution,  or 
on  the  application  of  the  Legislatures  of  two-thirds  of  the  several 
States,  shall  call  a  convention  for  proposing  amendments,  which 
in  either  case,  shall  be  valid  to  all  intents  and  purposes,  as  a 
part  of  this  Constitution,  when  ratified  by  the  Legislatures  of 
three-fourths  of  the  several  States,  or  by'conventions  in  three- 
fourths  thereof,  as  the  one  or  the  other  mode  of  ratification  may 
be  proposed  by  the  Congress.  Provided  that  no  amendment  which 
may  be  made  prior  to  the  year  one  thousand  eight  hundred  and 
eight  shall  in  any  manner  affect  the  first  and  fourth  clauses  in 
the  ninth  section  of  the  first  article  ;  and  that  no  State,  without 
its  consent,  shall  be  deprived  of  its  equal  suffrage  in  the  Senate. 


ARTICLE  VI. 

All  debts  contracted  and  engagements  entered  into,  before  the 
adoption  of  this  Constitution,  shall  be  as  valid  against  the 
United  States  under  this  Constitution  as  under  the  Confedera- 
tion. 

This  Constitution,  and  the  laws  of  the  United  States  which 
shall  be  made  in  pursuance  thereof,  and  all  treaties  made,  or 
which  shall  be  made,  under  the  authority  of  the  United  States, 
shall  be  the  supreme  law  of  the  land ;  and  the  judges  in  every 
State  shall  be  bound  thereby,  anything  in  the  Constitution  or 
laws  of  any  State  notwithstanding. 

The  Senators  and  Representatives  before  mentioned,  and  the 
members  of  the  several  State  Legislatures,  and  all  Executive  and 
judicial  officers,  both  of  the  *United  States  and  of  the  several 
States,  shall  be  bound  by  oath  or  affirmation,  to  support  this 
Constitution :  but  no  religious  test  shall  ever  be  required  as  a 
qualification  to  any  office  of  public  trust  under  the  United  States. 

ARTICLE  VII. 

The  ratification  of  the  Convention  of  nine  States  shall  be  suffi- 
cient for  the  establishment  of  this  Constitution  between  the 
States  so  ratifying  the  same. 

DONE  in  Convention  by  the  unanimous  consent  of  the  States 
present,  the  seventeenth  day  of  September,  in  the  year  of  our 
Lord  one  thousand  seven  hundred  and  eighty-seven,  and  of  the 
Independence  of  "the  United  States  of  America,  the  twelfth.  IN 
WITNESS  WIIEKEOF,  We  have  hereunto  subscribed  our  names.  . 

GEO.  WASHINGTON, 

President  and  Deputy  from  Virginia. 


376 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND  W ABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


New  Hampshire. 

New  Jersey. 

Delaware. 

Nnrth  Caroli;ia. 

JOHN  LANGDON, 

WIL.  LIVINGSTON, 

GEO.  READ, 

WM.  BLOUNT, 

NICHOLAS  OILMAN. 

WM.  PATTERSON, 

JOHN  DICKINSON, 

Hu.  WILLIAMSON, 

DAVID  BREARLY, 

JACOB  BROOM, 

RICH'D  DOBBS  SPAIGHT. 

Sfassachutctts. 

JONA.  DAYTON, 

GUNNING  BEDFORD,  JR. 

NATHANIEL  GORHAM, 

RICHARD  BASSET. 

South  Carolina. 

BUFUS  KING. 

Pennsylvania. 

Virginia. 

3.  RDTLEDGE, 

Connecticut. 

B.  FRANKLIN, 
ROBT.  MORRIS, 

JOHN  BLAIR, 
JAMES  MADISON,  JE. 

CHARLES  PINCKNEY, 
CHAS.COTESWORTH  PINCKNEY 
PIERCE  BUTLER. 

WM.  SAML.  JOHNSON, 

TlIO.  FlTZSIMONS, 

Maryland. 

ROGER  SHERMAN. 

JAMES  WILSON, 
THOMAS  MIFFLIN, 

JAMES  M'HENRY, 

Georgia. 

New  York. 

GEO.  CLYMER, 
JARED  INGERSOLL, 

DANL.  CARROL, 
DAN.  OF  ST.  THOS.  JENIFER. 

WILLIAM  FEW, 
ABR.  BALDWIN. 

ALEXANDER  HAMILTON. 

Gouv.  MORRIS. 

Attest:                           WILLIAM  JACKSON,  Secretary. 

AMENDMENTS  TO  THE  CONSTITUTION  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES. 


Proposed  by  Congress,  and  ratified  by  the  Legislatures  of  the  several  States,  pursuant  to  the  fifth  article  of  the  original  Constitution. 


ARTICLE  I. 

Congress  shall  make  no  law  respecting  an  establishment  of 
religion,  or  prohibiting  the  frse  exercise  thereof;  or  abridging 
the  freedom  of  speech,  or  of  the  press  ;  or  the  right  of  the  people 

Seacefully  to  assemble,  and  to  petition  the  government  for  a  re- 
ress  of  grievances. 

ARTICLE  II. 

A  well  regulated  militia  being  necessary  to  the  security  of  a 
free  State,  the  right  of  the  people  to  keep  and  bear  arms  shall  not 
be  infringed. 

ARTICLE  III. 

No  soldier  shall  in  time  of  peace  be  quartered  in  any  house 
without  the  consent  of  the  owner,  nor  in  time  of  war,  but  in  a 
manner  to  be  prescribed  by  law. 

ARTICLE   IV. 

The  right  the  of  people  to  be  secure  in  their  persons,  houses, 
papers,  and  effects,  against  unreasonable  searches  and  seizures, 
shall  not  be  violated,  and  no  warrants  shall  issue  but  upon  prob- 
able cause,  supported  by  oath  or  affirmation,  and  particularly 
describing  the  place  to  be  searched,  and  the  person  or  things  to 
be  seized. 

ARTICLE  V. 

No  person  shall  be  held  to  answer  for  a  capital  or  otherwise 
infamous  crime,  unless  on  a  presentment  or  indictment  by  a 
Grand  Jury,  except  in  cases  arising  in  the  land  or  naval  forces, 
or  in  the  militia  when  in  actual  service  in  time  of  war  or  public 
danger ;  nor  shall  any  person  be  subject  for  the  same  offence  to 
be  twice  put  in  jeopardy  of  Iif3  or  limb  ;  nor  shall  be  compelled 
in  any  criminal  case  to  be  a  witness  against  himself,  nor  be  de- 
prived of  life,  liberty  or  property,  without  due  process  of  law  ; 
nor  shall  private  property  be  taken  for  public  use,  without  just 
compensation. 

ARTICLE  VI. 

In  all  criminal  prosecutions,  the  accused  shall  enjoy  the  right 
to  a  speedy  and  public  trial,  by  an  impartial  jury  of  the  State  and 
district  wherein  the  crime  shall  have  been  committed,  which  dis- 
trict shall  have  been  previously  ascertained  by  law,  and  to  be 
informed  of  the  nature  and  cause  of  the  accusation;  to  be  con- 
fronted with  the  witnesses  against  him  ;  to  have  compulsory 
process  for  obtaining  witnesses  in  his  favor,  «nd  to  have  the 
assistance  of  counsel  for  his  defense. 


ARTICLE  VII. 
In  suits  at  common  law  where  the  value 


controversy  shall 


exceed  twenty  dollars,  the  right  of  trial  by  jury  shall  be  pre- 
served, and  no  fact  tried  by  a  jury  shall  be  otherwise  re-examined 
in  any  court  of  the  United  States,  than  according  to  the  rules  of 
the  common  law. 

ARTICLE  VIII. 

Excessive  bails  shall  not  be  required,  nor  excessive  fines  im- 
posed, nor  cruel  and  unusual  punishment  inflicted. 

ARTICLE   IX. 

The  enumeration  in  this  Constitution,  of  certain  rights,  shall 
not  be  construed  to  deny  or  disparage  others  retained  by  the 
people. 

ARTICLE  X. 

The  powers  not  delegated  to  the  United  States  by  the  Constitu- 
tion, nor  prohibited  by  it  to  the  States,  are  reserved  to  the  States 
respectively,  or  to  the  people. 

ARTICLE  XI. 

The  judicial  power  of  the  United  States  shall  not  be  construed 
to  extend  to  any  suit  in  law  or  equity  commenced  or  prosecuted 
against  one  of  the  United  States  by  citizens  of  another  State,  or 


by  citizen 


subjects  of  any  foreign  State. 
ARTICLE  XII. 


The  electors  shall  meet  in  their  respective  States,  and  vote  by 
ballot  for  President  and  Vice  President,  one  of  whom  at  least 
shall  not  be  an  inhabitant  of  the  same  State  with  themselves  ; 
they  shall  name  in  their  ballot  the  person  to  be  voted  for  as 
President,  and  in  distinct  ballots  the  person  voted  for  as  Vice 
President,  and  they  shall  make  distinct  lists  of  all  persons  voted 
for  as  President,  aiid  all  persons  voted  for  as  Vice  President,  and 
of  the  number  of  votes  for  each,  which  list  they  shall  sign  and 
certify,  and  transmit  sealed  to  the  seat  of  government  of  the 
United  States,  directed  to  the  President  of  the  Senate.  The 
President  of  the  Senate  shall,  in  presence  of  the  Senate  and 
House  of  Representatives,  open  all  the  certificates,  and  the  votes 
shall  then  be  counted.  The  person  having  the  greatest  number 
of  votes  for  President,  shall  be  the  President,  if  such  number  be 
a  majority  of  the  whole  number  of  electors  appointed  ;  and  if  no 
person  have  such  majority,  then  from  the  persons  having  the 
highest  number  not  exceeding  three  on  the  list  of  those  voted 
for  as  President,  the  House  of  Representatives  shall  choose  im- 
mediately, by  ballot,  the  President.  But  in  choosing  the  Presi- 
dent, the  vote  shall  be  taken  by  States,  the  representation  from 
each  State  having  one  vote  ;  a  quorum  for  this  purpose  shall  con- 


HISTORY  OF  EDWARDS,  LAWRENCE  AND   WABASH  COUNTIES,  ILLINOIS. 


377 


sist  of  a  member  or  members  from  two-thirds  of  the  States,  and  a 
majority  of  all  the  Stairs  shall  be  necessary  to  a  choice.  And  if 
the  House  of  Representatives  shall  not  choose  a  President  when- 
ever the  right  of  choice  shall  devolve  upon  them,  before  the 
fourth  day  of  March  next  following,  then  the  Vice  President 
shall  act  as  President,  as  in  the  case  of  the  death  or  other  Consti- 
tutional disability  of  the  President.  The  person  having  the 
greatest  number  of  wtes  as  Vice  President,  shall  be  the  Vice 
President,  if  such  number  be  a  majority  of  the  whole  number  of 
electors  appointed,  and  if  no  person  have  a  majority,  then  from 
the  two  highest  numbers  on  the  list,  the  Senate  shall  choose  the 
Vice  President ;  a  quorum  for  the  purpose  shall  consist  of  two- 
thirds  of  the  whole  number  of  Senators,  and  a  majority  of  the 
whole  number  shall  be  necessary  to  a  choice.  But  no  person 
constitutionally  inelisrible  to  the  office  of  President  shall  be  eli- 
gible to  that  of  Vice'President  of  the  United  States. 

ARTICLE  XIII. 

SECTION  1.  Neither  slavery  nor  involuntary  servitude,  except 
as  a  punishment  for  crime,  whereof  the  party  shall  have  been  duly 
convicted,  shall  exist  within  the  United  States,  or  any  place 
subject  to  their  jurisdiction. 

SECTION  2.  Congress  shall  have  power  to  enforce  this  article 
by  appropriate  legislation. 

ARTICLE   XIV. 

SECTION  1.  All  persons  born  or  naturalized  in  the  United 
States  and  subject  to  the  jurisdiction  thereof,  are  citizens  of  the 
United  States,  and  of  the  State  wherein  they  reside.  No  State 
shall  make  or  enforce  any  law  which  shall  abridge  the  privileges 
or  immunities  of  citizens  of  the  United  States ;  nor  shall  any 
State  deprive  any  person  of  life,  liberty  or  property  without  due 
process  of  law,  nor  deny  to  any  person  within  its  jurisdiction  the 
equal  protection  of  the  laws. 

SECTION  2.  Representatives  shall  be  appointed  among  the 
several  States  according  to  their  respective  numbers,  counting  the 
whole  number  of  persons  in  each  State,  excluding  Indians  not 


taxed  ;  but  when  the  right  to  vote  at  any  election  for  the  choice 
of  electors  for  President  and  Vice  President  of  the  United  States, 
Representatives  in  Congress,  the  executive  and  judicial  officers  of 
a  State  or  the  members  of  the  Legislature  thereof,  is  denied  to 
any  of  themale  inhabitants  of  such  State,  being  twenty-one  years 
of  age  and  citizens  of  the  United  States,  or  in  any  way  abridged, 
except  for  participation  in  rebellion  or  other  crimes,  the  basis  of 
representation  therein  shall  be  reduced  in  the  proportion  which 
the  number  of  such  male  citizens  shall  bear  to  the  whole  number 
of  male  citizens  twenty-one  years  of  age  in  such  State. 

SECTION  3.  No  person  shall  be  a  Senator  or  Representative  in 
Congress  or  elector  of  President  and  Vice  President,  or  hold  any 
office  civil  or  military,  under  the  United  States  or'  under  any 
State  who,  having  previously  taken  oath  as  Member  of  Congress, 
or  as  an  officer  of  the  United  States,  or  as  a  member  of  any  State 
Legislature,  or  as  an  executive  or  judicial  officer  of  any  State,  to 
support  the  Constitution  of  the  United  States,  shall  have  engaged 
in  insurrection  or  rebellion  against  the  same,  or  given  aid  or  com- 
fort to  the  enemies  thereof.  But  Congress  may,  by  a  vote  of 
two-thirds  of  each  House,  remave  such  disability. 

SECTION  4.  The  validity  of  the  public  debt  of  the  United 
States  authorized  by  law,  including  debts  incurred  for  payment 
of  pensions  and  bounties  for  suppressing  insurrection  or  rebellion, 
But  neither  the  Unit 


shall-    not    be   questioned. 


ited    States 


nor  any  State  shall  assume  or  pay  any  debt  of  obligation  in- 
curred in  the  aid  of  insurrection  or  rebellion  against  the  United 
States,  or  any  loss  for  emancipation  of  any  slave,  but  such  debts, 
obligations  and  claims  shall  be  held  illegal  and  void. 

SECTION  5.  The  Congress  shall  have  the  power  to  enforce,  by 
appropriate  legislation,  the  provisions  of  this  article. 

ARTICLE  XV. 

SECTION  1.  The  rights  of  citizens  of  the  United  States  to  vote 
shall  not  be  denied  or  abridged  by  the  United  States  on  account  of 
race,  color,  or  previous  condition  of  servitude. 

SECTION  2.  Congress  shall  have  power  to  enforce  this  article  by 
appropriate  legislation. 
18 


